OS living -a moment of self doubt

Kazipoo

Justamum wrote: »

Factory made cakes taste funny imo - must be all the preservatives. My children love my home baking, and their friends have all (apparently) said that my baking is the nicest they've ever tasted .

My eldest daughters' best friend adores my baking, but I do feel a bit odd when she rambles on about it...... her mum is a chef!!

Jaynnie

Can I just day as a newbie to the os way of life I have found all the above thread very inspiring and making me want to learn more - My husband and I have just taken a hughe reduction in income not by choice I hasten to add but prior to this I was just like some of your mums and friends part of a throw away society and although I admit I came to OS due to need rather than princples etc, both my husband and I are much happier and less stressed, and as I am now only working part time im loving learning all these new skills just wish id seen the light 10 years ago.

Keep up the good work and know you are converting people by insperation ond example I know I am the proof.

Jayne

joshieg3011

Bitsy_Beans wrote: »

Every time I hear this I just think OMG does this mean people are just going back to spending money they don't have :eek: That's not recovery to me and when the taxes get hiked to pay back the Government borrowing everyone will end up in queer street again.

Sorry I'll get off my soapbox now

Anyway without the help of the fabulous OS board and MSE in general I would have never had the guts to quit my job and be at home with the kids - we took a massive pay cut for me to do this but with meal planning, learning how to cook better and actually enjoying the challenge of being OS we just about manage. I never thought in a million years I'd enjoy trying to be frugal - honestly I've had so much fun reading the Tightwad Gazette as it's inspired me to realise that "stuff" does not make me happy. Sure there are times when I'd like to buy something to be frivolous but I get over it

Oh and for the record I don't give a toss if people want to look down their nose at me or my OS ways. What people think of me is of no interest, it's what I think that counts (and of course my H and kids :rotfl:).

Can someone tell me what the "Tightwad Gazette" is???!!!

Gingernutmeg

joshieg3011 wrote: »

Can someone tell me what the "Tightwad Gazette" is???!!!

The Tightwad Gazette I've never read it, but I've heard of it - I think it's the American MSE

Chipps

The Tightwad Gazette was a newsletter started by Amy Dacyzyn in America, which she did for a few years, then published selections in book form. The Complete Tightwad Gazette is a compilation of all 3 of the books and is a really great read! Obviously its designed for the US market, and some of the information can be a little dated BUT it is a brilliant OS book.

The best thing about it is not just the ideas, but the principle of how to live frugally. She freely admits that not everyone is going to embrace frugality to quite the extent that her family have, but gives lots of ideas that may help. She was called the Frugal Zealot!

Anyway, I found the book quite helpful.

katieowl_2

I'll tell you something else too...where you live makes a huge difference to how people perceive your OS ways!!

When we lived in London there were one or two friends who were similarly OS to me...Shopped for bargains, cooked from scratch, had allotments etc.

But HERE (West Wales) it is the NORM... We've been here 10 month now, the local MR T. has lots of people gathered around the reduced stuff, discussing it, and passing it out (as in "Here do you want one of these they are all down to 50p now!!!" "Ohh you could freeze that!") Between Xmas and New year they had a lot of meat pies and sausage rolls on the deli counter all massivly reduced...the assistant was telling everyone "All this stuff will freeze." (i.e. stock up)

People about here don't throw anything away, they often buy bulk, most people grow something even if it's only tomatoes. They talk to you in queues telling you that X sells that cheaper, or Y has a deal on that at the moment! There are squillions of charity shops in town, and even the expensive clothes shop has a £10 rail at sale time. Cardi's (people from Cardigan) are renowned for being very careful with money..there is even a book of Cardi Jokes.

It's a bit like having been transported to an alternative reality where being OS is celebrated!!! :beer:

Kate

midnightraven3

I was recently catching up with an old friend, that i hadnt seen or heard from in YEARS

dont know how it came about but we got on the subject of toothpaste
he said he bought colgate in a pump, and i said to him that it was double the price for the same amount in a tube

he looked at me for ages, and said, "you never used to be that tight":eek:

I pondered this, as my 1st reaction was, "i'm not tight, far from it"
and was saddened this was how it appeared

i find my OS lifestyle affords me to be more generous than ever, and i do make an incredible amount for people
my choice to live OS didnt come from financial, but its a huge perk

I told him to give me a pound, and he did
i opened the bin and dropped it in
he stood:eek::eek::eek:

i walked away, and said, thats what you do:T

point well proven i think:D

kingshir

midnightraven3 wrote: »

I was recently catching up with an old friend, that i hadnt seen or heard from in YEARS

dont know how it came about but we got on the subject of toothpaste
he said he bought colgate in a pump, and i said to him that it was double the price for the same amount in a tube

he looked at me for ages, and said, "you never used to be that tight":eek:

I pondered this, as my 1st reaction was, "i'm not tight, far from it"
and was saddened this was how it appeared

i find my OS lifestyle affords me to be more generous than ever, and i do make an incredible amount for people
my choice to live OS didnt come from financial, but its a huge perk

I told him to give me a pound, and he did
i opened the bin and dropped it in
he stood:eek::eek::eek:

i walked away, and said, thats what you do:T

point well proven i think:D

Good for you! :T
I think being OS gives me more money and time to be generous!

debtdesperado

I love the OS board - it's the online equivalent of sitting with with your gran, a cup of tea and a homemade cake and listening to her stories...so comforting!

When I was little my mum was very OS (made all our clothes, food, etc) - in fact for years I didn't get the joke about the TV programme the Good Life as I thought that it just showed how everyone (my family included) lived!

Naturally, as kids though you don't appreciate it, and we used to be in raptures over anything shop bought - clothes (new clothes? bought? from a shop and not the jumble?!!! Amazing!) and in particular, shop cake - uniform, spongy and synthetic - delicious!! My cousins, whose mum didn't bake, used to get really excited about my mum's homemade cake...kids eh?!

Now I take after my mum and am re-learning/remembering all her skills...and it's so useful to be able to ask her for her tips. She still teases us about being happy to eat homemade cake now though!!

Minihauk

It is true - things go round in cycles (and I don't mean riding a bike!)
When we were growing up it was normal for everything to be homemade - knitting, clothes from jumble sales, food bought daily and cooked fresh from scratch. Money was tight for everyone we knew. Then came the baby boomers - things got easier financially and people bought everything they wanted.
It is refreshing to get back to basics. People are so busy now they don't have the time to enjoy life.
As a single parent of 2, I never had much money to throw around. now they ae grown finances are easier, but I still look for a bargain, and hate to just throw money around.
The OS principles are ingrained now and I love it. :T