Have you got OS friends?

Pandora123_2

We don't get much grief. My FIL is supportive of our "frugal" lifestyle, and is impressed when I can do a bit of googling and save him a few quid on a book he wants to buy or a few hundred on a bigger item! When he comes for tea he always really enjoys the HM meal, and appreciates it when we drop off some leftover HM soup or pasta sauce for him.

One of my DH's brothers is pretty OS himself, has an allotment and they cook mostly from scratch. The other brother is not really OS, so we get a few eye-rolls from him sometimes, especially when my DH tells him, no I won't be spending £600 on a new computer, £300 will get me all that I need.

We have not told anyone about our MFiT goals, more because we are not sure we'll meet the target.

My family lives abroad, so they don't really know about our day-to-day frugalness, though my parents think it is great we grow our own fruit & veg and cook HM meals, they are always asking about that. My sister and her family are pretty OS themselves, paid off their mortgage years ago and she is queen of the garage sale!

No grandparents left on either side, sadly, but having been mostly self-sufficient themselves, I'm sure they'd have been supportive.

Sammy Kaye, just stick to your guns and try not to let the comments of others bother you. You know how you want to live your life, let them laugh at you or think you are silly, but just do what makes YOU happy.

:A

redruby

I don't get the micky taken, although I just don't tend to tell people all the thingsI do, just carry on as you are doing s*d the rest of them, you and your BF will be the ones reaping the benefits, then you can sit there and be smug .

newlywed

Where'd my post go?

newlywed

Try again...

My family are ok because our parents brought us up OS anyway. Mum just thinks it's funny that I'm boiling the chicken carcass to make soup like she used to.

But my friends - they look at me like I've lost the plot entirely if i suggest cleaning expensive jewellery with soda crystals and foil! And as for the vinegar to descale the kettle - well obviously I must be off my trolley!! :rotfl:

But I don't care because I know it works and costs less than the options they choose!!

calleyw

I don't tell people half of what I do as they too would laugh at me.

I still have not even put my winter weight duvet on yet and not really put the heating on as it is just not cold. Mind you it might be to do with the fact that we had cavity wall insulationand loft insulation put in over the summer.

If people ask tell them you bake your own bread because it is better for you not full of rubbish. Same with veggies you are growing your own so they are fresh and tasty.

Do what you want don't feel you have to conform as that is boring.

All the best.


Yours


Calley

D&DD

:rotfl: Most people around here think I lost the plot a long time ago anyway :rotfl:
Funny thing is though just recently I seem to have been [strike]brainwashing[/strike] constructively helping people around here to start cooking old stylee..I have about 7 mums from school now who drop in for a baking session now and again,some of the local kids also go blackberrying on the fields for me and bring me jars :T Where people's pockets seem to be feeling the pinch they are just like us looking for ways to feed their families well on a smaller budget..maybe I'm not such a fruitloop after all
My brothers family on the other hand....lets just say SIL shops every week without fail and anything left in the fridge gets chucked :eek: My mum has been known to 'bin dive' on more than one occassion,she gets so cross at the waste

moanymoany

My DH's mate told him recently that he and his wife had started to shop at Asda. He said their grocery bill was down from £160 a week to £120! This is for 2 people.

Back to the topic: I don't have any friends who are OS. 'Ooh, I couldn't wear anything someone else has worn...' Is one response I've had.

My neighbour has a son who is married to a Danish woman. She is a doctor and he has a good job. They have a lovely large house with a small mortgage and two paid for medium range cars. My neighbour's dil told her that her husband (neighbour's son) feels his friends in England are way ahead of him with bigger, better cars, bigger houses, great holidays and a high on the hog lifestyle. My neighbour told her they MUST be in big debt. This kind of life is very expensive and they would need to be earning at least £100,000 a year to live this life and to break even! A £40,000 car, changed every 4 years is £10,000 a year tax paid income! And the car will depreciate like mad.

It's a disease. I enjoy living like we do, it takes a lot of stress away. To live with debt would be a terrible worry. I don't care what people think, but it would be lovely to have likeminded flesh and blood friends. However, I am very grateful for my virtual friends.

BusyGirl

Most of my friends who are of a similar age to me are not 'os' but I have lots of friends at church who are 20-30 years older than me and they are definitely 'os'. They make lots of lovely cakes and I always ask them for os advice.
I'm passing as much of my 'os' ways down to my daughters as I can, but I think they will also be in a the same boat as me regarding their friends. It's like being in a secret club! :rolleyes:

sairy2005

When I mentioned at work one year that I ironed the christmas wrapping paper and re wrapped the chidrens christmas presents in it, a friend bought me a roll of paper as she felt so sorry for my children.

I just thought "oh goody I won't have to buy any more this year at all". I dont think it has done the children much harm.

They are all different though. The two girls are very OS. One has two houses(one rented out) and the other has just bought her first house, but my son he is a different matter entirely. He spends every penny and is always in debt.

freyasmum

Hi Sammy,

I don't know what age you are exactly, but I know you're around my age and I too have a LO

I love my OS ways and, although I'm nowhere as good as yourself, I do try I bake and homecook everything. It's much better, both in nutrition and value. My ex's parents spend over £100 a week for three people, they live on ready meals and bought cakes and biscuits. My ex thought he had died and gone to heaven when we moved in together and he has told me that since he moved back in with his parents (almost a month ago) they haven't cooked, except for tuesday when his dad does spaghetti bolognase (all items are bought, not made). I've spent £50 to feed me and lo so far this month and that has been including stocking up on bargains . They think saving money is ridiculous (and are in lots of debt as well) and are continuously away on holiday - but are always moaning that they have no money :mad: Well blooming well do something about it, then! Anyway, rant over - sorry His brothers are the same, their wifes can't cook so that obviously doesn't help.

I have baked them quite a few things in the five years I was with Paul and they absolutely loved my apple pie. It must have cost 80p tops for a very well deep filled pie. They absolutely raved about it for ages and actually fought over it They also said that you couldn't buy anything like it, not that I'm blowing my own trumpet or anything Lol, but you know what I mean. You couldn't buy anything of the same quality without paying megabucks.

My point being (and as someone said earlier) if you must explain yourself (which you don't, of course) just tell them that you're doing it because you couldn't buy anything as tasty as you could make it and it's better for you and your family. They don't know how long their food has been sitting in the shops and they don't know how many additives are in the food, too.

And my last thing (I promise) is: you keep baking your bread... there is nothing quite like the smell of freshly baking bread. Everyone in my building comments on the lovely smell coming from my flat when I bake

Lx