The good life tv comedy programme could this be done today

COOLTRIKERCHICK

ok after watching a few episodes on gold i went out and bought series one on dvd:rotfl: i can remember the programme the first time round...lol..

there was also a type of reality show a few years back where a few families gave up work for a year, and had only £30 a week to top up what they could grow to feed themselves and then sell the surplus etc..they only had the £30 until their crops etc were ready to eat etc

Now Tom and Barbra Goode, didnt have a mortgage etc and some savings.... in the programme, and had a averagely large size front and back garden...

they had a goat, pigs and chickens in the back garden, and used the poo to produce electricity....

and they bartered whenever they could...


maybe a few decades ago this might have been a possibility to live and survive like this, but in reality could this type of style of living be done today?


Also with our age group who can remember the good life the first time round, do you think this programme has alot to answer to, with people wanting the good life, or is it naturally in us anyway, because this is the way we should be living, and not so confined and in built up areas

zarazara

yes yes yes! certainly influenced me. I now have a cottage and 5 acres. Planted a small orchard which we hope to increase this autumn and are also toying with the idea of planting fast growing trees for copacing for fire wood.We have begun an allotment with plans for a massive increase in size over the next few years as we [hopefully] get more adept at growing food. We dont have chickens because lots of people in the village do so I buy their eggs,or often swop stuff for eggs,ditto honey. We are getting sheep this autumn. And yes, it IS a necessity for us. with only the state pension we will NEED to grow our own stuff.
It isnt the Good Life though. We still need money and jobs for things like council tax,transport costs and so on.

Lotus-eater

Of course it can't.

I watched the show a couple of nights ago and it has more reality holes in it, than a pair of fishnet stockings.
Its a nice idea, but you still have alot of bills to pay, for which you need cold hard money baby.

COOLTRIKERCHICK

i agree, its very rare that someone can grow/make practically all the things they need to live, and produce more to sell to pay the basic bills that need paying.

I wonder how many people are now cursing Tom and Barbra for this, as they maybe sold up and moved expecting this type of life to work...and smell of roses..

thinking about this realistically....

what could people be self sufficiency in, and what would be the raw bones essentials they would have to pay for..

could be self sufficient in hot water and heating with a aga/rayburn if you were only buring wood.

Lotus-eater

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

could be self sufficient in hot water and heating with a aga/rayburn if you were only buring wood.

Yeah but you can't you see.

You need tools, OK you might have them when you start, but them your axe breaks and you need another, or you use petrol tools, much quicker to get the job done........... but, yes, they need petrol.

And you need alot of woodland to support yourself.

BTW I watched Tom and Barbara go on about how nature was telling them to get everything planted, right in the middle of summer
Just so many things are wrong with that program.


My OH refuses to watch it with me anymore, because of my constant witty comments :rotfl:

LJM

i would love to think that in the perfect world that it could be done i certainly would love to do it and i love the programme one of my childhood favs cant beat bit of the good life

cootambear

Was a great comedy, but the premise was farcical. Felicity Kendal was worth a punt....................

Lotus-eater

cootambear wrote: »

Was a great comedy, but the premise was farcical. Felicity Kendal was worth a punt....................

Yes, I suppose if you dressed her up a bit. I noticed she went to bed in full make up, which I thought was a nice touch

COOLTRIKERCHICK

Lotus-eater wrote: »

Yeah but you can't you see.

You need tools, OK you might have them when you start, but them your axe breaks and you need another, or you use petrol tools, much quicker to get the job done........... but, yes, they need petrol.

And you need alot of woodland to support yourself.

BTW I watched Tom and Barbara go on about how nature was telling them to get everything planted, right in the middle of summer
Just so many things are wrong with that program.


My OH refuses to watch it with me anymore, because of my constant witty comments :rotfl:

lol.... i think i would have clonked you if you were my OH......lol..


mmmmm i see what you mean about the wood etc..... BUT you could allways barter or ask on freecycle, skip dive.... scrounge.... borrow..... but i didnt think about the petrol....

ok then you could be self sufficient in potatoes... veg.... eggs....


ok lets go the other way then..... what would be the minimum amount of money you would need/raise to pay for the extreme bare basics.... per year..? ( fire away with your witty comments:p)

Lotus-eater

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

ok lets go the other way then..... what would be the minimum amount of money you would need/raise to pay for the extreme bare basics.... per year..? ( fire away with your witty comments:p)

Well council tax for starters, do you want to go anywhere? You need a car then, so alot of money for that. Loads of stuff.
You can only really grow most fruit and veg, difficult to grow all, meat is easier all year round. But with animals you get bills for food, vets, just items needed to have animals.
But your diet would be very monotonous sometimes. Not something I have a problem with tbh, I value seasonality. It used to be a great deal of excitement when new foods became available in the spring, now it's all the same (well not for me )

Then you need other stuff you can't grow, coffee, tea, chocolate? Bananas, bread? Impossible to grow wheat for bread on a small scale.

rhiwfield

Seems that you can massively reduce outgoings by living frugally and trying to be self sufficient for energy and food BUT then the council tax bill arrives, as do water rates, tv licence, car tax and insurance etc, etc.

If you have young children peer pressure will lead them to Wii's and all the other electronic consumables that go out of fashion faster than a woman's skirt length. Will they want basic clothes or the latest must have brands?

With our house and garden we're doing a mini-version of the good life but its only doable using savings from a long term of well paid employment. What it has done is allow us to step aside from rampant consumerism and wage slavery, the price is that overseas holidays, expensive clothes and flash cars are things of the past.