Are you more thrifty, OS and MSE than your mother?

Callie22

Sorry if I offended anyone - I didn't mean to accuse anyone of being OS to be cool Simply that I'm glad I have a choice - for example I like to knit because I can make something unique and beautiful, but I think I'd shoot myself if I *had* to knit (and darn!) all of my OHs socks!

[Deleted User]

Well I am one of the old ducks on here and I have been fairly frugal all of my life. I grew up during and after WW2 and the rationing, and can remember how Mum streeeetched things ,not always because she didn't have the cash, but the stuff wasn't available in the shops anyway.She could make a ten bob note (50p) do the work of a pound and I have obviously had lots of her ways stuck to me throughout my life.

I could afford to shop more than I do but I would rather cook from scratch as I then not only know whats in my food but I can then save my cash for spending on other things like my grandchildren and helping my two DDs when they need it.

The eldest is quite a lot better off now than she was but my youngest has a bit of a struggle at times as she has five children who are eating machines :)I enjoy making do and mending and knit quite a bit for charity.I wouldn't like to go back to the days of poverty that I remember from a young child in the east end of London (we were lucky in that my Dad had his chemist's shop) but lots of my friends parents were very hard up in the post war austerity period.There was a lot of unemployment, as there is today but folk pawning their piano or 'best clothes ' to get through the week was not unheard of then.

I think its great that youngsters today can see the benefit of being more careful with their cash and to all you SAHMs I take my virtual hat of to you as it can't be easy .
My youngest DD works full time along with her OH she is lucky that she has me locally so she doesn't have to worry about childcare and I considerate an honour that I can look after the boys and so help her out a bit.Hard times come to us all at various times in our lives but with luck and inventiveness we all get through them I know I did thanks to my tiny feisty little Mum and what she taught me when I was a little girl

Aarons_mummy

Callie22 wrote: »

Sorry if I offended anyone - I didn't mean to accuse anyone of being OS to be cool Simply that I'm glad I have a choice - for example I like to knit because I can make something unique and beautiful, but I think I'd shoot myself if I *had* to knit (and darn!) all of my OHs socks!

If you're referring to my comment I wasn't offended in the slightest I just wanted to make the point that 'young' people can be oldstyle through choice without it having anything to do with what's cool or necessity.:D

I started being more frugal when I was in my later years of high school with my money and crafts and things, it just branched into my whole life when I lived on my own :T

rinabean

It's funny to see different people's different attitudes. Raised partially by my grandparents, and always being told I had an old head on young shoulders, I often feel a bit peculiar when conversations turn to money, because I fit in much more with older people than people my age. I live with my in-laws and my MIL is always delighted when I make a cake or biscuits, and exclaims what a treat it is. But for me, the shop-bought ones are the treats! They eat ready meals most nights, but cook for a special occasion, and again I'm the opposite. I do dislike when people try and make it into a war when it doesn't have to be. Yes, I'm a better cook, but it's my main occupation so you'd hope so! And she's better at her paid job than I am. Everyone contributes in their own way, and I don't like seeing people tearing others down to build themselves up. I think it's magazine features and the like that are worst for this, not individual people, but you see a lot of it over christmastime due to gifts, don't you? (Not that anyone would get even a Merry Christmas off me in future if they were rude about a gift I gave them!!)

But overall I'm glad to live in these times, especially as a woman. At the very least, I'm glad I have places like this to learn from likeminded people

Penelope_Penguin

As this has fallen from the front page of OS, I'll add it to the existing thread to keep ideas together

maman

What an interesting thread! Of course, there is no simple black & white answer to your question.

I think the main reason for OS being back in fashion is sadly the economic and political situation. But before that people have always chosen to live in different ways for different reasons. Some people put a high priority on being a SAHM and for many that means financial sacrifices.

Personally I would have hated that so happily paid for goods/services that others might have done for themselves. My mother was a SAHM (never worked again from the age of 24) but spent a lot of time doing voluntary work as we got older. I have 2 DDs wo are absolute enigmas! DD1 has a full-time professional career but as a single mum she is very careful and sensible with money as she is sole breadwinner. DD2 is almost a SAHM (very basic part-time job) but although she's a good cook she's always popping into shops 'for a few bits'. I think she's a bit of a shopaholic but fortunately SIL has his hand firmly on family finances. The irony of it is that if situations were reversed, I'm sure DD2 would just fritter away DD1's good salary whereas if DD1 had 2 incomes she'd make the money go so far they'd live like lords! Currently I have more time and am quite OS but it's because I hate being ripped off and like JackieO, rather than waste money on (e.g.) convenience foods I'd rather cook from scratch with ingredients I've shopped around to get best value for. That way I have more disposable income and more choice what I spend it on.

What I think is sad is that as consumerism started to take over in the 80's then many people stopped even learning how to budget, cook and sew etc. I think it's admirable that there are so many young people (on this thread and on the boards in general) who are asking how to do these things.

What I really hope is that when the recession is over, we don't return to the extravagant consumerism of the past 30 years and keep credit firmly in check, eat healthier, keep car driving to a minimum, refuse to be ripped off by exhorbitant profit margins etc etc

Sorry if that comes across a bit preachy but I find it very thought provoking.

Hardup_Hester

I'm 60 & have lived a frugal lifestyle for a long time though for different reasons.
My Mum died about 18 years ago, she had some OS skills but no interest in using them regularly, she didn't use ready meals, in fact most of the time there were no meals, there was never food in the house for breakfast, not unless I wanted a fag & a cup of coffee. I didn't own a toothbrush til I started work & never visited the dentist as Mum was phobic. Mind you she had loads of phobias, Dr's dentists, snakes, mice, birds, hospitals, sex, the list goes on & on.
Mum always wanted to be kept in the manner that she'd have like to become accustomed. She worked but was always changing jobs when she fell out with her workmates, then she's stay home for a while, recover the setee or make curtains, get bored & find another job. We had the setee covers pinned together for years, made it dicey sitting down. I was an only child, thank god or I'd have ended up taking care of a younger sibling.
She was snobbish & refused to use chap food like fish fingers or baked beans, seeing them as common, I never had hand me downs, but in a lot of my childhood photo's I look like a ragamuffin, droopy hems & unbrushed hair.
My mum hated the way her mum lived with mended clothes & regular meals even if it was 'it's macaroni cheese, so it must be Wednesday'.
I was frugal throughout my married life as my ex was incredibly tight, checking with his Mum how much housekeeping she was given (£10 a week) & then giving me the same, even though there were 6 of us & only his mum and dad & his mum worked & topped up the housekeeping. When we divorced he's hidden all the money, so I received a very small payout, & it took 2 years to get the money.
My new hubby & I are comfortable, we don't have holidays or smoke, rarely drink, don't go out, don't have sky tv, but we are happy with what we have.
Hugs Hester

oldtractor

I am very much more OS than my mum,but fortunately she used to make soup and cakes so I've always regarded hm soup and cakes as "normal",
its in other ways she wasnt OS , i cant sew and wish I could,for example.might have to learn this next year?

System

My mother is definately more thrifty than me in fact i call her mean. Ive known her cut mould off food (veggies mainly but also tinned stuff) and eat the unmouldy bits. The amount of rows ive had with her about it when ive thrown a mouldy tomato out so that she wouldnt eat it were numerous and i'm not sure if the two were connected but i wasnt surprised when she went on to have bowel cancer in her 70s. I dont think it came on with old age because she was like it when i was growing up (but not so extreme). She would walk miles to save 1p and in the days when i looked after her she expected me to walk miles too to get her groceries.

However, i find myself saving elastic bands off our mail and i actually thought about cutting up cereal boxes to write lists on instead of using a sheet out of my note book the other day just like she did. I find myself reusing tea bags cause i hate strong tea and cant bear the thought of thowing a tea bag out after its just been shown the boiling water and whipped out again. I curse myself when i do it but i still do it.

Its a shame really Mom lives like this because she really is quite wealthy.

Rummer

Oh I am way more OS and thrifty than my mum! I can't think of a single OS thing she does :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: