really old style living?

ginnyknit

mardatha wrote: »

I was thinking this morning. (mark it in the calendar quick lol) This thread is verging onto self sufficiency but its basically OS, because maybe that's why they stocked up. If sugar was cheap or plentiful in winter then they'd buy it for summer when they made jam, etc .
And the other thing is that if we do buy in all the ingreds to make jam/yoghurt/soup etc - although its dear at the time - it will eventually cut down the number of times we need to go round a supermarket. And if you're not innit then you cant spend money!

I think years ago they bought stuff by the sack not our fancy bags and didnt shop that often especially up a mountain in Scotland, thats why they were stocked up. Now its not just the temptation to spend by going shopping more often its the cost in travel - even if shopsare local it adds up, and time. I resent spending time in Mr T that I could be using to make stuff. We are now trying to cut our petrol use so plan our shopping better ie if we are going to a certain area do everything in that area that day. One particular place is good, there are 3 charity shops, Wilkies, poundland and a bank.
I have just washed out all my jam jars and will stock up on 69p sugar tomorrow - if its still 69p that is! Have to defrost little freezer and its full of blackberries so will make the jam at same time

westcoastscot

Interesting thread! we lived like this until around 6 years ago when we moved to the mainland - we used to shop 3/4 times a year - but we had the croft with goat/chucks/lambs/geese/ducks loads of veggies etc, so only shopped for grains/sugar - basics really - fabric/yarn/crafting goodies -and treats

Now i'm on the mainland I shop about every 4 - 6 weeks to top up my store - although i reckon i could go 3 months if necessary. The only think I buy is fresh milk if I fancy it.

the trick is to eat as seasonably as possible, allowing you to grow fresh stuff, have good storage for dry goods and potatos/squash/hard fruit etc and learn to make your own everything! It's a totally different way of life but excellent - a "treat" becomes a totally different thing if you've had to wait and wait for it. it's surprising how you can turn your hand to pretty much anything if you have to - for us the cost of driving even to the island shops - a 60 mile round trip - were prohibitive unless really essential.

I think if i were starting out on this way of life, I would build up slowly over a year - I have an on-going shopping list of items used from my store that i build up over the 6 - 8 weeks. Maybe start by going over old shopping lists? Also, start keeping a note of everything you buy - then you'll know what needs to go onto that master list.

lilac_lady

I could live on potatoes for a year as long as I had butter and cheese to eat with them. I'd probably be 20+ stone at the end of the year though!

ginnyknit

After a trip to Mr M today, I feel our way is the only way, am off to plant more veg and got the makings for marmalade as the fruit was cheap. I remember seeing on MSE somewhere you can make marmalade from leftover peel that you stash in the freezer till you have enough, think I will start stashing. Getting my bread maker tomorrow, my friend was bought a new one as a gift cos the old one wasn't working properly but Im sure it can be fixed, after all we have replaced the cooker element and got another year out of it, fixed washer and dishwasher so Im dying to have a go.

Kitchenbunny

ginnyknit wrote: »

After a trip to Mr M today, I feel our way is the only way, am off to plant more veg and got the makings for marmalade as the fruit was cheap. I remember seeing on MSE somewhere you can make marmalade from leftover peel that you stash in the freezer till you have enough, think I will start stashing. Getting my bread maker tomorrow, my friend was bought a new one as a gift cos the old one wasn't working properly but Im sure it can be fixed, after all we have replaced the cooker element and got another year out of it, fixed washer and dishwasher so Im dying to have a go.

Not just that for leftover peel. I think I remember reading from Nella Last's War about her making her own candied peel to add to dried fruit. I might be joining you with that to give it a go as we're not big marmalade eaters!

KB xx

emg

Did anyone else read that they are filming 'real-life Good Life' with Giles Coren and Sue Perkins. I thought it might interest people on this thread. I read about it here

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1294520/The-Good-Life-recycled-BBC-reality-fronted-Sue-Perkins-Giles-Coren.html

(:o I appreciate this is from the daily mail but it's not about public sector workers, immigrants or foxes so chances are it might actually be accurately reported!)

COOLTRIKERCHICK

emg wrote: »

Did anyone else read that they are filming 'real-life Good Life' with Giles Coren and Sue Perkins. I thought it might interest people on this thread. I read about it here

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1294520/The-Good-Life-recycled-BBC-reality-fronted-Sue-Perkins-Giles-Coren.html

(:o I appreciate this is from the daily mail but it's not about public sector workers, immigrants or foxes so chances are it might actually be accurately reported!)

they done a series a while back about living on rations etc in WWII, it was a light hearted attempt, so i dont think they will take this life life style seriously, prob make a mockery of it....

emg

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

they done a series a while back about living on rations etc in WWII, it was a light hearted attempt, so i dont think they will take this life life style seriously, prob make a mockery of it....

Aww I quite liked that series, I agree it was light-hearted but I found it entertaining and still learned things from it. It really spurred an interest in social history that I never had before (...also spurred an interest in Giles Coren too...:D)

ginnyknit

Should be a good laugh if nothing else, I like the way Sue Perkins calls a spade 'an effing spade' and is doubtful she would gloss over failures.

Its pouring down here now and my pumpkin plants ( thought 2 of 'em were courgettes) seem to be getting bigger as you look at them, so if nothing else I can search for pumpkin recipes and live on them - Hmm how big exactly is a giant pumpkin???? Am working on a better plan for next years veggies, lots more beans and peas me thinks as they will store well. Am constantly thinking of ways to make do and mend, recycling t shirts to make a crochet bath mat, to the point of wondering which t shirts I can pinch off DH so as he won't notice - would love to cut up his Status Quo ones.

psso

Cut up The QUO :eek::eek:. No you can`t do that. That`s a step tooooo far.