Its tough, it will get better and guess what its freezing brrrrr!

ginnyknit

They are truly lovely people Mardatha, Irma even made Johns underpants! They beleived in pennypinching so your money was free to spend on lifes pleasures - what ever they may be. I think they are happily retired down south now, though Im sure they are very interested in whats happening now.

[Deleted User]

I also have an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach re the future. I heard the other day that 1 million is like the seconds in 11 days and a billion is like the seconds in 32 YEARS. That is when my stomach churned and the size of the debt hit home. Until then a billion wasn`t that far from a million. We moved house not long ago and am just about coming to the end of the big spends and just in time too, before the vat increases. I think we have one more biggie to get and then we will hunker down.

I was starting to run my cupboards down but they are built up again after reading bits and pieces about the rising cost of things and about winter going to be bad. The flour shortage is terrible, I think the big boys are stockpiling because of the rising wheat prices, like they did with oil and which appears to be happening again too. I have my flour in as I order in bulk online and it keeps well in lock and lock in a cool place. I am really quite scared about next week, not about whether I will manage because I can manage on whatever but the potential breakdown in society is scary

There seems to be no end to the financial gloom

mardatha

I never ever get scared about the future, but I admit I am nervous now LOL - it's like all those books or films about WW1 or WW2, when you could see from here just what was going to happen- and you wondered why the people didnt stop it, or take more care. But we could be in that position right now. Maybe they were like us, not sure what to do and not believing it had happened until it was too late.
There's not an awful lot we can do really, apart from stash food and money - but it can so easily turn to custard.

Red_Doe

I remember my grandparents talking about life during the war. I really think the attitude of that generation went a long way towards making it liveable for them, because I feel many folks today would crumble under that kind of pressure (excepting the good folks on this thread of course )
I do remember though, my grandparents were lucky enough to be rural, and though things weren`t quite so tough, for folks in cities there were tales of real deprivation and hunger, want and need. Not sure I could cope in a city to be honest.
Even many years after the war, my granny had this attitude of waste not want not ingrained in every fibre of her being.
She stockpiled and cooked from scratch, mended everything until it absolutely fell apart and wouldn`t buy anything unless she could afford it upfront.
On that last sentence, wish I`d followed her example many times!
I have, though, inherited her `be prepared` mindset and that`s why I stockpile, that and having had times in the past that were so rough real hunger did bite, and I mean genuine hunger, going most of a week on one packet of spaghetti...
and times have been tough in other ways too so that a full pantry to me, means security, peace of mind and that`s worth a great deal.
I think with political and economic uncertainty now, there`s a sneaking fear creeping into our minds, but far from being foolish I think it`s maybe our instincts giving us a little warning that things could turn very bad indeed.
So, I intend to listen to my instincts.

parsonswife8

:rotfl:Pink at your "road kill" finds.

We drove past a dead pheasant in the road this afternoon. I could see that DH was absolutely dying to park and fetch it.


Then he saw the look on my face and (wisely)decided against it.

He knows when to and when not to.;)

bluebag

[QUOTE=Red Doe;37569780..........I think with political and economic uncertainty now, there`s a sneaking fear creeping into our minds, but far from being foolish I think it`s maybe our instincts giving us a little warning that things could turn very bad indeed.
So, I intend to listen to my instincts. [/QUOTE]

Indeed I think you are right, although I hope you are wrong. My thoughts are to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

Talk at coffee time at OH's work seems to be bunging loads of stuff on the credit card, worrying about which new car to buy and X-Factor.
Lets hope they are right and we have just been careful. Plenty got a huge shock in 1929 though, as most didn't see it coming.

bluebag

Sorry Red Doe I seem to be very good at messing up this 'quote' business, I'm not horribly internet savvy, my apologies.

littleowl

I don't think we (here at least) should be too scared about what is to come. Let's face it - the country HAS to get sorted out on the financial front. I really believe that the Coalition has a different way of thinking. They will get some things right and some wrong but, at least, we are no longer in the thrall of the previous governments who spent, spent, spent - and encouraged the population to do the same.
Those who really need to worry are the people who are still living on credit, who think that somehow they are owed the huge television and whatever else they desire without having the cash to pay for it. If this situation brings them up short and shocks them into a different way of being then it can only be good.
I'm not saying it won't hurt - undoubtedly it will - but if you are good at OS, don't crave those hollow possessions which don't, in the end, fulfil your desires and can make do and mend then you/we are well placed to weather the storm.
Let's be positive! There's nothing wrong with austerity - its what I have practised most of my life.

lambanana

Flowerpotmum I can't believe they were stealing from allotments and selling at car boots, how horrible what a vile excuse for a human being

I went to the new Waitrose today as I was dropping my husband off at a friend's house (he was helping do some DIY) and it's a new shop there. I thought I might as well have a nosey and pick up some milk and was impressed by the reductions on some things. I didn't have much money with me but did get some really nice looking burgers reduced from £2.99 to £1.35 (we have "burger night" sometimes at our house, instead of eating out or a takeaway we have nice burgers and all the trimmings) so I stashed them in the freezer. I also got a loaf reduced to 55p which still had 2 days date on it (obviously we'll eat it until it goes mouldy!) and they had others reduced to less. They seemed to really reduce things to prices were people would buy it, our local Mr.T reduces things and it will be the sell by date and 30 minutes before closing and they'll still only reduce by about 20p, never any bargains!

I'm very sniffly today, hoping it doesn't develop into a full blown cold.

bluebag

litlleowl,
The country will indeed get sorted, it's the journey from there to here that worries me. As you say it won't bother many of us here that much unless it really all goes to h£ll in a handcart. Lets hope it brings out the good in folk and some of the community and family bonds begin go grow.

It always makes me remember my childhood which were very happy days and we had literally nothing.