It isn`t tough for us. We are OS and we COPE

Ballymackeonan

Don't be put off by the reference to Domestic Science above - I didn't do it (opted for Latin instead....!) but cook pretty well - taught by my grandmother - knit, sew (I've a wardrobe of recycled vintage clothes which generally require some alteration). The knitting was taught in junior school, the sewing from watching my mother who'd lived through the war and the post-war rationing, and although I still have to refer to the manual to thread the sewing machine. Plus I can do some basic DIY etc...

OS is an attitude of mind - it is about coping, making the best use of everything you can. I don't live like someone from the 1940s - there's a solar water panel, a modern woodburner, a well-insulated house, a 13.5 tog duvet. But other things, like avoiding ready meals, cooking from scratch and growing my own, which were regarded as mildly eccentric a few years ago, are now seen as sensible. And I spent the cold snap in vintage cashmere jumpers, my own handknits and 1950s coats, relatively warm and comfortable!

kezlou

Well were coping so far, no money, but christmas is over and done with and that was our aim.

OH is still in a job, his boss is playing the old game again of "if there's no work, then theres no job". But were keeping happy, playing lots of board games and now the weather is picking up, we'll be out everyday mucking about.

Can't wait to start growing salad and tomatoes again, the boys think its great, they friends love it and its healthy too.
Going to attempt to cut some fabric today and design some cushions and bags. May as well have a go and try and sell some, if they any good.

I think i've gone off topic oops sorry.:o

Oh and regarding cooking, cbrown, the grocery challenge has loads of recipes on there. My batch mince recipe that i use is on there. Its basically mince, onion,tomatoes, carrots lentils and herbs / seasonings all boiled together. Its great as then you can change it into bolognese sauce, chilli and shepherds pie. Very good on price and full of nutrition.

alec_eiffel

Hi,

Thanks for the new thread.

Thankfully we have just found out that things are not going to be as tough as they might as DH has been told he is not being reshuffled out of employment! And if things go to plan he won't be worse off either - virtually everyone is taking a paycut and will have extra expenses, but as he is taking on lots of extra duties we might break even. So that's good. To go along with stockpiling and all the other skills we pick up along the way I would really encourage anyone who can sock some cash away to start an emergency fund - we nickel and dimed ours but it does add up. When we were worried about work knowing we had 6 months of expenses in the bank made the panic subside a bit.

GreyQueen

Has anyone else out there noticed the phenomenon of mending, like buses, coming along three (or more) at a time? I might go for several weeks without mending anything at all, of any kind, and then there's a rash of things which all need attention at once. At the moment several pairs of kn***ers have decided to separate themselves from their elastic. They're not from the same pack or the same age or anything explicable. Life is pants, sometimes.

bellaquidsin

Cheers Kittie. I have always been OS but through necessity I am having to hone my skills. We are retired and on a fixed income and the investment that was to have provided a cushion for retirement is giving us nothing.

I just keep chipping away at things and our frugal way of life is not so bad really. Today for lunch we have leek and potato soup (made with the liquor a bacon joint was cooked in) and homemade bread rolls followed by homemade yogurt flavoured with homemade lemon curd. Tonight we will have a chicken cooked in the Remoska and the leftovers will provide us with two chicken salad lunches - salad made with sprouted seeds and grated carrot, a chicken sandwich each will follow another day, and the bones will make stock for more soup. Gourmet food really.

I put aside a small amount each week for clothes so yesterday I was able to buy a couple of tops and a skirt at very knocked down prices in the end of the Sale so I am well pleased with that, especially as my shopping had to be done in a wheelchair following a foot operation.

Coping is my full time job and I do feel for peeps who have to work full time and still be OS as that must be really hard, but chin up - every little helps and we WILL cope.

Bella.

emmie1234

I've definately noticed the rise in cost of things. My OH was made redundant 2 weeks before xmas and we have been broke ever since waiting for benefits to get sorted out etc, luckily we had already sorted the kiddies xmas presents and had started putting away bits and bobs in the freezer for xmas dinner IS got sorted out last week. We have still had to pay scrimp and save to pay our rent whilst waiting for the HB to get sorted out as our landlord is a rascal and wouldn't wait, but it has worked out pretty well. As the back pay we get back from it, is being used as a deposit along with a bit extra towards moving house. The House we're moving to has two beds as opposed to the three here, but it has a fab heating system which should save us money in the long run. There is no damp either. The house we are currently in is riddled and we have really noticed the impact of it on our health this winter. OH is looking fir work, but whilst the hunt is on we have decided we are going to track down furniture etc from second hand shops for the new place and do it up. I'm hoping I can nab my moms sewing machine which has been sat in a cupboard for years doing nothing to make our own curtains, cushions etc. I cook from scratch most of the time anyway, but I've noticed over the past few weeks I have had to be really savvy when shopping. I have started making a handmade loaf everyday, which everyone loves and I usually bake it whilst cooking dinner to save having the cooker on twice. We have been turning the heating off during the day as we can't afford £40/week through the gas meter I have got back into using my slow cooker and buying a large pack of mince and making it stretch for three meals, stewing steak in the slow cooker with extra veg and pearl barley. I bought a pressure cooker last year and this gets used most days, saves using all the hobs to cook veg We've eaten quite well and I know what's in the food we are eating. By making little cutbacks (but not going without) I have found that we can have a little treat at the weekend. When we move, we will eventually start growing veg again. Have done this for the past few years anyway and we love it, keeps us busy and my DD loves getting involved Not liking being back on benefits again, but with the advice and tips I have gleaned through the OS board over the past few years, I know we'll manage. Tis mind over matter and a case of making do and getting on with it.

Love this board so much and want to say thank you for all the old tips that make like so much easier for people in these hard times, keep them coming

kezlou

GreyQueen wrote: »

Has anyone else out there noticed the phenomenon of mending, like buses, coming along three (or more) at a time?

Same as in my house, today i have found out about 10 pairs of socks that have holes in them. Along with jumpers, sweatshirts and tops. Where did they all come from?! I'd really like to know.

The past couple of weeks we've been eating out of the freezer and cupboards. Were starting to run low, but its all good. Its a good reason to have a clear out. Next week i'll have to re-stock the store cupboard, we've ran out of plain flour. something unheard of in our house. I'm worried about how much flour will go up by, apprently on the radio this morning the price could double again by April due to worldwide floods. Most places have now run out of the cheap surplus.

Lidl is still selling 1.5kg of bread flour for 50p. I;m getting some next week, if there's any in stock.

We've just reapplied for housing benefit so hopefully we'll be granted that too, if we do its a bonus. Its hard being on a low income, but strangely enough, we had MORE money when my partner wasn't working.

bellaquidsin

Emmie - Have you tried Freecycle for bits of furniture and have you had a look at the Shabby Chic board? They do wonders on there with second hand furniture and a pot of paint. Almost makes me wish I was starting over again.

Bella.

FatVonD

I'm not very Old Style but I'm going to be making more of an effort as I'm being made redundant (last day on Friday.) This is actually a *good* thing for me (so no sympathy required!) as DH and I have been working up to starting our own business which was going to have to run alongside both of us working. My redundancy payment will now give me the freedom to devote myself to it fully. It does however mean that I want to cut back to eke the money out for as long as I can.

My first foray into being Old Style wasn't overly successful as the 2 chickens (or what I thought were chickens, they certainly looked like chickens on the website) to make a couple of roast dinners followed by a couple of curries turned out to be poulet (I thought it was French for chicken ) The stupid thing is I still only cooked one of them for the roast (luckily I can take or leave meat) but there definitely weren't enough leftovers for a curry :rotfl:

If I were properly Old Style I'd have made soup from the carcass but I threw it over the railway wall for the foxes instead. Baby steps...

pigpen

I am a work in progress and see it as a challenge.. making my life interesting.. a million ways with mince, how many ways to chop a potato.. etc.. I spend my evenings knitting watching rubbish on iplayer and doing puzzles, .. I don't think of it as 'coping' with what I have, maybe because I have enough.. but I really must make an effort to get out my sewing machine once again.. I have at least 1 set of curtains to make and all the fabric to make them from.. but I lack the space or motivation at the moment.

I am needing to make room for next christmas and must clear out the back loft at some point.. it is full of toys up there which must be sorted through.. I intend sending children off to their dads for a week during the summer hols and emptying the loft and working through it all then.. I am sure we can create a LOT of space.. and maybe even extend myself to carbooting!!..