How to Get Through The Tough Times The Old Style Way.

Hardup_Hester

Welcome back, I don't post on here often, but do read regularly.
We are expecting hubby's DLA to be taken away soon, he's on the lowest rate, but he's received a letter asking him to fill in a form if he thinks he needs the higher rate. The cynic in me assumes that if he replied 'yes' he'd be hauled in immediately & have it taken away & that if he replies 'no' then they will also take it away. Either way we're !!!!!!ed, lol. We will be able to manage without it, well we'll have to won't we.
I'm under attack at work, well 3 of us are, we've been there 5 years now & our salary has reached the giddy heights of almost £1200pa, so they'd like to get rid of us & employ someone cheaper, I could really do without losing my job as I'm 60 this year & so have very little chance of getting another job, so I will have to keep my fingers crossed. There is a new Ikea opening near here soon, I wonder if they take on older staff?
Hubby has suddenly become really interested in gardening, we even have a plastic greenhouse in the back bedroom (don't ask) & it's full of seedlings. Hopefully he'll have some good crops & that will help with the food bills, unfortunately we can't grow a cow & he is a real carnivore.
Hugs Hester

Greying_Pilgrim

In post #26 I mentioned Lavandula's new thread on leading a simple life the OS way. I see this is now merged into Ceridwen's 'Simplifying Life - Mark II' - just in case folks are trying to track it down.

Rhonda Jean's Down to Earth blog link is http://down---to---earth.blogspot.com/ (as mentioned by Mary b regarding Ginger Beer recipes).

Greying

[Deleted User]

zarazara wrote: »

I think growing our own, make do and mend and re-cycling will be the order of the day for some time to come.

Although those days were very hard indeed, in many ways they were a lot happier and many of us got a great sense of achievement. I loved the neighbourliness and the fact that children could play out all day in relative safety. It took two world wars though. A lot of men were dead and make do and mend and sharing became a way of life

When I was a young mum, 40 years ago, I used to aim for one positive thing each day eg making a cake, a bit of knitting and so on. Cleaning was not counted as positive because it was done anyway and didn`t make a contribution to the one salary coming in

These days, I stay away from shops and supermarkets if I can and so don`t get tempted by subtle marketing. I stay away from town centres too as I even find the large buildings overpowering and draining

I think I have become more and more self contained and I love my inner peace and quiet. Something I used to achieve in the old days by knitting

bellaquidsin

How loveley to be back home.

There's no place like home.

Bella.

Bitsy_Beans

budgetboo wrote: »

I think it's a mind set that leaves us old stylers so much better prepared for what's to come than some. Personally right now I'm finding so much inspiration in the Shabby Chic threads.

I'm firmly of the opinion that frugal living is only possible to do successfully long term if you embrace what I call "elegant simplicity" in how you add a few splashes of "luxury" in what can otherwise be an austere existence.

You can easily add a touch of luxury without breaking the bank if you are creative. It's the little details that make all the difference as any posh butler of a luxury hotel will tell you. Think "refined" as opposed to gaudy consumerism.

I spent £1.99 in Aldi on some Narcissi plants this week to cheer up my flat. (The bulbs will get put away and used again next year). I've also planted some nasturtium and sweet pea seeds on the window sill. (They almost grow themselves once germinated).

Edited to add:- As a lone parent I'm bricking it re changes to kids DLA and benefits.

A vase of fresh sweet peas on the table will add a wee bit of affordable luxury to my frugal home. The more you cut them, the more they grow. I use a few drops of lavender oil and white vingegar on my towels and sheets in the wash. DS loves the smell on his sheets. I made hot water bottle covers last year for my 99p hot water bottles and boy did we appreciate them when the snows came!

DS loves his homemade pizza and popcorn nights. Originally instituted when he was around 3 cos I couldn't afford the cinema and he's dairy intolerant (pizza take aways like his mates had were out!). The pizza topping uses up the last scraps of whatever odds and sods are left in the fridge. It's become a big thing in our house as friends love to join us, so I can entertain without feeling like scrooge in comparison to the "Jones".

Proper tea made in a proper pot with home made cakes or scones (& home made jam). It makes an "event" of something so simple for a generation raised on trays in front of the telly (or at least the Mums & kids in my neck of the woods, older people appreciate the return to old skool civility). A lot of the fun is in the "ceremony".

Window sill herbs make the simplest of meals taste gourmet, and cost pennies to grow yourself.

Freshly made bread or pancakes filled with stewed fruit (stew anything in the fruit bowl that looks as if it's on the turn) on a Sunday morning.

Add a few drops of perfume or essential oil or your favourite perfume to an unscented 99p body lotion.

Board games for "family night", rather than an evening out bowling etc. Nature trails with lively kids rather than expensive leisure centres - at the right time of year you can set em blackberry or rosehip picking

Homemade Xmas decorations on the tree. (Victorian Farm from the BBC was full of wonderful cheap ideas for this). A gingerbread house, a home made wreath on the front door.

Too much processed food is causing an obsesity and diabetic epidemic in the nation's children so getting them invoved in simple from scratch meals is a gift of good health they'll thank you for when they are adults after the demise of our NHS!

Generations before us had fun on far less than we've been used to and I think we forget that sometimes.

Can I come and live with you as it sounds heavenly

maryb wrote: »

(But I hated being so well wrapped up I couldn't move - and it was sooo uncomfortable when she crossed your scarf over your chest and took the ends behind your back and tied them in a great lumpy knot!!)

LOL my mum did this to my DS when he was a year or so younger :rotfl:

Not been a poster on these threads, we are doing OK at the moment but I have noticed that since we've paid off our car loan and had a bit of extra money in the bank unnecessary spending has gone up. Did a spreadsheet for January spending and H spent £90 in one month spending every day buying his lunch :eek::eek:
So am determined to get stuck back into Frugal lifestyle, think before we buy and although we're not struggling my income will change come September so need to start adjusting now so it won't be a shock to the system.

Mrs_Veg_Plot

Good morning everyone

Its a bit damp in Cheshire this mornng so the washing is on the clothes maid.

Jackiewglasgow thanks for the link to the veggie meal planning. I already cook veggie one night a week but think we need to up this to 2 or 3 to save on the expense of meat. Will up it to 2 nights for a few weeks then up it to 3. Hopefully OH won't notice the gradual increase and it will give me time to increase my range of veggie dishes.

kelzou looking back on my birthday parties as a kid mum did those OS. My birthday is Dec and one of my sisters is Jan so we always had a shared party in Jan. All of the food including the cake was HM and we played lots of party games with pencil cases etc as prizes. There were no party bags but everyone got a piece of cake and a balloon. Hope snips enjoys the day.

Congrats on the OH's job pitlane. My OH seems to be settling into his new job and he definitely seems to be getting a bit of self worth and confidence back.

My 14yr old gets the low level DLA and has done since she was a baby. Will need to check how she will be affected by the changes.

Right I'm off to finish sorting out the laundry, clean the kitchen and then tackle upstairs. Need to make some bread and biscuits as well. Twinks here I come (Te**c value porridge oats three for two at the moment)

lessonlearned

Yaaay - it's back. Love this thread. Never posted before but a regular lurker. I'm a full time carer for my poorly OH so yes money is always tight.

Budgetboo - that was a lovely post, really sums everything up. I'm really happy with my simpler life - I find the designer this/designer that greedy rampant consumer lifestyle so distasteful and unpleasant. Paying thousands of pounds for a handbag seems obscene. Anyway, what's wrong with being your own designer.;)

A simple life can still be comfortable and elegant - just takes a bit of planning and forethought. Times are very hard and I feel very sorry for young families - the younger generation are going to have it very tough for some time to come. I watched the programmes about China - what worries me is how quickly we are plundering the planet's resources - what will be left for future generations.

Like many of my age (60 this year) I learnt so much from watching my parents and grandparents. Gardening, cooking, diy, sewing - all those tips and skills must have rubbed off without me even noticing.

Good luck everyone, especially all you job hunters.

beanrua

Mornin' all and it is a beautiful morning here - I go away for a week to a wedding in Cavan and come back and nobody at home!!!! Spent ages trying to catch up on all the posts and just couldn't keep up- any way I didn't have the required amount of tomatoes!.
Glad to find you all again.
Mardatha - I'm going to try the sq ft garden thing this year.

ChocClare

Thanks for all the suggestions re knitting patterns. I'm hoping I do have enough wool to make myself a jumper all in one colour and am pretty sure I have - I too would rival John Lewis.

My one really good "discovery" in the last couple of months has been charity shops. I needed to get a costume for her play for my DD and we went looking for her and came away with a winter coat, a slinky dress, a dress for the play and a jacket for £12. I hadn't really thought about shopping there for clothes for me as I take a size 20 top and live in an elderly area, so you can imagine the choices . It was OK for DD as she is a size 10. However, as I am only a size 14 on the bottom (why yes, I DO need lead weights in my shoes to stop myself from falling over, LOL), I thought last week that I would have a look for trousers - and I got a brand new pair of black Per Una trousers for a fiver :T Just what I needed as I currently have work trousers (horrid black poly/wool mix), linen trousers for the summer and very tatty jeans. So I am made up! I may hit the charity shops in the wealthier areas while I am off this week to see if I can find a few designery type things...

PP, I am so pleased to hear the news about your DH. Nice to have some good news amid all the gloom :beer:

taplady

zarazara wrote: »

I agree about affordable treats. I have a list of them writtendown in a file. .

a great idea!:T

mardatha wrote: »

I'm the same BB, we will all lose DLA for sure. To me it makes the difference between scraping by in misery, and having that wee tiny bit spare for things. ,

I work for a charity supporting disabled adults in residential care and they are losing their DLA/mobility allowances over the next 3 years. This means they will have no transport so that they can go into the community or even doctors or hospital appointments. These are people who cant access public transport due to their disablties. It is disgraceful to take from these people who cant fight back!:mad:

budgetboo wrote: »

Generations before us had fun on far less than we've been used to and I think we forget that sometimes.

well said:T a great post budgetboo!:)

Thanks Jackie for this new thread :T- I will try and keep up but it usually moves so fast that its hard tkeep a track of it!

Someone was asking for veggie meals - Mardatha? some fav of mine are mushroom risotto, veggie pizza, quorn cottage pie, bubble and squeek, frittata, cheese and potato pie, home-made soup, curry, veggie chilli or 3 bean chilli, jacket spuds, vegie burgers.