Super Scrimpers

BitterAndTwisted

ceridwen wrote: »

Must admit - one of my thoughts about keeping products that are getting a bit old by now (but not old enough to be vintage) is "Showing my age a bit here....whoops...." and I wonder if my house will look visibly like "an OAP house" at some point (err...probably will...ahem...).

Well, I've beaten you there. There's no "might" about some of the things in my home, they really are clapped out/"vintage" junk.

I moved into my flat 30 years ago with not a stick of furniture to my name and a friend of my mother donated her old cooker which had been lurking in the garage. It was old then and has the look of the 50s about it. I suspect that it's even older than I am but it still works and I have no intention of replacing it until I have to. Pals have a bit of laugh about it when they come round but I'm unaccountably emotionally attached to it now and will be sorry to see it go.

Other items round here are undisputed junk but funds don't allow their replacement at the moment.

Rowan9

Lady Lesley is a member of MSE and you'll find her posts in Frugal Living Challenge. They're really interesting. Maybe someone with more technical know-how than me can do a link?
W

FatVonD

Lostin... I do understand a little of what you're saying, until recently I was in a well paying job and nothing would have convinced me to post an SOA on here just because, when I looked at what some people have to live on compared to what I had it seemed indecent to do so. That said, the ethos of our sponsor (as I recall) is not that you can't have nice things but that you should get them for the best possible price you can.

*Next bit not directed to Lostinrates or anyone in particular as I can't remember who posted what*

I do disagree with stifling debate though, the programme is VERY on topic and if we can't say they lived in an ugly house then what next? We can't criticise a particular tip in case we upset the junior researcher who researched that bit?

Just my twopennorth but this was a great, on-topic and relevant thread (that stood every chance of staying put on the OS board) that seems to have died a little, roll on next week's episode and in the meantime if Channel 4 have any sense they'll be beating a path to Ceridwen's door as we speak!

BitterAndTwisted

Eh, some programme producer will have cribbed her very excellent ideas by now and will be presenting it to Channel 4 as series for funding as we speak. Just watch the schedules in around September time....

Edinburghlass_2

Martin's TV series Make Me Rich suffered the same criticisms and the bottom line is what makes a good television programme is in the hands of the people spending the money on it.

Martin explains a bit of what happens and answers the people who criticised him using what were considered high earners for one of the programmes....

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/122979

On the other side of the coin Jamie Oliver was also roundly criticised in his programmes Ministry of Food or at least the people featured in it were, who were in the main on benefits/low earners.

People are very quick to judge, shame they don't critic the programme rather than the people featured.

FatVonD

People are commenting on the CONTENT of the programme of which the case studies and the mistakes they've made are a large part of it.

patchwork_cat

Pretty sure Lady Lesley is Trallwm Farm a very new member. Whilst the porridge and mince is commonly used personally I feel that half the quantity of porridge should be used and lentils added for the other half as in http://frugal-cooking.co.uk/recipe/193/batch-bake-minced-beef-recipe

BitterAndTwisted

Edinburghlass wrote: »

On the other side of the coin Jamie Oliver was also roundly criticised in his programmes Ministry of Food or at least the people featured in it were, who were in the main on benefits/low earners.

People are very quick to judge, shame they don't critic the programme rather than the people featured.

Oh, I dunno. Sometimes a bit of healthy "who are these idiots?" can be rather satisfying in an unattractively condescending way.

I seem to remember shouting at the screen at one of Jamie's programmes where he was trying to help a woman on an alleged very low income feed herself and her children. She was crying because she said that she couldn't afford to buy her children that lovely, fresh, farmed salmon. While smoking a fag at SIX POUNDS a packet or more.

Honestly, sometimes there's no point in arguing with idiots.

ceridwen

FatVonD wrote: »

Just my twopennorth but this was a great, on-topic and relevant thread (that stood every chance of staying put on the OS board) that seems to have died a little, roll on next week's episode and in the meantime if Channel 4 have any sense they'll be beating a path to Ceridwen's door as we speak!

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:...:eek: <runs off and hides as fast as my little legs will take me:rotfl:>

...mind you....a "consultancy fee" on the other hand.....hmmm....

Ida_Notion

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

Oh, I dunno. Sometimes a bit of healthy "who are these idiots?" can be rather satisfying in an unattractively condescending way.

This is so true that I've learned to take advantage of the more judgemental side of my nature whenever I have to sort out a really big mess that I've made by awarding myself a temporary split personality. The 'expert' in me allows herself to be overcome by superiority and amuses herself by making critical remarks and generally poking fun at 'idiot' me.

Cleaning and organizing seems like so much more fun if I can have a Les Dawson style beechfest while I'm at it (well, *she's* obviously a stranger to Ajax! And just *look* at the state of those nets!'). Dreadful, but it gets the job done, and it works when moneysaving too - Mrs Judgemental-Expert was so puffed with pride in the week where she reigned in Mrs Useless-Moneysaver's tendency to buy more oopsied items than she could possibly eat that she knuckled down and did some batch cooking for the freezer. Mrs Useless-Moneysaver would probably have spent the time standing in the checkout queue clutching a dozen oopsied yoghurts that needed to be eaten the same day...

I wouldn't criticize someones, shape, dress sense or choice of home if what they were offering was financial advice, so I'm pretty sure I haven't done that here. However, if I've offended in any other way then I apologise. I think the general consensus is that we *do* need more moneysaving programmes in order to show people that a thrifty way of life is by no means a deprived way of life, but it's not going to seem a very attractive one if people searching for info on the programme find thrifties apparently having a pop at each other. There are probably as many ways of living a thrifty lifestyle as there are people who want to live one, and Old Style thrift can accommodate New Age harmony - Mrs Critical-Expert says so