As The Workhouse Approaches....How To Do Everything To Avoid It, the Old Style Way

ginnyknit

RE- ethics and O/S I think its very difficult when you are on a tight budget to encompass all the ideals you hold dear. I buy all my dried goods (beans, peas, rice etc) from a workers co-operative which is ethical in every way possible but can only afford to go every 4/5 months so stock up with what I can afford. I grow my own and budget our petrol consumption by planning all trips but as I have never been on a plane I think I am way ahead on my carbon footprint . the whole ethos of O/S is based on no waste and make do and mend and as we mostly on here produce everything we can ourselves I feel we are doing pretty good. Its just meat that bothers me, I would love to buy free range cossetted animal produce but it just isnt possible. Sadly our income has shrunk hugely ( many thanks Dss ) and getting through the day is a priority but I still keep my hope alive that one day I will be able to shop how I want! You can't keep an O/S'er down :rotfl:

shegar

mardatha wrote: »

Ok will try and get meself organised to grow winter stuff. It was sunny here this afternoon but blowing a gale and the wind is quite cold. I see we've to get a north wind over the weekend - won't be surprised if it brings snow. We've had everything else !

You cant get snow madarther...:eek:we havnt had a drop of rain here for near on 12 weeks, everything is parched, ive been using the hose for some stuff that Idont want to lose......spoke to a local garden centre manager and he said they have noticed how their sales have gone down with bedding plants etc etc, cos people are worried about watering and possible hose pipe ban,and metered water charges:eek::eek: so it as a knock on effect being so dry for so long........farmers already talking about the price of foods going up cos the fields are dried up..............it will definately effect us all........ Mind you I do love a bit of sunshine though it dont half make you feel alive.....:D:D...

Thanks again for my super parcel you sent me , I will never forget the kindness shown by all of you and thinking of me when things were down, im slowly picking up, I see dr next week..............Gary goes to to Headway twice a week now so I get 2 days where im home alone and doing what I want, buying more hens :eek::eek:......:D:D

saveabobortwo

and i cant afford it i shall put my stubborn head on i dont like greedy people and the small income i do have each week. will go only things that are worth while.iv already thought about it ie produce my own electric using a solar panels, wood for fire for heat,grow all my own foods go fishing and forage . got enough clothes to last a lifetime aslong as i dont put on any more weight that is and they still fit me if petrol gets TOO STUPID i ll ride my bike the tv can go nothing worth watching to be honest im even boggle eyed and getting lazy keep pressing buttons on this computer this can go aswell im not bothered infact looking forward to the change and the challenge.after all said and done things are only expensive to me if i feel i need them i like this saying if you want a job doing and now its far to dear do it yourself and your probably do a much better job there now thats said that :rotfl:PHEW

ChocClare

ceridwen wrote: »

Re the comments from other posters about Scouts/Guides - I have often thought that children are probably just as well served (better served?) if they go to Woodcraft Folk instead. Must admit that - from what I have seen - Woodcraft Folk would be much more to my taste in the circumstances...

Not quite sure what you mean ceridwen - Woodcraft Folk also charges a membership fee, which is what I thought the point was of earlier posts. And again, it's lowered or waived for those who are unable to pay - which is the same as scouts and guides. It was unfortunate that the person volunteering to help with Beavers was charged the fee instead of its being absorbed by the unit, but that is down to the individual unit, not national policy. Like the rogue charity shops!

I don't think anyone was actually commenting on the programme content - which is actually very similar these days tbh... my friend used to run a Woodcraft Folk group and what she did with her kids was almost exactly what I do with my Rainbows - it's moved on quite a lot in the last 30 years!

saveabobortwo

but your got to keep practising and get betterif the weathers rubbish grow some produce indoors then will begin tomorrow with simple herbs mint and basil in pts on the window sill i dont have no big lot of garden at all infact not much room at all start aswell also with my spider plant that is sheading what looks like roots so will plant this up in a pot as house plants make nice fresh airand environment have a box full of varietiesof seedsout they can all com out keep planting see what happens.

7_week_wonder

Gosh - what a lot of posts: I can hardly keep up!

Ok I've stopped feeling sorry for myself: I've done an inventory of the freezer - and we don't need to buy any fish or meat for at least a month:o I've also made a fish pie ready for some visitors on Friday so I just have to reheat it before they get here; and baked a cake to use the spare space in the oven.

I must must must get into the habit of planning our trips to mum well in advance so we can book cheap trains: trouble is we usually go on a Friday and I always seem to miss the bargains. If I could get cheap tickets going by train would be quicker and less stressful than the car.

What do people reckon to the quality of food at Home Bargains? Are the tinned tomatoes any good? We've just had a branch open on the outskirts of town, but I don't want to schlepp all the way over there if the stuff is no good.

Right time for a glass of wine and a slob in front of "The Apprentice".

Night all.

saveabobortwo

i wish my mother was alive now shecould grow anything she hada large greenhouse in her back garden the heaterwould be going in it all through the winter months and it would be full up with plants never seen nothing like it her garden looked like the chelsea flower show she bred parrots , we even had a green amazon parrot TOM FLYING around the front room . she kept baby ducks which she had to take to bed with her and put water in a dish with another dish in it and keep filling it up with water through the night as your not suppose to get them wet untill their feathers produce their own oil.she was super and this was in a normal residential house. she never complained about the weather she got on with it and grew it wish she was here to help me grow mine today ,

freudianslip

feeling sorry for myself and really a bit bitter.

I am sad that I have all these things to learn and nobody to show me the old ways. I appreciate being 'here' on the board and must have a frugal streak in me even though we're living hand to mouth.

I just wish my grandma would have shown me the basics.

Well sorry for myself moment over with. I'm going to the library online to reserve books on self sufficiency and home made. No point being anything other than proactive.

saveabobortwo

with your reading and learning new things

mardatha

A lot of the older generation had such hard lives that they couldnt leave it all behind fast enough, pet. They honestly thought things were changed now and nobody imagined we would be going backwards like this.