Do you do this?

skintmum2012

Since joining here and reading a book about the Second world war I have relized I have a attitude of "O it does not matter if I use it up I can always buy more" So I have not been making things go as far as they could have gone as I have not really cared. Reading about the second world war and how if they did not have it they used something else or made do without it has really got me thinking I am so annoyed at myself for the attitude I did have and am trying to make things go as far as they can or making do without them now.
Surly the world we live in now where people buy buy buy dont use or don't use propply is also really bad for the envirament. As humans I think we really are quite wastefull beings. I take my hat of to everyone who was alive during the second world war I am sure we could learn so much from them on frugal living.

thriftwizard

I'm not sure we're necessarily wasteful by nature; I suspect we've been taught to be that way by advert after advert, pressure to keep up with the Joneses (who are a very wasteful family IMHO!) "aspirational" glossy magazines & TV programmes etc. etc. None of us wants to feel left behind so we just join in as best we can & don't even notice what we're doing. It takes a shock of some sort to shake us up & make us take notice of what we're doing/how we're living, and yes, it's all very, very bad for the environment, and indeed we could learn a lot from my mother's generation. Except quite a few of them are very glad that they don't have to live like that any more...

Florenceem

skintmum2012 wrote: »

Since joining here and reading a book about the Second world war I have relized I have a attitude of "O it does not matter if I use it up I can always buy more" So I have not been making things go as far as they could have gone as I have not really cared. Reading about the second world war and how if they did not have it they used something else or made do without it has really got me thinking I am so annoyed at myself for the attitude I did have and am trying to make things go as far as they can or making do without them now.
Surly the world we live in now where people buy buy buy dont use or don't use propply is also really bad for the envirament. As humans I think we really are quite wastefull beings. I take my hat of to everyone who was alive during the second world war I am sure we could learn so much from them on frugal living.

I feel that I am very careful - we don't have a car. No wide screen flat TV - in fact the TV we have was one someone was getting rid of. No DVD player - we have a video player/recorder from a late friend. No Sky or Freeview - we are in the last area to switch. I think I could live without a TV. I darn socks/make my own pastry and try to avoid putting anything in landfill.

rosie383

This is a great thread! I think you have to do without even for short periods of time to make you appreciate what you have and how much you waste. As an example, I had to hand wash clothes for our family when my washing machine broke. It was just for a few weeks, but I am now more careful about what I wash. Things only go in the wash now if they really need washed, NOT because DD1 (13) thinks that putting things in the wash basket means she doesn't have to tidy them away!
Also, I have had very little opportunity to go shopping for food this past week as dh was unexpectedly working when I was due to do a 'big-ish' shop, so I really am making do.I had absolutely nothing in for breakfast, no bread, no egg to make pancakes, not enough milk for cereal. So I got up earlier than everyone else and made a batch of scones with some buttermilk that needed to be used up. If I had been able to shop, there would have been a choice of loads of different things instead.