Old Style in 2014?

Florenceem

Ladyluck1 wrote: »

I agree that it also seems to be happening already.
I think we (as a country) seem to be more inclined to not pay full price for anything anymore and be a bit more frugal. Compared to 10 years ago I think I can see a change in people's attitude to throwing away/recycling buying new/buying second hand etc.

I have spent a couple of hours today - sanding down two chairs - I got them for £8 in a second hand shop - they were marked at £10. I always haggle. I used 2 sheets of sandpaper - pack of 20 sheets from £land. I will paint the chairs using HM chalk paint and recover the seats using a pair of curtains bought for £1 in a CS. They are sturdy 1950's chairs. More sturdy and cheaper than buying new plus they are a one off/designer pair of chairs.

Uniscots97

Hard_Up_Hester wrote: »

I work in a school with approx 120ish staff, only about 10 of us cook & only 3 of us cook with an eye to a budget & use up leftovers. I've been considered weird for the last 40 plus years & I don't see it changing any time soon.
Hester

I'd rather be considered weird than racking up debt. . Using up leftovers, meal planning and repairing all the way.

Florenceem

jackel wrote: »

Hi all - With regret I am afraid I must join Hesters team as I too have been regarded as "funny" for over 40 years. No matter how hard up people are only a very few will learn any sence and realize that the more you can do for yourself the less you have to pay others to do for you.They regard it as being hard done to to be frugal. They are just too lazy(or hopless) to try. I love this way of life-they don't know what they're missing.Happy New Year all. jac xx

I am with you and Hester.

Tenyearstogo

I'm a bit OS, more than most people I meet IRL.

I started working full time earlier this year and I've found it hard to maintain. However I'm planning on giving up working in a few months so I can OS full time and increase my skills.

I'm planning to do lots of courses in things like foreign cookery and maybe basic plumbing and similar.

Antwerpen

Florenceem wrote: »

Did your Mum have these skills to pass on to you?

She's a good cook, she started cooking at home from 14. Not sure about the sewing and Knitting. My point is that a lot of people can't do the basics as we were never taught. Maybe her mum didn't teach her. Skills have been lost in recent generations. I'm not blaming my mum at all Btw. I could have taught myself at a younger age.

Florenceem

Antwerpen wrote: »

She's a good cook, she started cooking at home from 14. Not sure about the sewing and Knitting. My point is that a lot of people can't do the basics as we were never taught. Maybe her mum didn't teach her. Skills have been lost in recent generations. I'm not blaming my mum at all Btw. I could have taught myself at a younger age.

Do agree - I was taught to knit and sew at School aged 9 years old.

mancbird

I'm in my mid 30s and didn't learn things like cooking, sewing or any sort of domestic skills at school. I went to an all girls school and the emphasis was definitely on academic achievement.

I was quite spoiled at home too, I can't remember a time when we didn't have a dishwasher, tumble dryer and microwave. I grew up with lots of ready meals etc and left home having never washed a pot or cleaned a bathroom in my life! Not a great start to adult life in hindsight. I didn't have a clue how to cook so lived off takeaways and meals out. If soothing broke, I chucked it out and bought a new one.

In the last five years or so, I have taught myself to cook from scratch, sew, crochet, budget and generally pick up lots of frugal skills. This website has been a great source of help for me, along with lots of blogs.

In the beginning I was frugal out of necessity, but I really love it now. I take great pride in being able to run our lovely home on not very much money at all. All our soft furnishings are either made by me or picked up very cheaply at charity shops and altered to suit our needs. Me and my husband grow our own veggies and keep chickens. If something breaks, we fix it. Almost all the furniture in our house (except the beds) is second hand, picked up cheaply on ebay, auction houses or freecycle.

I can't see us ever going back to how we were. It's become second nature to us now However, I feel amongst people my age we are definitely in the minority. My sister thinks it is hilarious that I grow veggies ("just buy them chopped from Tesco!") and lives off ding meals. We use cloth nappies and although some of my friends also use them, we are regarded as a bit odd by most of our friends.

So, do I think OS will become big in 2014? I really hope so, we are wasteful as a society and this can't continue. Realistically though, I think a lot of people won't be bothered until it is too late

Hard_Up_Hester

My mother didn't cook or clean reliably, she could knit & my nan taught me to crochet. I taught myself to cook & also ensured all 4 of my children could cook too.
I'm currently teaching my DGD to crochet & knit.
I've also taught one of my colleagues to crochet, she also wants to learn patchwork & quilting, but changed her mind when I told her she'd have to pay for the fabric & wadding as I won't supply it.
Hester

cat4772

We are going further down the OS road this year; partly out of choice and partly out of necessity. My girls are 2 and 4 and I want them to grow up seeing me and DH pursuing OS activities; increasing the amount we grow in our garden, making homemade (knit, sewn or crochet) clothes and gifts for birthdays and Christmas, budgeting and cooking from scratch and valuing what we have.

I'm 41 and remember my mother and grandmothers knitting, crocheting and sewing. One aunt knitted but the remainder were very much a product of 50s, 60s and 70s disposable society who'd rather avoid mending or making do.

cat4772

My luxury is machine knitting and many of the women there participate in other crafts and I'm slowly learning some of these.