Old Style in 2014?

Goldiegirl

Tenyearstogo wrote: »

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.

I think that's the thing with 'Old Style' - it tends to take time and effort, and when you are working full time, it can be difficult to keep up with.

I can't think of one person I know who works full time that is 'old style', and to be honest, not many of the others who are part timers or don't work at all are particularly old style.


I've been doing some old style things, and I will be doing a bit more in the coming year, as I want to reduce some outgoings so I can have a comfortable life after retirement.

But I can't ever see myself being 100% old style. I'm just not very good at crafts and I could never imagine making my own laundry gloop .... But I'll do the bits the I like doing

islandhoppa

I would love to be more OS, but it is hard working full time. We don't need to do it as we are comfortable financially, but I would rather save money being frugal and use savings for family holidays etc than lining the pockets of supermarkets / energy companies or wasting it by throwing food away. I taught myself to cook as my mum was not the best, but she is great at sewing and knitting. Have had a go at growing own veggies in past, going to try and get DH to dedicate me some space in garden as did it all in containers and it never really took off. Would love to get the kids involved in this. And my dad always dreamed of keeping chickens - he never accomplished this, so one day I intend to

parsniphead

Hard_Up_Hester wrote: »

I don't think it will spread very far, I remember in the 70's when frugality was the in thing, it soon died a death for most folk. There seems to be a resurgence every decade, but a lot of people will always look for the easy option. It's hard work cooking everything from scratch when you are used to throwing a packet in a microwave, then there is the clearing up after the cooking, much more to do than if you live on ready meals, and then it would interfere with watching TV or going out. 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 have to agree with you Hester. I do think that for a lot of folks it's a case of needing to be careful but I also think it's a bit trendy too. I was talking to DH the other day about his niece who is definitely part of the 'in crowd' and is currently into baking and cooking, covering her house in C4th K1dson, buying expensive but stylish pennies (not that many people can afford this but fit adds to the looks) and generally being old style but give it a year or two and she will probably be all shoulder pads and career woman or whatever is trendy at the time. It's funny really looking at her fakebook page as all her friends are like clones doing the same thing. I hope this doesn't sound derogatory but it's just the way they are and do feel the whole 'make do and mend and keep calm' type of living is a trend. I do remember her laughing at the way I live a few years ago and couldn't understand why I took the time to do it.

I on the other hand have always been old fashioned in my ways. Much more gardening type than clubbing. I was taught to cook, sew and knit by my mum and am trying to teach my toddler a few skills which will help him in future. I do think the old type of skills are really important even though they take time and effort. It does make you appreciate stuff more when an effort is made.

I suppose it would be very boring if we were all the same but I'm happy being an old fashioned 43 year old.:rotfl:

dreamywings1

Im old style in many ways and I love it! But this year it is time to up the anti as I really want to get rid of my debt as quickly as possible. I am secretly hoping that OS doesnt become popular in 2014 as I am trying to make extra income from the crafts that I do. A local cafe is stocking my hand made cards as I want to clear my card making stash. I have just discovered AS paint and I love it so would like to try to sell some of the items ive revamped. I want to use and not replace all my craft stuff so that I can get my debts paid. I have an allotment and grow my own and use the gluts to "trade" for other things. My work colleagues think im weird but I really dont care.

paulineb_2

This year Ive used every coupon Ive been able to lay my hands on. I also shop in home bargains as well, love that shop. Ive started using vinegar and bicarb of soda, I have very sensitive skin and a lot of chemicals dont agree with me.

I shop in poundworld, theres one in the next town to me, excellent shop, also poundland, B and M.

I also give away stuff on freecycle, send as little as I can to landfill and the local crows and seagulls get any leftover food scraps I have as well.

Im a freelance fitness instructor and dont earn a fortune, I used to be much better off and the food I used to waste was ridiculous.

Ive probably been frugal for about 5 years now since my income dropped although I was never flash, not at all, but this site has helped me a lot, massively and the knock on effect is that because Im being frugal, my mum is more frugal as well.

She also works in a school and the canteen staff give her leftover food to take away, shes always been friendly with them and she really appreciates getting the excess food.

I also went through a phase of making wine from kits and that went fine, but Im on a health kick and off wine. I do know a lot of people make wine from scratch but I used to get kits from the art of brewing and Id get about 25 bottles for 30 pounds

I also buy from charity shops, used to volunteer in one so I got staff discount, my mum did as well, she volunteered after I got too busy and couldnt do it any more, got some fantastic bargains in there.

I dont like buying sweatshop clothing, just something I dont like doing, so have always been happy to buy second hand stuff, have done that for quite some time now.

I think with people like Jack Monroe highlighting what its like to live on next to nothing, a lot of people are getting wise to saving. Plus of course many people on here have been doing the same for a long time.

nobodyspecial

I'm fairly OS, cook mostly from scratch, can make do and mend, and will turn my hand to a variety of DIY tasks, but also buy new goods and employ tradesmen as appropriate. If OS takes off and progresses as some would like, I hope those people with carpenters, plumbers, shop assistants, decorators, factory workers, food production, electricians etc in the family won't be complaining about increasing redundancies. If everybody goes "self sufficient" there will be much less need for these people. Just a thought.

Butterfly_Brain

We have been frugal all of our married lives because of necessity, DH has always had low paid jobs and unfortunately I have been disabled for over 8 years, but we have managed. We saved for years and have finally been able to afford to have a multi fuel stove installed and a friend supplies us with pallets, plus we get coal at a reasonable price at the local farm, this has resulted in us only using the central heating for a couple of hours a day and we are over £200 in credit with the gas bill.

We have started cooking outside more using the barbecue, we have a kelly kettle and a couple of dutch ovens, a cast iron skillet and griddle and DH is buying me a pizza oven for my birthday.

We don't put lights on unless we have to, we use candles or solar lamps instead.
We grow lots of our own veg using heritage seeds which means that we can save our own seeds for the following year, but I also use the local market, butcher and Farm shop.
We shop in bulk when we see a bargain, so when I use coupons or have a little win on a lotto card it goes into a pot to pay for it.
I knit, crochet, sew and craft all cooking is done from scratch, DH is a site agent so has a lot of skills, plastering and artexing, building, tiling and basic carpentry . Two nephews are electricians, one of my BIL's is a cabinet maker and FIL was a plumber.
We have a friend who is a car mechanic, another who is a white goods engineer and another who repairs computers
So we are very lucky

DawnW

My mum wasn't a great cook, though she was very good at some things, and a fantastic knitter - she used to make up her own fairisle and picture jumper patterns using lots of different coloured wools. She taught me to knit when I was 4, but tbh I never got any better at it

OH and I were into self sufficiency in the late 70s / 80s, and never really got out of it. We are limited now, as we no longer live in the countryside, but in a terraced home with a very small garden. However, we still have 4 chickens, and it is amazing how much it is possible to grow in a very small space. Last year we had loganberries, quicnes, new potatoes, shallots, garlic, broad and French beans, carrots, spinach, courgettes, tomatoes, cucumbers, beetroot, radishes, lettuce, leeks, mangetout peas, herbs etc (more I am sure but have forgotten).

I cook from scratch, have taught all of my 3 children to do so, and I currently work VERY full time, with a stressful job and a boring commute, but in fairness, I get a good salary. I hope to take early retirement (aged 60) next year, and look forward to managing on a small pension that I have paid into for years. OH is already retired.

Almo

nobodyspecial wrote: »

I'm fairly OS, cook mostly from scratch, can make do and mend, and will turn my hand to a variety of DIY tasks, but also buy new goods and employ tradesmen as appropriate. If OS takes off and progresses as some would like, I hope those people with carpenters, plumbers, shop assistants, decorators, factory workers, food production, electricians etc in the family won't be complaining about increasing redundancies. If everybody goes "self sufficient" there will be much less need for these people. Just a thought.

A very important thought. As has been noted, OS will always rise and fall in popularity as changes in the economy influence the decisions people make about their spending. We need people who are happy to spend money on tasks/items others would do without otherwise the economy we've built for ourselves would collapse. It always tickles me how many OS'ers are selling crafts on the side.

People posting here and elsewhere will also have different priorities. For someone it may be that they need to get item X at the absolute lowest price, from Amazon for example, as they're on an incredibly low income. Others might wish to buy it locally from an independent to support a local business, but not mind where it was produced and not quibble over it being slightly more expensive than Amazon. Someone else's priority might be that the item was made in the UK, even if they buy it from a huge company. And so it continues.

I'm 30 and don't have any close friends who can't cook. I can't vouch for the decisions they make on a day to day basis about from scratch vs ping vs somewhere in the middle, but they can all cook if they so choose.

We cook 'from scratch' for most lunches and dinners - we don't make our own pasta and will use premixed spices (not Schwartz type, from an independent spice company who mix small batches themselves) for the odd meal; that falls within my definition of 'from scratch'. OH has vile stuff for breakfast mainly, cereal of all sorts of descriptions. We are painting our own house and did most of the grunt work in the earlier renovation stages, OH does minor car repairs, we rarely use the heating and have just invested in a multi fuel, etc. We are guilty of going away for the odd weekend, buying clothes we don't strictly need, treating ourselves to a coffee sometimes. I have absolutely no guilt over those things!

Angel_Jenny

I don't remember the previous OS revivals as I wasn't born until '86!

It is nice to not feel too crazy to be old fashioned and I am aiming to get more OS in 2014. With a proper grown up budget and everything! Although my friends and family think I am pretty crazy anyway.

I was looking at houses for sale (not that I can afford one) and it turns out that my priorities are different to people that I know. I don't like knocked through rooms and my priorities are safe area and reasonable garden. Not overly fussed about the house compared to the garden! Plus I could quite easily live with a pretty awful decor for quite a while. I am sticking at home for a while longer yet and working on my bottom drawer!

I think people are perhaps less frivolous at the moment - I know even my friends who never thought about money are cutting back on things like nights out and are shopping around for groceries.