Old Style in 2014?

Frugalsod

unixgirluk wrote: »

Thanks Frugalsod, at the moment for us cooking from scratch means not spending as much money as we simply don't have it at the moment (although I am getting interviews now).

Well good luck with the interviews I hope you find something soon.

Look at all your expense such as TV and energy. Cutting your expenses is probably the easiest way to get back on track for an individual. Not so great for a country because what might be a saving for you will be a drop in income for someone else.

Living_proof

Frugalsod wrote: »

Cutting your expenses is probably the easiest way to get back on track for an individual. Not so great for a country because what might be a saving for you will be a drop in income for someone else.

That's about it Frugalsod. I have to try and make the best use of my time by increasing my income (I am another one whose retirement age has kindly been rearranged by HMG) so that I have savings to fall back on. I also have to spend less, which will be taking money away from local traders.

Old style to me means having the skills and the means to live much more simply, to want less and make do with fewer resources. And pass on those skills 'cos we don't know what's round the corner.....

Ches

I was born in the last years of WW2 and so cooking was just something my mum did I don't think I was ever actually taught but I have always been able to cook most things. Needlework I learnt at school and must have had an aptitude for it as I continued to sew after school was just a distant memory. Crochet I learnt to do myself and when you knit it isn't hard to pick up that skill. My Dad taught me to knit plain and purl and the rest I worked out from the pattern instructions. Having said all that I do still knit and occasionally crochet and sew cushions covers/curtains but I never again will I wear homemade clothes. I love my clothes and although some are bought in CS, OS to me is only buying what you need and not shopping as a pastime. I don't do HM cleaning stuff as it doesn't interest me and I haven't a big enough garden to grow veg though I do like to grow herbs. My ex late MIL was in service as a girl and was truly OS with her cooking and baking and making do with old fashioned furniture and sheets and blankets etc but even she sent bed linen to the laundry and had a little local man in to do the occasional decorating job so its all a balance really. She used to have a best outfit ie coat, dress and hat to wear to church on Sunday and when this was replaced with new it went to be an second best everyday outfit. She always wore a pinny and an older dress in the mornings washed herself and changed her clothes in the afternoon when the housework was all done. Very peaceful life.

Frugalsod

Living_proof wrote: »

That's about it Frugalsod. I have to try and make the best use of my time by increasing my income (I am another one whose retirement age has kindly been rearranged by HMG) so that I have savings to fall back on. I also have to spend less, which will be taking money away from local traders.

Old style to me means having the skills and the means to live much more simply, to want less and make do with fewer resources. And pass on those skills 'cos we don't know what's round the corner.....

I do try and do as much as possible locally. If you do not use the local stores you lose them. Most of my savings have been at the expense of the supermarkets. I was always very careful with electricity, gas and water so not much more I can do there. Though I now use a flask at home. I fill it up in the morning and use that all day. It saves some extra energy when boiling as there is no excess left over.

newthrift

I think OS has been starting to become more popular in the past couple of years but I would say it is becoming more mainstream and I think 2014 might be a big year for it. I know I have been reading some books on my Kindle I had for Christmas (some are free some 69p and you can trade them back in which is great!!!) and I have started to be more frugal and OS. I having started sewing a little bit more, and I bake and cook quite a bit like OS anyway. I used to hate going in to charity shops to buy things but when you take time to look around there is some really good stuff when you need it and a quick wash and it is fresh as a daisy. Keep looking on the OS boards trying to learn more and more. We don't NEED to be as frugal but I am enjoying it and I like seeing the savings going up. If anyone can recommend any good boards/threads for meal planning and de-cluttering that would be appreciated.