Turning a new leaf on our thriftyness

Justamum

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

I'm not saying we do it now!!! It's something I remember from childhood in the early 1950s when folks were as cash strapped or more so than we are today and products that we have available now weren't even dreamed of and we were still in rationing after world war 2.

My mum said they used to do it during the war, but they only had a long-drop then!

purpleshoes_2

When I go and get yellow sticker stuff I must be lucky as I get fruit, veg, fresh produce. I don't eat processed rubbish.

I think joining the not buying it thread might be an idea as you'll see how lots of people including myself are trying to stop unnecessary spending.

While still having a life.

Gigervamp

I admire what you're doing, as it's similar to what we had planned (including the goats and pigs). Unfortunately my cancer diagnosis put paid to that.

However, I certainly couldn't have given up loo paper for newspaper! Far too scratchy and it would clog our drains. Even loo paper clogs ours every now and then.
I wonder about the vinegar mouthwash. Wouldn't the acid be bad for the enamel on your teeth?

[Deleted User]

<<MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

Using newspaper as 'loo paper' is really turning an old leaf into a new use.>>

Indeed cut into squares and on a nail on the back of the wooden draughty door of the outside loo:) Certainly didn't hang around in winter time or in the autumn when spiders sat in wait for the unwary :):)

My late ma-in-lw cleaned her teeth with ordinary salt and nothing else for years and died at 84 in her own bed with her own teeth intact, not a filling in her head,but then she went through very hard times being born in 1906 and 2 WW and a depression of the 1930s .She was widowed in1937 with three children under 4, one of which died 6 weeks after her young 29 year old husband.She returned to the IoW where her family were and spent all but £50. of her OHs life insurance on a house with just under an acre of land for £530.My Oh and his younger brother and his Mum grew alomost everything they ate and meat was rabbits trapped locally, and fish from off of Cowes front. Her income was a very tiny pension from the army of her late husbands and was under a pound a week so every penny was accounted for.She kept a couple of chickens and eventually a pig or two during the war which was helped to be fed by scraps from local folk who got a cut of the pig when slaughtered.Life was extremely hard for her and I had nothing but great respect for this stern old lady when she eventually passed away in the 1980s.She once sent the local vicar off with a flea in his ear when he suggested she might get help for her sons school dinners.She said 'No way am I going on the parish I will eat grass rather than do that.She was a tough old bird ,but had a heart of gold bless her, and adored our two DDs. She rarely if ever used sugar,probably why her teeth were so good :):)Plus she couldn't really afford it for a long time .War work in the local munitions factory got her house electricity in 1946, until then it was an old oil lamp or candles
My late OH never saw a doctor until he went in the RAF at 18 in 1951.She had a cure for most ailments from a big book she had from her Granny from the late 19th century.

Pollycat

That's a lovely story about your M-I-L, Jackie.

But she had little or no choice about her life, the OP does and still seems satisfied with using free newspapers as toilet paper.

cheerfulness4

My sisters nextdoor neighbour was still using the squares of newspaper in his outside loo in the late 70's. He seemed happy enough.

I love the sound of your project, Jamjar. You do seem to have done plenty of research already and don't seem to be naive at all regarding potential difficulties. I admire you and your wive's fearlessness. Going against the norm can bring much freedom in my opinion.
That is perhaps why I find Ilona's blog Life after Money so Interesting. She isn't afraid to do things differently and really challenges what are truly the necessities of life to her.

I do hope you have time to tell us of your progresson here.... Or maybe blog it.

[Deleted User]

cheerfulness4 wrote: »

My sisters nextdoor neighbour was still using the squares of newspaper in his outside loo in the late 70's. He seemed happy enough.

That is perhaps why I find Ilona's blog Life after Money so Interesting. She isn't afraid to do things differently and really challenges what are truly the necessities of life to her.

I agree Ilona's blog is brilliant and she has captured many peoples minds with her simple yet effective way of life and is enjoying every minute of it I love her latest project for her sunhouse using re-cycled doors:j:j:j

Goldiegirl

The OP has spoken a lot about what he's going to do.

But hasn't said anything about the background for wanting to do what he's going to do.

For example, what their level of income is. Are they working? If so the plans he has would be very difficult to carry out if they're working all day on a job, and then coming home to work on self sufficiency.

If they are working, why do they need to be quite so drastic about what they are doing. The plans seem so drastic to me, that it would be almost impossible to live such a frugal life on a long term basis.

And what's going to happen to all the money that's saved?

I hope they are saving for a defined reason. Because, one day, one of the parties in the relationship will start to get resentful if there's tens or hundreds of thousands in the bank, and they still have to use newspaper when they go to the toilet.

Sorry to be harsh, but a drastic plan, jumped into headlong is nearly always doomed to failure.

If you want to live a more self sufficient life in the long term, perhaps it would be more sustainable to start gradually and have a larger budget for expenditure.

Gigervamp

Plenty of smallholders have day jobs to pay the bills like mortgage and council tax. They fit looking after the smallholding around the day job.

Jamars, there's a forum I'm a member of that you might find interesting and helpful, Downsizer. A lot of the members are living a similar lifestyle.

Kantankrus_Mare

I love reading your tales from the past Jackie O.

Brings back the happy times I used to spend with my Nanna when I was a child and I never ceased to be bored of her telling me about how things were when she was a child. She was born in 1914.

She grew up being the eldest of eight kids. Her dad was a drunk by all accounts and left her mam short of money every week.

This upbringing made my nanna very frugal and I know she never spent unless absolutely necessary and never wasted anything.

I blame her for the fact that I am very similar. We are not rolling in money and being on low incomes I am always thinking of ways to make what we do have go that little bit further. Even if money wasnt a problem, Im not sure I could get out of this mind set.

I also think what the OP is attempting to do is very drastic and would love to hear more about why they are doing it....is it a challenge? Is it necessity? And yes.........what are they going to do with all the money they will save.