Is frugal the new normal?

GreyQueen

Mr_Singleton wrote: »

But thats the thing by the time you've factored in the cost of the materials, the cost of the tools, the time, postage & packing, advertising, business costs, a profit margin etc etc you see how stuuupppid a comment like [what a rip-off] I could make it for £2.59 is.

Dear Mr_Singleton, if you read these boards regularly, you would have seen Fuddle's posts showing the lovely outdoor furniture and arbour which her husband has made from old pallets got for free, plus the stuff she has made like indoor shelving from the same free wood, plus the superb and stylish painting which she has done for the outdoor stuff and the sophisticated refinishing for the indoor. These are people who are busy with paid jobs and childrearing and can still turn their hand to making items which are both useful and attractive, from next-to-nothing. Items which others would be glad to have the opportunity to purchase.

So, it's obvious that the tools are already owned, the wood is available for free and that, if the lady's husband can price it up as precisely as £2.59, he knows whereof he speaks.

I was not suggesting that the Fuddle household go into fullblown production, as she was well aware, just that a few of these made in spare time from spare materials would likely find a local market. And I know people who do similar and sell at the gate and have never paid a penny in advertising or packaging - their rep preceeds them, people ask for stuff to be made and come collect it from their house.

Perhaps you'd like to re-read the bit at the top of the board about being nice to all money savers before you spoil a Sunday morning being offensive? Otherwise you are in danger of looking 'stuuupppid' as well as rude.

Mr_Singleton

GreyQueen wrote: »

I was not suggesting that the Fuddle household go into fullblown production,

Perhaps you'd like to re-read the bit at the top of the board about being nice to all money savers

Thankyou for your reply.

My "suggestion" was in reply to the inferred comment that £20 was a "rip-off" price for something worth "about £2.59". Its like saying what a rip-off a chip shop is selling 10 pence worth of potato for £2.

There are comments here where people are wearing it as a badge of honour that they are using a washing machine that's 20 years old. Is it not reasonable to point out that you'd be £100's of £'s worse off in terms of electricity/water usage costs compared to a newer machine? not to mention having modern programmes.

Maybe I've mis-judged this thread and it's really just a mutual back slapping exercise as opposed to an honest exchange of ideas?

GreyQueen

The thread title is Is frugal the new normal? and I've read it from the first post and have no recollection of seeing anything about aged washing machines. I only ever heard of one person on OS who has a 20+ y.o. washer, but only because we communicate on the PM system in private, it's not something they've put on an open thread.

There are ways and ways of interacting with others on a thread and I found your way, in the posts above, offensively rude. That's just my opinion, of course, which is only as valuable as any other person's opinion.

Now, having been busy in the two hours since I rolled from bed (did the biz admin for pal's shop, brokered exchange of ownership of a knitting machine via email and phone, had breakfast, made packed lunch etc) I am about to bike up to my allotment to enjoy this beautiful autumn day.

Play nicely, everyone. Hope the sun is shining on your part of the country, too. GQ x

[Deleted User]

Goodness me, here I was thinking that it was permitted to reply on these threads with what I was actually thinking? perhaps I'm wrong??? I'm assuming that if someone actually has the tools and the talent and the raw materials to make craft goods( and I know that Mr Fuddle does have all of these things and also that Fuddle has the talent to turn out a very creditable product) that if they choose to do so it's entirely their own business? I was also thinking that it's entirely OK to post your thoughts if you find something you wouldn't buy because you felt it was too expensive and perhaps not very well made without being denigrated as being stupid? Life's harsh enough even on a good day and it's always a better thing to reply in a mannerly way than with a put down isn't it?

Thought for the day perhaps is that these posts are made by real live people who hurt when people are rude to them about what they've posted and that the world would be a much nicer place if folks thought about their replies before posting hurtful things?

lessonlearned

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

Goodness me, here I was thinking that it was permitted to reply on these threads with what I was actually thinking? perhaps I'm wrong??? I'm assuming that if someone actually has the tools and the talent and the raw materials to make craft goods( and I know that Mr Fuddle does have all of these things and also that Fuddle has the talent to turn out a very creditable product) that if they choose to do so it's entirely their own business? I was also thinking that it's entirely OK to post your thoughts if you find something you wouldn't buy because you felt it was too expensive and perhaps not very well made without being denigrated as being stupid? Life's harsh enough even on a good day and it's always a better thing to reply in a mannerly way than with a put down isn't it?

Thought for the day perhaps is that these posts are made by real live people who hurt when people are rude to them about what they've posted and that the world would be a much nicer place if folks thought about their replies before posting hurtful things?

Amen to that.....

As the old adage has it "if you can't say anything nice, then dont say anything at all"

constructive critism is fine in its place - when feedback is requested - but there's never any excuse for rudeness or unkindness.

Goldiegirl

At one point this discussion was interesting and open and I was really enjoying it.


Previously, I had never felt entirely comfortable in the 'Old Style' area of the board, as I had never regarded myself as uber-frugal.


I regard myself as an average sort of person, who is happy to live reasonably most of the time, so I can afford to buy good quality things that I want or to go on my cruise holidays.


It turned out that, lots of other people shared my views, and I was looking forward to contributing more to the Old Style board, as was I feeling more at home.


However, I got this reply to one of my posts

We don't talk about the things in our lives that aren't frugal or OS because this isn't the place. We come here to share the OS things we do.

At that point I decided to drop out of the thread. The use of 'we' seemed to reinforce the 'clique' feeling that I had previously been concerned about, and I felt that the remit of the board was too narrow for me, if it wasn't permitted to discuss the broader reasons for why people may want to adopt an old style lifestyle - or at least reasons which might be out of tune with some of the regulars on these boards.


I have looked at this thread from time to time since then it's gone back to what I think of as 'standard old style' e.g. I do this frugal thing, or I've had this thing for 40 years .


Whilst I think Mr Singleton may have been rather to blunt in the way he put his comments, he has raised a good point, that sometimes the best way to save money is to invest in something new. For example, I had my boiler replaced a few years ago, and our gas bill dropped massively. We had an old freezer, but when that was replaced, there was a noticeable drop in our electricity bills.


On the subject of washing machines, mine is 10 years old..... and seems to be functional at the moment. But as soon as it goes wrong, I'll get a new one, with all the water and electricity savings that Mr Singleton mentions, rather than cobble together a repair of the old one.


Mr Singleton has challenged the conventional old style mantra.... maybe he could have phrased it better, but as Mrs LW said everyone should be permitted to reply with what they're thinking. Even if it's different to the commonly held views


Anyway, off back to lurkdom again

fuddle

So funny Mr Singleton You're obviously not very clued up about hammering nails into a piece of sawn timber. Which can be bought for £2.59. Mr Singleton my husband could make that for £2.59 and I could finish it with paint from the shed even better than the over priced offering in the store.

Dearing me. Some people might know the cost of everything but by golly gosh that doesn't mean we don't know value. I think it means we value more than just taking something for granted.

I have seen your comments around this board so I refuse to absorb any more of your head shaking. I'll wander off elsewhere pleased that I bagged myself a super doper guy as a husband

[Deleted User]

It's a free world as far as I'm aware and people are free to choose to join in or not to join in on any of the OS threads, stay where you're comfortable and don't read along on any that you don't feel are right for you. I'm just trying to say in a rather inept and roundabout way that if you don't agree with posts there really is no need to be unmannerly and rather bluntly confrontational with how you reply to them. It's always good to remember that these fellow posters of ours ARE REAL PEOPLE who will be hurt and offended by rudely phrased posts in reply to what they have written. Of course we all have the right to post our thoughts but there are ways and there are other ways of saying what you say in reply.

fuddle

Goldiegirl it was me that posted about not coming on OS to talk about our new cars or our handbags, floor to ceiling quality curtains etc etc because it was relevant to the topics spoken about on here at that time.

My response was that because I didn't know MrsLurcherwalker had a new car and why should I? We come on here to share the frugal tips. There is no reason for you to take that as a cliquey comment really.

[Deleted User]

It's a much more economical to run car than the old one was and it IS a pretty colour? am I forgiven yet???