BBC Breakfast interview

*Margaret*

I think there can be a bit of tension between people being frugal for a goal or an experiment and people who are being frugal because they don't have much choice about it. Having an end in sight would feel very different, I imagine. Also her family sound very different to mine - if I phoned my family and said I couldn't make it for Christmas because I was doing a lifestyle experiment I'd get very short shrift!

My choices are either to budget carefully or to run out of food in the last week of the month, struggle to pay bills, not be able to afford the dentist when I have toothache and so on. With careful planning I can live a life where I eat reasonably, don't end up in debt and still do things I enjoy like reading and seeing my family.

I imagine this book is aimed at people who might be feeling a bit weighed down by 'stuff' and this might give them some inspiration to let go of some things. I think it could do some people quite a bit of good, as long as people recognise that this isn't the same as actually not having any money then it's fine. It's not a book I'd buy but then I suspect this lady wouldn't be keen to buy a book called 'Margaret Lives a Mundane Life On The Minimum Wage'

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Pollycat

*Margaret* wrote: »

I think there can be a bit of tension between people being frugal for a goal or an experiment and people who are being frugal because they don't have much choice about it. Having an end in sight would feel very different, I imagine. Also her family sound very different to mine - if I phoned my family and said I couldn't make it for Christmas because I was doing a lifestyle experiment I'd get very short shrift!

My choices are either to budget carefully or to run out of food in the last week of the month, struggle to pay bills, not be able to afford the dentist when I have toothache and so on. With careful planning I can live a life where I eat reasonably, don't end up in debt and still do things I enjoy like reading and seeing my family.

I imagine this book is aimed at people who might be feeling a bit weighed down by 'stuff' and this might give them some inspiration to let go of some things. I think it could do some people quite a bit of good, as long as people recognise that this isn't the same as actually not having any money then it's fine. It's not a book I'd buy but then I suspect this lady wouldn't be keen to buy a book called 'Margaret Lives a Mundane Life On The Minimum Wage'

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I think this is just 'playing at it' and doubt that I'd learn anything of value from it.

Caterina

Pollycat wrote: »

I think this is just 'playing at it' and doubt that I'd learn anything of value from it.

You might not, nor might I, or JackieO (our OS Icon!), or many here. But some might.

Do we want frugality to be an exclusive club or would we not rather see it become more of an accepted lifestyle, widespread and accepted/acceptable everywhere? I know that I would welcome the latter.

Imagine, swap shops for goods and skills popping up at every street corner, free reskilling workshops, no more foodbanks as we know them, but they would be bring and take food exchange points, more swishing, less buying, reduced work hours for all and as a consequence less unemployment....the end of capitalism LOL :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: Bring it on!

[Deleted User]

crikey Caterina:eek: I'm embarrassed to be called an Icon:o:o:o I'm far from that . It would be great if life could be like that though and swapping skills and the reduction of those food banks would certainly make life better. I certainly never thought food banks would be needed so badly in the 21st century, even with rationing as a child folk would try to help each other out if you fell on hard times.

Perhaps today's see it ,want it, grab it society could learn a lot from an earlier generation when there was always some one who would give a hand if you were stuck.My late Mum would always find a child a cuddle and a plaster followed by a piece of cake or a drink of something for a child who had fallen over in our road .

We often had stray kids around whose Mums perhaps had to work or were in bed after childbirth and most of the local women would pop something n to keep the family going until Mum was back on their feet again Or if the Dad was laid off, it was a far more community minded time back then

VfM4meplse

*Margaret* wrote: »

My choices are either to budget carefully or to run out of food in the last week of the month, struggle to pay bills, not be able to afford the dentist when I have toothache and so on. With careful planning I can live a life where I eat reasonably, don't end up in debt and still do things I enjoy like reading and seeing my family.

I don't know why it is I resent spending money on food. I just feel that it is a big waste, processed food in particular. I'd rather go without than waste money on it.

But I have no issue with keeping the house heated all day and definitely couldn't skimp on the dentist. Horses for course I suppose!

PasturesNew

I skimp on food so I can smoke rollies

VfM4meplse

PasturesNew wrote: »

I skimp on food so I can smoke rollies

Now that really is a waste of money!

Pollycat

Caterina wrote: »

You might not, nor might I, or JackieO (our OS Icon!), or many here. But some might.

Do we want frugality to be an exclusive club or would we not rather see it become more of an accepted lifestyle, widespread and accepted/acceptable everywhere? I know that I would welcome the latter.

I would certainly like to see people being a lot more frugal.

My post (that you quoted) referred to the 'good' that this journalist might do for those people who aren't frugal in the first place.

In the past, I've criticised Eat Well for Less for not going far enough but I think in comparison to this experiment this woman is doing Greg and 'the other bloke's' programme will teach more people better stuff.

It's the woman's experiment that I'm being disparaging about, not the concept of frugality.

PasturesNew

VfM4meplse wrote: »

Now that really is a waste of money!

I agree ... and I'd like to give up ... and I will one day.
Just not yet.

*Margaret*

VfM4meplse wrote: »

I don't know why it is I resent spending money on food. I just feel that it is a big waste, processed food in particular. I'd rather go without than waste money on it.

But I have no issue with keeping the house heated all day and definitely couldn't skimp on the dentist. Horses for course I suppose!

I only spend about £10ish a week on food so don't resent it, I resent surprise purchases - such as when things break, and it's always more than one thing somehow. I was able to avoid the dentist for 9 years but I'd certainly not recommend doing that! It's funny how we're all different.