WHY are you old style?......

angchris

i started my os ways when i became a single parent 10 years ago and could no longer afford to buy everything that i previously had. all of a sudden i couldn`t afford cleaning products/takeaways/micro meals etc and it hit me very hard. suddenly i was making my own cleaning products and batch cooking and making sure i had cheap food readily available every night. things have eased up alot since then but that has only been because of my os ways that will probably stay with me for life as it frees up money for my little luxuries in life.

Plum_Pie

My parents are v OS so I was brought up that way. (I'm 26.) Even when I was an overspender (late teens/early 20s), I still maintained some OS habits such as cooking from scratch.

As has been said before on this board, it's best not to change too much at once and to focus on the things you really enjoy doing.

As far as I'm concerned, OS IS normal life!

JAMIEDODGER

I came to OS when I originally joined MSE nearly two years ago. I have been pretty OS ever since. Sometimes is has slipped, like when I started my business and suddenly I didnt have time to do everything I did before, but gradually I am incorporating all those things back in again one by one.

I dont use commercial cleaners, I recycle, I use my SC and BM although not everyday, I cook from scratch and I bake.

I dont see myself ever going back to the way I was before I came here.

but......

as PLUM PIE says, take it slowly, add one new thing at a time, if something doesnt work for you then leave it and certainly dont feel guilty for doing so:)

and best of all enjoy it:D

dannahaz

I think there are many OS things that become habit (like cooking extra for freezing, using leftovers, using a BM, cleaning with vinegar), and there are others which I might not do if I didn't have the time (for example, we make our own butter).

Dobie

I think the main thing to remember is that we're all different & have different priorities & different lifestyles.

Nobody is a failure if they don't incorporate all the elements of OS into their lives we should just all do what fits comfortably into our lives & the lives of our families.

I've always been fairly OS but love looking on this board for inspiration to try new ideas. I something appeals I try it & either keep doing it or give up if it doesn't seem worth the bother to me personally. One example of this was making my own washing powder. I did it for a couple of months but grating soap got a bit tedious so now I use own brand powder mixed with washing soda - also an idea I picked up here & I'm happy with that.

My philosophy in a nutshell is 'suck it & see' :rotfl:

AussieLass

What a great philosophy Dobie

I have always been OS but to varying degrees depending on my work hours etc. I think if the core habits are there in the first place it set you up for life.

Queenie

:think: Hmm, interesting question!
I was brought up OS - although it wasn't called "Old Style" it was simply ... "normal" :laugh:
I suppose, if anything, I wandered off what had previously been my normal when I met and married my (now estranged DH) he was/is very much a "live now, pay later; that's what credit is for" kind of guy and couldn't even contemplate foods which weren't "ready-to-go-go-go!". Up to a point, that was a tempting lifestyle to fit in with, especially with teens and babies as well as work and his shifts to fit in around. Not to mention the fact it was seemingly "affordable" - he kept account of spending (so I thought) so it didn't worry me and almost signified "abundance". Nice thought when previously everything had been a juggling act.
However, that way of living very soon caught up and I was literally horrified at how tight and almost desperate our circumstances had become - alongside him twittering utterances such as "I work hard, earn a good wage; how come we're struggling!!?"
So, I began implementing *my* "normality", took over the budgeting and turned things back around. I'm a good cook (so I've been told ) so that helped I enjoy crafting and making things, so that helped again and my mother had taught me a whole variety of cleaning/money saving tips as we grew up anyway.
A habit or a lifestyle? For me, it's been a lifestyle the majority of the time and I intend to keep it that way. It does NOT mean going without anything; it's not about deprivation or scrimping and scraping - which is often how my own parents and G/parents were *forced* to live. To me it's about making educated choices which fit in with my overall life plans. So, if I want a nice little nest egg for when I'm retired, I need to make sure I have some ££'s to do it with. If I want a certian level of housing/furnishings, I make certain investments with the money I can squirrel away by being cautious and aware today. I take what I want from it, leave what I don't want and pat myself on the back for my achievements and accomplishments - and don't waste my time beating myself up at any perceived failings

katzen_2

I have to admit I always find it strange when people don't cook from scratch as that's the way I've always been brought up, and there's the added bonuses that it usually tastes nicer (although I'm sure we've all had some absolute shockers in the kitchen!) and is almost always cheaper.
I'd suggest that you view this board as an ideas page, rather than a life bible. Although there are undoubtedly some people here who do all of it and more, I'm sure the majority of people just do a few things & seek inspiration on here.

rosieben

Such good answers here, nothing to add really. I've always liked to cook from scratch but had periods when I didnt - working full time and studying etc. After a dramatic drop in income I came on here looking for ideas and found more than I could ever imagine! I dont do a lot of things mentioned on here, for instance I dont make my own washing powder or make my own butter or cheese as I dont have the room. the biggest help and, for me, the basis of an OS lifestyle is in meal planning, home cooking and budgeting. Other things follow on from that. As everyone say, take what you can use and let the rest go

Quasar

I believe that when one is used to buy and waste, then going OS all of a sudden can be virtually impossible.

Baby steps first. Make those changes that are easily managed from the word go - changing washing materials, for example, and then introduce further changes as and when. The hardest thing to get used to, for many people, is cooking from scratch, as ready meals were so quick and easy to prepare.

But in answer to the op question - yes, OS can and should become for life, because it's good for our pocket, our health and the environment.