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

Lizzieanne

Interesting thread! I love doing things the 'old style' way and to a certain extent I always have. Remember that this is a 'money saving' website and that doesn't necessarily mean doing things the cheapest way possible. If you want to buy something that costs £10,000 and you can get it for £9,000 then that's money saving. It's not just about spending next to nothing.
I like joining in with some of the challenges and anything I can save gets spent eventually on something worthwhile, whatever that may be.

oystercatcher

I must have become a moneysaver at a young age. I can still remember that horrible sinking feeling I got as a small child when I realised that if I hadn't have bought a pile of sweets yesterday then I'd still have my pocket money today. It had gone and gone forever, so I learned to think and only buy the things that were really important.

I can also remember when I was working full time wondering why on earth some people worked part time as they would get less money .....

I have always been careful about not spending money I don't have. My Granny used to say , "You never know what is round the corner, and sometimes it's just as well!" . This is just so true, I think you'll find on here so many people who's income has suddenly reduced due to illness, bereavement, redundancy, relationship breakdown and countless other unexpexted problems. I've had my fair share of problems and have been glad to have my savings as an 'insurance plan' against such events. Rather than the freedom of spending an a credit card and paying back more than I have spent. I have the freedom of being able to buy what I need from my savings. Yes I had the 'luxury' of being able to afford a funeral and gravestone for my child . To be able to buy a new kitchen for the wrecked house I had to buy when I discovered Ex husband was having an affair ..... I wouldn't wish these events on anybody but who knows if they are there waiting for you ? At least I wasn't left with huge debts to pay off when I'm feeling awful and may not be able to work extra hours or two jobs.

So now I work part time because for health reasons it's all I can do, I live as OS as I can so as not to waste my money. I pick and chose, some things seem like too much effort to me so I don't bake cakes or make bread at the moment. Maybe I'll chose to later. It's just finding the balance between effort, time and finance and staying in control even when the unexpected happens.

I'm also planning for the future to help my sons when they go to university and /or set up their own homes. They have been trained to be carful with their money so I'm quite happy to give them some help. If I thought they'd be chucking money away on useless 'luxury' items then they can fund their own existence, but I know they won't.
What does your Mum think of your debts OP? Have you had the courage to tell her about them ?

Oystercatcher

misskool

I'm OS because I hate spending money.

I'm always on the lookout for cheap deals and freebies. I am lucky I don't have to be full time OS though so do have moments of indulgence (I pay for meals when out with friends).

Jorgan_2

I prefer to make my money work for me rather than working all the hours to earn money. Thats why I'm on here.

daleigha

the answers on this thread have been so inspiring!!

im 27 and i live with my OH. ive always been sensible where money is concerned, but i blew my student loan on booze, takeaways and clothes - i loved living out of home and spending my money on what i wanted!! but i didnt get into ano other debt, i didnt have credit cards then, and although i am paying back my student loan, i dont have a mountain of other debt to go with it.

a few years ago, i decided i wanted to learn how to make stew. before that, my idea of cooking was a frozen pizza, or a jar of sauce with pasta. a girl i worked with gave the stew recipe, i made it, really enjoyed it, enjoyed seeing OH eating my food, and from then on i started making food from scratch. not every day at first, these things take time, but even if you start having one home made meal a week, you will learn to enjoy it and want to do it more! i love home cooking; i know what i am eating and its cheaper, and i get real satisfaction from seeing others eating and enjoying my food.

i stumbled across OS MSE about six months ago, and i have made use of sooo many tips and recipes on here!! for me, its about spending less, but its also about understanding food better - the more you make at home, the more you will be able to make! i could give most recipes a stab without even knowing the ingredients or recipe, i know what ingredients work with what, how long certain things need to be cooked for, and as i am now a vegetarian it has become very useful - i am NOT one of those veggies who survives on Quorn! (not that i dont eat it sometimes!!)

along with the cleaning tips, for me its about living a more natural life, with as few processed chemicals in my food and in my cleaning products - its so much better for my body. i still go out and see my friends, but i do it within budget. i have savings, and more money than most of my friends, who fritter their money away within days of payday, just from being careful, and realising some things are more important that a skinny latte and a magazine everyday! being OS doesnt mean not having a life, or having fun - my idea of a perfect night is having friends or family round to my flat for dinner and drinks!!

the other posters are right - get rid of your debt and start making small changes, while you are still young. i realise im so lucky to have no debt and savings - you need a balance - always have treat money, but save a bit too, one day you'll be glad of it!!

right, ive waffled on long enough, lots of luck to you!!

xxx

Butterfly_Brain

Try finding work at the moment ! My husband was made redundant ( he has had to take two jobs and still is below the average wage) and I am disabled I have tried to find work but in this area there is none unless you want to be a carer or an escort

ceridwen

Primrose wrote: »

I think the answer to your question is that you should do both - have an "Old Style" lifestyle but also use your time and energy to improve your earning prospects. The world is changing fast. The longer term impact of global warming will have a drastic effect on peoples' lives. There is not enough food or energy to continue supplying the world's population at its current rate of consumption, so sooner or later, all the world's resources will become rationed (either by price or by rationing allocation) so it is well to be prepared and have a lifestyle that will be able to accomodate these changes more easily. I was a small child during the war so I grew up accepting rationing and "make do and mend" as a natural way of life, and that has instilled in me a hatred of waste of any kind. As an adult, I have lived through recessions and redundancies more than once, and learned that those who have a frugal and sensible way of life stand a better chance of being prepared for them, and surviving them. As Icewych has pointed out, some people have no option because of their circumstances, to use every resource and lifestyle process available to them to survive. Think of your life as Commando Training. Learn all the survival techniques. You may not always need them, but if you do and haven't learned them, you will find survival more difficult.

Couldnt agree more. These days - if I was starting out again - think I would probably focus on the "practical" skills as a way of earning my living - be thinking in terms of the skills that any society at any period in history will need and be prepared to pay for...and that I could also use for my own personal benefit. Dont know if I am thinking along the right lines there...but I tend to think that those with plumbing/electrical/DIY skills/hairdressing should hopefully always be assured of income - provided they are good at them and reliable - and they are all useful things to have personally. The whole make do and mend philosophy at home too is good preparation for any eventualities - personally or in a wider sense.

We have a "perfect storm" going on right now - with all the chickens coming home to roost at once....global warming, greedy bankers and FAR FAR too many people for the carrying capacity of the Planet generally or of this country in particular. I think everyone pretty much has begun to realise over the last couple of years....but please please THINK THINK THINK before having any more children if you already have 2 or more. That is THE single best thing you can do for both the environment and yourself personally.

We are going to have rationing - and soon - one way or another. Personally - I think it will be rationing by price. We are already seeing this to some extent as regards food and household fuel - and I think it will get worse. Just pure rationing as such would be fairer - but I dont see it happening personally and there would soon be a thriving "Black Market" in things if it did happen and I doubt any of us could honestly say (hand on heart) that we wouldnt sit down and analyse how adequate the "rationing" was and, if quantities were inadequate - then go out and buy the deficit on that Black Market.

moanymoany

I agree with you absolutely Ceridwen. The OP is going to have a nasty wake up call as will so many who think that a degree is going to guarantee them a profitable future. Only those who have a 'useful' qualification (and that includes 'useful' degrees) are going to find life easier.

I have to say I am quite cynical about the OPs motives - 1 post and worded as though it is researching for some essay. The result has been some really good posts and I hope she learns something from it.

But what you say is spot on. Things are getting worse very quickly.

ceridwen

Hi Moany

....its not that you and I probably rate as the world's biggest pessimists then...;) - but we would argue that we are realists - and hope that we are proved wrong....there's times when I would love to be proved wrong....:cool:

liz545

OP, I see where you're coming from, and obviously if you're starting out in a career (law, finance etc) where a huge investment of time now will pay off financially later, then you have to evaluate whether your time is better spent there than cooking and being OS. Personally, I'm in my mid-twenties, and my finances are in a much better state than when I graduated; the majority of that is because my income has pretty much doubled in the last 3 years due to job-hopping. But also I learned to live within my means, make the most of what I have, and learned the value of stretching my money further. I prefer to cook from scratch, make my own bread etc, because I think my cooking is frankly better than most supermarket products, and I find it enjoyable and satisfying. But I also know that there will be a point where my income will fall, possibly due to a career change or starting a family, and I feel good knowing that I have the skills to manage a drop in income. I think that it's tempting when you're starting out on your own to prove your independence by indulging yourself and buying what you like, but it just adds up to debt that you'll be repaying long after you've forgotten what you bought and why!