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

Jesthar

Very interesting thread!

Feel a bit self concious posting here, as I'm more an OS lurker than poster, but I'm 30 and I've been a money squirrel as long as I can remember. Usually I joke that it's the 1/4 Scottish part of me which automatically makes me tight with money! :rotfl:

In reality, it goes much deeper than that, I think. I never used to get pocket money before I was 13; if I wanted something I had to ask my parents, who wisely indulged me at a sensible level. When I did start getting pocket money, I didn't have to ask any more, but I then had to buy more things myself. My parents also taught me well that if I wanted to buy something more expensive it was usually a good idea to shop around and prioritise quality over cheapest price. And, of course, to never buy anything on credit (unless you absolutely had to), but save the money up first for major purchases, and put money aside in case of emergency.

And it works. We were never a high earning family - mum gave up work when I was born, so we only had one wage coming in - but we were always comfortable. The mortgage was paid of several years early thanks to overpaying slightly each month, and Mum (although not an enthusiastic cook!) taught me how to shop for good value, and to always made use of leftovers, rather than throw them away. I became a saver rather than a spender, with no real interest in keeping up with the Jones, or following expensive fashion trends etc., but rather for getting value for money. I suppose I should also mention I'm thankful I don't like any form of alcohol I've ever tried, and find pubbing and clubbing extremely boring, as I suspect that's saved me thousands over the years! :rotfl: I must have been one of the few people at my university to graduate with several thousand pounds savings, rather than debts (aside from my student loan)...

I've now been living away from home for several years and finally bought my own dinky little house about 18 months ago, having saved up whilst living in rented accomodation and with friends. Those savings also meant when my previous car expired unexpectedly, I could afford to replace it without having to take out finance. I have just started using a cashback credit card (payed off in full by direct debit each month), but my 'standard' bank issued credit card I haven't even bothered activating after having it in my purse for two years!

Now I have a mortgage and bills to pay, saving is trickier (my wage is decent, but not excessive ), but still very doable. It's the simple things which make big differences - turning lights off, switching things off, not wasting water etc. One of the first things I did was have good double glazing installed (yup, savings again!), and as a result I've made it to November without putting on the heating. Now, as it turns out, I'll have to wait a few more days as one of my circulation pumps is shot and needs replacing, but oh well!:rotfl:

Food is a very easy area to make savings. I've always taken packed lunches to work, for example, but I've also discovered the joys of batch cooking, and then the even more thrifty joys of using a slow cooker to do this. Last weekend I did a batch off slow cooker spag bol which gave me 8 portions (ate 1, froze 7 - instant homemade ready meals!). Had I used the same amount of mince and a jar of Dolmio as I used to do, I'd have only got three portions, but a couple of onions, several mushrooms, a few sticks of celery and a grated carrot do an amazingly cheap and tasty job of bulking it out. And once I've worked my way through the remaining jars of Dolmio, I'll be using value chopped tomatoes instead.

I should confess, I'm not an uber-thrifty shopper, and certainly don't buy all value brands. I shop at Morrisons, as it is the only convenient supermarket for me, and I do buy for tastes/ethics I like rather than price (like Warburtons bread/organic milk. In particular, I like Morrisons meat, as it is guaranteed British reared, not just British slaughtered. And I refuse point blank to buy Danish bacon. I just try to be sensible, and stock up on what I usually buy when things are on offer. This week, I picked up a kilo half shoulder of lamb on special offer for about £3. It went in the slow cooker today, and with careful use the meat from it will last me all week. Same with joints of brisket. And I'm no enthusiastic gardener, but I'm currently up to my ears in runner beans from half a dozen plants in one of my borders!

So, I'm not really an extreme OSer, I guess, just careful. But not wasting money does mean I can indulge in some things I want as well as things I need (a magazine or two, chocolates from time to time, a Nintendo DS as a present to myself for my 30th etc.). It means I can afford to treat myself to soap and other nice and good value goodies from Lush (plus the occasional indulge - doing a face mask right now!), and then use them sensibly so I'm not wasting them (bought a lump of Mud Flats in the summer, and it's still going! Far better than bottled shower gels!). It means I can afford to buy the occasional things for my house, and get larger home improvement jobs done once or twice a year - as well as overpaying every month on my mortgage and having something for emergencies.

In the end it's all about habit, and thinking about how you spend money. I was blessed in that I was raised to be sensible with money. Others have to learn that later, sometimes painfully. In the end, though it's all about balance - spend carefully, save sensibly, and you can afford little indulgences, plus occasional bigger ones.

~Jes

ZoeGirl_3

I became a lot more OS after going to University and having worked two years and reading a book that said if you consider what your post tax income has been over your working life (all two years of it that I had done lol) that is how much money you have let slip through your fingers.

For me it was about $50k and I didnt have a mortgage, rent to pay or anything that should have sucked up all that money, although I had put on a bit of weight, so I probably ate most of it But the thing was, I hadn't enjoyed any of it for more than five minutes and had no investments or big purchases of value, and decided it was stupid. I would rather work less and utilise my money more to be honest.

I also have to say, that money isn't everything. I mean, why work more and more hours just so you can buy nice make up and clothes to wear to work? Makes almost no sense really. :rolleyes:

ceridwen

Hi Siberia

Well - I didnt read your first post as meaning you are a journalist/doing this for research. I read it as equalling that you are personally a bit "conflicted" about living in an O.S. way.

Having read your second (explanatory) post - I can see why this is the case. To me - I think you sound like you have a very sensible, mature approach to money (gawd - hope that doesnt come over sounding patronising:o ). I think it sounds like you dont approve that much over the way your mother manages her finances - and I can follow exactly what you are thinking. I would be wondering myself why she chose to have 4 children and stay on benefit. Yep - I disagree with someone making that sort of decision myself - I won't start going off into my feelings on that - I'll behave:D I would be wondering myself why she didnt have just the 1 or 2 children and get a job and I would not like to disapprove of my own mother - but then that assumes that someone will be "perfect" because they are "our" parent. It takes a long long time to realise that most of the "imperfect" people in the world are someone or other's parent - so why should we think we are entitled to "perfect" parents? We just have to accept that possibly our own parents have some of those attitudes/do some of those things that we disagree with/know are wrong - and then, from that, decide whether we can still accept their role in our lives as "parents" to us.

I do understand your mother's attitude that she doesnt want low-paid jobs and thinks they are "exploitative" and "beneath her". Unfortunately many of us have to do jobs that could be described that way anyway - and, if we dont do so when we have the option to do so, then we ourselves would be "exploitative" - as we would be taking benefit money when we didnt need to - benefit money that has come (to some extent) from people who cant afford to pay tax themselves (or not as much anyway).

As regards yourself personally - never forget that you are a different person to your mother and, just because one has had someone for a parent, then that doesnt necessarily mean that you are anything like that person yourself and it doesnt mean that you have to live the same way they have. I guess its easier for me to think like that - because I have a belief system that means I believe in reincarnation and believe I myself chose which parents to get born to. Hence - I find it very easy to accept that I am a very different person to my parents and that part of the reason that I chose to be born into a family so different to myself was to see the perspective of people like my parents at a very close angle (one cant be much closer to people than to get born to them as a child in their family:D ). So - I accept the parts of them that are similar to myself, disagree strongly with the bits that show they are very different people to myself - but I chose them, so I have learnt to live with them and to "look out" for them as my parents.

You are doing a sort of cost/benefit analysis of whether it is worth being O.S. A very good idea - actually. Right now - time is at a premium - you have your studies to complete successfully and so it is true that time will be more valuable to you than money. Others on the O.S. Board have much more time than you do. So - compromise. Do what you reasonably can - whilst bearing in mind that "time is money" and your studies come first. Sounds to me like you are managing your finances pretty well. You can be even more focused on O.S. when you arent under such heavy time pressure.

ceridwen

Thinking of the point re whether O.S. is a "gendered economy" - quite possibly it is to a large extent (now sits back waiting for a rush of male O.S.'ers to come on board - where's Mr Bad Example when one needs him?;) ). But it could equally well apply to both sexes - it just depends who earns the most "dosh". I was only chatting yesterday to the bus driver who drove me to and from a trip out for some gardening supplies and he does all the housework/etc - as he himself has decided thats only fair (as his wife spends many more hours at work than he does) and he doesnt want to just spend money for the sake of it just because "everyone else does".

Certainly it is true that a much higher proportion of married women are holding down a job than did so in my mothers generation. I know myself that - if I had got married - then I would have been very aware of whether O.H. was "pulling his weight" on the housework and if he wasnt (and I hadnt decided to divorce him because of it;) ) - then I would tend to have resorted to doing things in whatever the quickest way possible was - because otherwise I would be spending precious spare time doing his share of the housework, as well as my own. So - the decision would have been "Right - I'm just as entitled to leisure time as he is - so the housework will have to go hang - ready meals, etc it is until he pulls his weight".

O.S. isnt all about deprivation true - there is a personal satisfaction element to it. To me - its about foiling advertisers' plans to get me to spend my money on readymeals, buying new clothes if I can revamp existing ones, etc - and I feel like I have "won" a little "battle" to get me to be a Good Little Consumer. To me - there is also the fact that I'm not in the slightest bit artistic or musical - it just aint in me - but I do want the chance to be a bit "creative" - so have to get that from things like experimenting with food/cooking up recipes/just got stuff through to do "cooking up cosmetics" and so I'm taking what opportunities I have to do the few creative type things I am capable of doing.

Triggles

Also something that's worth thinking about - some of these things you might implement may initially be a little time consuming - until they become habit, and then they become second nature. Part of the trick is learning to fit them in and around your schedule.

For example, I regularly bake scones, usually every other day, for DH's work lunches and for generally nibbling in the household. The first few times I made them, it took me a fair amount of time, as I hadn't made them before. Now, it takes me no more than 10 minutes to put them all together and pop them in the remoska to bake. Then I'm off doing other things around the house while they're baking. It's really the same with cooking from scratch - initially it seems very time consuming while you get used to it - but after a very short while, it becomes second nature and faster as you get more comfortable with it.

Teaparty_mum

I fairly new to this site but I keep coming back to this part of the board because I find it very useful and its helping me get things into order ie cooking from scratch, baking cakes etc and its also changing my way of thinking.

Im so glad I came across this site.

Primrose

I wonder how much of our nation spending/debt problems come from consumers not realising how they are subliminally responding to the power of the advertisers/ promotions? This is much greater now where every 15 minutes we're being bombarded by TV advertising, trying to persuade us we have to have this or that "because we're worth it" ! Certainly TV ads drive consumer demand for certain foods, and in the run-up to Christmas, every parent is subjected to demands for the latest toy or gadget as a result of TV advertising. The supermarkets even plan the location of goods and products in their aisles (high eyesight level for branded goods, Own Label and Value goods at the bottom where nobody can see them) and sweets at the Cash tills. Being OS means that you are aware of all these little techniques and are not lured by them.

Gryfon

Just another thing to add, it becomes a habit. I just can't bring myself to buy something expensive if I can get it cheaper elsewhere, it just seems wasteful. Ok we're not perfect and could save money in other situations but on some things I feel bad buying full price stuff! When it comes to renovating our house a lot of things you need to buy new such as wood, plaster, paint etc...but the rug in our lounge was free, our 2 sofas were in someones garden and my dad asked the householder if we could have it so that was free, our dinning room table and chairs were free from a recycling depot, the double bed in the spare room was free, the hall carpet and the carpet in my study was free! It's like a challenge to see what you can get and pay nothing for. Ok I'd love to be able to go into a shop and buy a new carpet without worrying but at the moment with money as it is I don't see the point when I can get free stuff!

liz545

The question of gender is an interesting one, and I think to some degree it has been a traditionally female role to do typically OS things/practice "home economics". But then, your boyfriend sounds like he's OS in his own way - saving up for something before buying it, not being wasteful etc, so it's not exclusively female, and some things that I'd consider OS are more traditionally masculine roles (growing your own, DIY etc), so there's some overlap. I think there's been a rejection of OS values since the 70's, which was part of women entering the labour market and feminism (both good things), which has been capitalised on by marketeers and re-sold to us as a way of defining our sense of self through consumerism. But to me feminism does not equal consumerism and thinking you're better than someone who's a stay at home mum, it's about respecting the right of a woman to choose which role suits her best.

I think you also need to draw a distinction between obligate spending (rent, utilities etc), discretionary spending (luxury food, holidays, toiletries), and just plain stupid spending (lattes, bank charges). If you can live within your means long enough to get back in credit, you won't incur bank charges/late fees. If you prioritise what's obligate spending, you'll be able to save up enough for what's discretionary. If you work out why you're spending (is it need or just want? and if it's want, will you still want it next week?) your discretionary spending will only be on things that you'll be glad to have bought a month down the line. I started keeping a spending diary last year and it's helped me see where I was wasting money; I've also redefined "treats", so now if I feel I want to treat myself to something, it's something that costs £2, not something that costs £50 - a bar of Lush soap, a bag of Monmouth coffee, some posh cheese are all manageable indulgences every couple of weeks, and as you say, they do make you feel better.

Things can seem hectic when you're approaching the end of your degree, and you're right to appreciate the opportunities for travel etc that you've had. But it isn't an either/or choice - you can spend wisely and still study/travel and get the most out of life!

Jasper27_2

I'm not 100% OS but if I had the time I would do more. The thing is it's not a cult, you can just do the bits that work for you! I'm a fussy eater and prefer to cook from scratch, with a bit of practice and organisation it's not that time consuming. It means that we eat very well on a reasonable budget and so have money for other things. Years ago before we got better organised OH and I both considered changing jobs to have more money but then realised it would involve, more travelling, shifts etc and we'd have less time together. It prompted us to stick with the jobs we had that allow us a decent amount of free time and use our money more wisely which we have done. I take great satisfaction that the money we save in other ways is spent on great long haul holidays that have given us some wonderful experiences. But is also good to know that if our circumstances changed we could get by on a much lower income. Luckily I'm not the sort of person who is bothered about keeping up with the Joneses or being in fashion so I just do my own thing. I'm sure many people are burdened with debt trying to live a lifestyle that's sold to them by the media but it doesn't make them happy. I think many OSers are a bit more independent minded.

In the end it all comes down to Martins ethos that it's your money with a bit of knowledge you can make it go a lot further and make the most of it.