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

kittyscarlett

I can't remember if I contributed to the older thread so will stick my oar in here... Like many others, I am OS because it's what I know - it's how I was brought up, how I have had to live for most of my life because of not earning tons of money, and also my natural inclinations - I hate waste of all kinds. I'm a fussy eater - the actual range of things I eat is very wide but I do like to know what goes into it. I very rarely eat ready meals and when I do I inevitably think " what a waste of money, I could have made far better myself ".:p

I am not 100% successful all the time, I am only human. I am terrible at sewing, I don't even possess an iron, when tired and fed up I tend to buy sandwiches instead of making them and I am far from a housework maniac :embarasse But although times are hard, I can remember when they were even tougher and use the life lessons learned to cope now - and be grateful what I do have !

MrsE_2

I'm........

economy = 4
ecology = 4
healthy living = 8
job satisfaction = 8

Teresita_2

I'm just starting out but really the answer is I would love to be a SAHM. That and I want to give my kids the best chance in the future. I like to know what they are eating and get great pleasure in seeing them enjoy what they eat especially if I have cooked/baked it!!!

lucy*locket

apprentice_tycoon wrote: »

I think that it would be very interesting to find out why we take up old style strategies.

I think that it will fall into 3 main reasons, economy, ecology and healthy living and it would be useful if those reasons had a score between 1 and 10 to show their importance to you and your family.

There will be some of use who would score economy as the highest, most important reason for using old style ways, there are others who would rate ecology as the main reason, for others it would be healthy living.

For myself I would mark them as

economy = 9
ecology = 5
healthy living = 7

edit - other posters have pointed out another reason, and they're right too - it's doing it because you want too - beating the system, job satisfaction, etc. so for me my fourth reason is

creativity = 10


Anyone else got any views on why you are looking at these pages?

What an interesting thread, I just started reading it this morning, I'm going to have to read all of it tonight when I'm home from work as there are some inspiring posts. I might get out that glass of wine and make myself comfortable.

Since discovering MSE and OS a couple of months ago I feel I've come home. I grew up in the 60s and 70s, my Mum brought up us 3 kids on her own after Dad deserted us. We may have lacked money but we had a freshly cooked meal every day, the bills were always paid on time, she taught me all the life skills I would need (cooking sewing DIY gardening), we played games, made stuff, went for walks every Sunday afternoon (she used to insist we all went, how we moaned sometimes;)).

As an adult I never forgot any of this but from the age of 18 applied for credit cards, storecards, 'cos I wanted all the "stuff" I never had as a child (I used to so envy other children who seemed to have the latest clothes, the best bikes, the nicest houses), then when I had my kids I wanted them to have "stuff" too so continued to use CCs.

Time to change, finally, I'm 48 and want to be out of debt, I want money in my savings account (I'm embarrased to admit I've never had any savings:o)and I want to have cash to pay for shopping not take on more debt.
So I'm going back to OS ways, I love cooking and do you know the last couple of takeways we've had weren't all that, I could do better. The last meal out we had which cost £50 with wine was rubbish. Home-cooked all the way for me now, if we get together with friends and family I'll really enjoy giving them a freshly cooked meal.
I've always had an eye for a bargain, I love charity shops and have been a boot sale addict for 20 years, now when I need something for the house or there's a book I want I'll bide my time and look out for it at the boot sale, gives me such a buzz to pick something up for 50p instead of £20:j
I've started growing my own veg this year, first time ever, I don't have much of a garden so am using pots, following great advice on the Greenfingered thread...how exciting:D

It's great to connect with other OSers and I'm so grateful for all the sound advice offered freely on these pages, you're a very generous lot:A

So, after all that waffle, my reasons for going OS are:

economy = 10
creativity = 10
healthy living = 7
ecology = 5


Have a great OS day, off to work now, yay it's Friday:j

Trinny

I was extremely broke in the 1980's recession and became OS then - since then me and Mr Trin have known hard times.

Right now we are OS because we believe in a green approach to life. We reduce, reuse and recycle because we hate the idea of landfill. We both know what it is to be hungry and unable to celebrate Christmas - and the fear of unpayable debt.

Now we do it because it makes sense to grow your own, to eat well, to respect the planet, to live simply and i think that after surviving really hard times - you realise that believing that posessions and money and "stuff" will make you happy is believing a great big lie.

Our first date was a walk with a bought icecream each - because there was no money for anything else. I will never forget it.

We live open handed and believe in being generous - but also totally abhor waste, consumerism, materialistic philosophy and lining the pockets of the corporations. We support local businesses, shop ethically, reduce food miles where possible and try to keep a low carbon footprint

Bottom line - it makes sense to be OS doesnt it.

cady

i became OS after buying our first house and having very little money i think learing this at a yound age (22) ive set up how im going to live and raise my family (baby on the way) and its not only saving me mmoney its saving waste, energy and cooking helthy meals rather then feeding a family on junk!!

Tamesider

I'm new to posting so. hello.

I was born in the 1950's when people were "green" out of necessity for reasons of economy. As a child I was taught to be thrifty and live within my means and it is a habit that has stuck. I cook meals from scratch, enjoy all kinds of handicraft and simple things, like walking on the local moors, reading, etc.

Friends and neighbours are always bemoaning they cannot afford this or that even though they are better off financially and how come we can afford things? I see it as a challenge to see how much living I can get out of our small income and I am constantly amazed.

MRSTITTLEMOUSE

I'm OS through choice now,but when we first married and had a family we had no other choice but to be so.
Nowadays I'm so used to doing things OS I could'nt be any other way.
Also by being this way we have a lot of spare cash for luxuries and to help our daughters and grand-children out.
I'd rather be able to do this,than live wastefully on things that I don't have too.

eco

We grew up poor and never had convienience food, paxo stuffing was as far as it went and I couldn't eat it, it tasted foul, and cos I wouldn't eat it my sister's didn't. I did the want it all thing for a while but didn't get into debt only about £1000 ages ago and paid it off. When I started with Lactose intollerence I went back to cooking from scratch just like I'd been taught as a kid and my home ec teacher was great, and if I fetch something to eat at work everyone wants some.

Since finding these boards and saving I'm over paying on the mortgage and as I'm single it isn't always easy but this helps, and I'm eating better, got the veg garden which I love, I used to help with the veg as a kid so knew it would be fairly easy, just labour intensive, it's great when the apple tree gets blossom and the seeds start growing, I get so excited, a few simple changes can save so much.

Primrose

eco - it's great you've got your veg garden. These simple things give so much pleasure and interest, and I guess being single and only having one income, it's doubly difficult for your to overpay on your mortgage. However, this is a really good way of helping to protect your future in these difficult times. More power to your elbow! Actually some moistened Paxo stuffing mixed in with some mashed potato and fried until crispy brown makes quite a cheap tasty hot snack!