2022 Frugal Living Challenge

mumtoomany

@newlywed, I to, like asparklyblonde, now live very rurally. One of the good things is not that you have no neighbours, but that you know your neighbours, even if they live a distance away. In our last house, inner city, after nine years i could only name two of my neighbours. Here even though i cannot see another house from my windows, I can name almost all, and speak to them all when i see them. I can rely on them in times of need, as they can us. We barter goods and time. A much more agreeable life. As I'm sure asb will agree. The only thing we are lacking is money, and that is the only thing we don't seem to need. Hugs, mumtoomany.xx

JinJinBlue

I haven't finished catching up yet but I  too would like to say thank you for the stories of people's younger days. My mum and dad were married in 1943 and we were brought up in much the same way as some of you. May I  make a suggestion?  I have been researching my family history for  about twenty years now and I have found such stories an amazing help and an insight into people's lives. Maybe your children and grand children  would treasure them too?  If the weather  is bad when winter sets in and if you have time,  why not grab a note book and write some of them down? You don't have to be Shakespeare  Also,  all your photos could be put in an album and labelled. "Aunty Nellie and Uncle Fred celebrating the Platinum Jubilee  2022." Or whatever 
I have photos  and I've no idea who they are of or where they were taken. Keep  sharing  the memories. They are so interesting and inspiring. 

linz

JinJinBlue said:

I haven't finished catching up yet but I  too would like to say thank you for the stories of people's younger days. My mum and dad were married in 1943 and we were brought up in much the same way as some of you. May I  make a suggestion?  I have been researching my family history for  about twenty years now and I have found such stories an amazing help and an insight into people's lives. Maybe your children and grand children  would treasure them too?  If the weather  is bad when winter sets in and if you have time,  why not grab a note book and write some of them down? You don't have to be Shakespeare  Also,  all your photos could be put in an album and labelled. "Aunty Nellie and Uncle Fred celebrating the Platinum Jubilee  2022." Or whatever 
I have photos  and I've no idea who they are of or where they were taken. Keep  sharing  the memories. They are so interesting and inspiring. 

I enjoy reading the stories from people who lived during the war or just after too. It might sound really morbid but I wanted to capture my mums memories of her life as a child (born in '51) but she has the stories my nana and great nana (both no longer alive) told her when she was growing up. Basically my mum is the only one left in the family of her generation so I asked her to write her childhood memories down, things she remembered or was told, in a big notepad. She calls them her memoirs and has really enjoyed writing them down and going back down memory lane

Primrose

linz said:

JinJinBlue said:

I haven't finished catching up yet but I  too would like to say thank you for the stories of people's younger days. My mum and dad were married in 1943 and we were brought up in much the same way as some of you. May I  make a suggestion?  I have been researching my family history for  about twenty years now and I have found such stories an amazing help and an insight into people's lives. Maybe your children and grand children  would treasure them too?  If the weather  is bad when winter sets in and if you have time,  why not grab a note book and write some of them down? You don't have to be Shakespeare  Also,  all your photos could be put in an album and labelled. "Aunty Nellie and Uncle Fred celebrating the Platinum Jubilee  2022." Or whatever 
I have photos  and I've no idea who they are of or where they were taken. Keep  sharing  the memories. They are so interesting and inspiring. 

I enjoy reading the stories from people who lived during the war or just after too. It might sound really morbid but I wanted to capture my mums memories of her life as a child (born in '51) but she has the stories my nana and great nana (both no longer alive) told her when she was growing up. Basically my mum is the only one left in the family of her generation so I asked her to write her childhood memories down, things she remembered or was told, in a big notepad. She calls them her memoirs and has really enjoyed writing them down and going back down memory lane

I think  this a really good exercise for older people to do for the next generation but also forthemselves to keep their brains active.  It's surprising when you start digging down into your memo bank how the brain works to trigger other associated memories to surface.  And there is often valuable information that the younger generation can learn.   After all, this is how the cave men survived, sharing their memories and practical survival skills long before written material was available !

JinJinBlue

linz said:

JinJinBlue said:

I haven't finished catching up yet but I  too would like to say thank you for the stories of people's younger days. My mum and dad were married in 1943 and we were brought up in much the same way as some of you. May I  make a suggestion?  I have been researching my family history for  about twenty years now and I have found such stories an amazing help and an insight into people's lives. Maybe your children and grand children  would treasure them too?  If the weather  is bad when winter sets in and if you have time,  why not grab a note book and write some of them down? You don't have to be Shakespeare  Also,  all your photos could be put in an album and labelled. "Aunty Nellie and Uncle Fred celebrating the Platinum Jubilee  2022." Or whatever 
I have photos  and I've no idea who they are of or where they were taken. Keep  sharing  the memories. They are so interesting and inspiring. 

I enjoy reading the stories from people who lived during the war or just after too. It might sound really morbid but I wanted to capture my mums memories of her life as a child (born in '51) but she has the stories my nana and great nana (both no longer alive) told her when she was growing up. Basically my mum is the only one left in the family of her generation so I asked her to write her childhood memories down, things she remembered or was told, in a big notepad. She calls them her memoirs and has really enjoyed writing them down and going back down memory lane

My 2nd cousin  (our grandfathers were brothers) got her mum to do it too Linz. Sadly,  her mum died last year but she left behind some wonderful stories  and memories all in her own handwriting too. Sometimes, things like that are more precious than the crown jewels. My brother,  who was 10 years older than me,  told me a wonderful  story  about one of our neighbours. Apparently,  he was a rag and bone  man. As we lived in a terrace,  he used to walk his horse through the house and into the garden. He parked his cart in the road. Every morning,  he would walk the horse back through the house, hitch up and go on his rounds. Priceless! 😂

MazzieD

Been trying to work out how to do a PM but can't find anything in any of the Forum help pages.  Can anyone help please?.

YoungBlueEyes

I think you click on the persons name, then click “message”

MazzieD

@YoungBlueEyes Thank you so much, it worked.

MazzieD

Been working away at  Head Office most of the week.  Bit of a trek but mainly motorways so not too bad but wanted to get back before the Bank Hol  traffic starts today. 

Just about to catch up with what I've missed on here so just made a cuppa.

Frugaldom

Slowly catching up as best I can and loving all the takes from the past. I, too, am a firm believer in recording your own life events and how problems were solved during past crises.

Primrose, when you said, "encountering tough austerity will be very hard and cause a lot of resentment.". I think you really hit the nail on the head.

With the announcement of the energy price cap jumping 80% it is looking grim for many more households. Heating or eating will become the norm for many more, too. A look back over the 15 years of posts in this frugal living challenge will maybe help our newcomers but off hand, the simpler things are the likes of extra blankets, draught excluders from old leggings, fleeces as thermal blinds, getting outdoors as much as possible, keeping the house dry/free from condensation, extra layers, a good store cupboard of food, reduce-reuse-recycle, zero waste and basically stop spending on anything that isn't absolutely essential to your life. 

Keep on frugaling, folks, it's not about wealth, income or worth,nit is a complete lifestyle choice that anyone can make and enjoy.