2022 Frugal Living Challenge

Primrose

The jury seems to be out on shallow baths vs showers regarding water use but I guess an electric powered shower is bound to increase energy use as well as water consumption so a bit of a double whammy..

If you're not involved in a grubby occupation or any sweaty sports activity, a "submariners" strip wash most days is probably enough to keep the average person hygienically clean .  (So called because water is acutely rationed on submarines and warships  and each person is allowed a daily ration of about three pints !).

As a country that has usually had unlimited water supplies (apart from the current drought)  we've probably become extremely prolific in our water use.   If guess if we had to walk 3 miles to the nearest well with a heavy earthenware pot on our head, we'd be pretty careful about how every drop was used). 

Cheery_Daff

Interesting about baths/showers. I put a timer on for my shower this morning after seeing on here someone mention a three minute shower. I confess I didn't manage 3 minutes - it was 4.5 mins by the time I got all the conditioner out of my (waist length) hair... But it was certainly shorter than my usual shower - I'm terrible for luxuriating in the warm water 🙄 It's not an electric shower but even so.

Having said that, I mostly have a stand up strip wash at the sink, and mostly only have a shower when I wash my hair, maybe twice a week (unless I've been doing something particularly grubby). I do usually have a bath once a week too, which I lie around in reading for a good long time. 

Funnily enough, Mr Cheery and I were talking this morning - we always used to use the same bathwater, him first (he's much quicker) then me, but we got out of the habit when we moved house, no idea why. Will get back into it I think!

London_1

My late husband worked in the 1980s in the Sudan on contract and he said there water was most expensive than petrol.Every drop was conserved as much as possible . When he came home he taught our daughters to becareful with useage and it must have rubbed off on me as I too conserve as much as I can.Surplus water either flushes the loo when I have my shower (I have a walk-in shower unit) or if needed will go on the garden.I'm not too fussed about grass as it will green up once the winter arrives.

Oh I well remember the 'sailors wash' when I was a little girl and the only hot water in our draughty cold old Edwardian pile that we lived in came from an alarming old Ascot water heater that I was convinced was going to explode one day.

Baths were usually confined to the tin bath from the coal cellar that my late Mum had heated water on the kitchen range in big potfuls to fill.I was always first in the bath thank goodness followed by my two older very grubby brothers My Mum called them muck magnets But we were clean and scrubbed until we shone with a flannel and red Lifebouy soap or if my Dad had brought some home from work Pears or Wrights coal tar.

None of todays "I must shower morning and night" nonsense we were clean though as my late Mum was very carefulthat her children were always clean and tidy ,although I think she fought a losing battle with my brothers ,especially the middle one has he could get mucky in an empty room I think  

JackieO xx

Floss

Primrose said:

As a country that has usually had unlimited water supplies (apart from the current drought)  we've probably become extremely prolific in our water use.   If guess if we had to walk 3 miles to the nearest well with a heavy earthenware pot on our head, we'd be pretty careful about how every drop was used). 

Quite a few years ago my younger son did a sponsored thing for WaterAid, where he carried one day's worth of water with him everywhere for a week. And I mean everywhere  - to work on the bus, to the pub, to church - with his water carrier strapped to him.

boxer234

I’m always super quick in the shower but it is electric.  I could try a sailors wash I just get so sweaty when I run ! 

ladyholly

Primrose said:

HelenaPinky said:

Sat down tonight to watch Jamie Oliver’s one pound meals, I don’t usually watch things in real time but had been looking forward to this - turns out I’d misheard and it’s ‘one pan’ meals!

Well I suspect a pan of small chopped potatoes, onions, carrots and celery mashed up with a handful of grated cheese and a few herbs,  would probably make a cheap savoury supper, given the cost of cooking energy now. 

With current rising food and fuel costs, it would be quite a challenge to produce a cooked meal for a pound these days but hopefully some TV producers will come up with some innovative tv programmes on low budget cooking this winter to help those without too much cooking or budgetary experience.

Dont worry I am sure there will be an MP along soon to tell us all we can feed a family of 4 for £10 a week!!!!

weenancyinAmerica

Remember during the World War II, you had to paint a line around  the inside of the bathtub showing how much water you could use. Might to to start this up again.

dreaming

weenancyinAmerica said:

Remember during the World War II, you had to paint a line around  the inside of the bathtub showing how much water you could use. Might to to start this up again.

During the 1976 drought we were advised to put no more than 4 inches of water in the bath - and to share with a friend!

JIL

I tested positive for the dreaded virus tonight, I think I know where I picked it up. I was at a shop on Sunday that sells heavily discounted items. The man in front of me, was asked how he was, he answered that he felt hot and sweaty, with a sore throat and he was going home to do a test. He said at least if its covid I wont starve.

I was astonished. 

Anyway I have had a long hot bath and realised its been a very long time since I did that, I'm usually running the tap shower attachment, sitting in a few inches of water and shampooing and shower gelling. The bath barely gets chance to fill, although once my big bottom goes in the water does significantly rise.

Cheery_Daff

Hope it doesn't hit you too hard JIL x