2022 Fashion On The Ration Challenge

Liverpool_Anne

@TwibbleDee, yes Pips instructions were excellent and they worked perfectly. I have started another pair from left over yarn to give as Christmas presents. 
Loving the posts about free fruit and veg, wish I were nearer though I do know of some apple trees but the fruit is very sharp so only good for cooking and my freezer is currently a bit overstocked
Take care everyone

maryb

Our next door neighbour had an apple tree which overhung the fence and was always happy for us to use the apples.  They were cookers of some sort, didn’t keep but made good jelly.  Sadly a developer bought his bungalow after he died and cut down the tree

we spent ages this year setting up a micro irrigation system.  It was a pain to do but has given us the best results ever for pots and containers.  We now have a hosepipe ban and I thought we would have to stop using it but I checked the water company’s detailed notice and there is an exemption for micro irrigation systems!  It has to use drippers not jets, has to have a pressure reduction valve and be on a timer.  All of which we have so it has made it doubly worth the effort

I now need to make a confession.  It looks as if we are in for some rough times this winter.  Both in terms of horrendous fuel costs and general inflation.  So I have made the decision to stock up now on clothing that will hopefully last me several years.  I have mainly been stocking up for my husband as I think he uses a belt sander on the heels of his socks!  They are in reserve and being brought in when he finally wears them into holes.  Ditto boxers.

But I have also added to my own wardrobe.  Yesterday I bought a really good winter coat.  100% wool tweed with a Teflon coating.  I nearly fainted at the price although I did manage to get it 25% off on clearance.  But it will see me out I reckon

This has taken me well over my coupons.  But I am treating it as if I am in 1939 with clouds on the horizon.  Those who went into the war years well set up fared a lot better.  And I had let my wardrobe run down badly to the point where many of my clothes literally fell apart this year

I will definitely be back on the ration next year and will cheer you on.  Meantime I am knitting some nice warm jumpers - you can’t beat wool

PollyWollyDoodle

I think it's exactly what people did in 1939 (those who could see what was coming, that is). A good winter coat is essential and yours sounds very practical. You'll be able to spend next year's rations on yarn!

I came out of lockdown with some very shabby clothes, some as you say were literally worn out, not something I'm used to. I've mostly managed to restock with second-hand items. 

CAFCGirl

Cherryfudge said:

Would you believe I didn't know about the Applegarth garden till about two weeks ago when I walked past it with some friends?! Who runs it? I've seen the Secret Garden near there though I'm not involved with it, and I know some people who help with it.

I've PM'ed you about the forageables: I think I found the route you mentioned.  

I think its Incredible Edible Movement, or possibly Climate Action Northallerton.... or a joint effort between a few. I quite literally just water it on a Friday and take herbs when I need them.

CAFCGirl

No coupons to report but I did find:

A black, green, white stripe jumper - its a child's size so I think I might get away with it. Its for wearing under my cord dungarees.
Then I found 2 thin long sleeve jumper style tops which are intended for DS but he's now almost the same size as me so we may be sharing them for this winter - they're 'male' but I'm not really one to care about that aspect.

I also picked up a pair of jogger fit jeans which again could go either way.

85p, £1 each for the jumpers and £2 for the jeans - half price sale going on in Sue Ryder.

Laura_Elsewhere

maryb said:

I now need to make a confession.  It looks as if we are in for some rough times this winter.  Both in terms of horrendous fuel costs and general inflation.  So I have made the decision to stock up now on clothing that will hopefully last me several years.  I have mainly been stocking up for my husband as I think he uses a belt sander on the heels of his socks!  They are in reserve and being brought in when he finally wears them into holes.  Ditto boxers.

But I have also added to my own wardrobe.  Yesterday I bought a really good winter coat.  100% wool tweed with a Teflon coating.  I nearly fainted at the price although I did manage to get it 25% off on clearance.  But it will see me out I reckon

This has taken me well over my coupons.  But I am treating it as if I am in 1939 with clouds on the horizon.  Those who went into the war years well set up fared a lot better.  And I had let my wardrobe run down badly to the point where many of my clothes literally fell apart this year

I will definitely be back on the ration next year and will cheer you on.  Meantime I am knitting some nice warm jumpers - you can’t beat wool

I think this is actually exactly what this Challenge is about - it's not "oh, nobody must ever buy clothing ever again"! It's that we all need to think much more about what we buy, and then buy good quality so it lasts, and we really get the best use from it - which is exactly what you've done!

And yes, I agree, what people in 1939 did, and my God, I never thought I'd see us as being quite so close to that situation in several ways... 

PipneyJane

Laura_Elsewhere said:

maryb said:

I now need to make a confession.  It looks as if we are in for some rough times this winter.  Both in terms of horrendous fuel costs and general inflation.  So I have made the decision to stock up now on clothing that will hopefully last me several years.  I have mainly been stocking up for my husband as I think he uses a belt sander on the heels of his socks!  They are in reserve and being brought in when he finally wears them into holes.  Ditto boxers.

But I have also added to my own wardrobe.  Yesterday I bought a really good winter coat.  100% wool tweed with a Teflon coating.  I nearly fainted at the price although I did manage to get it 25% off on clearance.  But it will see me out I reckon

This has taken me well over my coupons.  But I am treating it as if I am in 1939 with clouds on the horizon.  Those who went into the war years well set up fared a lot better.  And I had let my wardrobe run down badly to the point where many of my clothes literally fell apart this year

I will definitely be back on the ration next year and will cheer you on.  Meantime I am knitting some nice warm jumpers - you can’t beat wool

I think this is actually exactly what this Challenge is about - it's not "oh, nobody must ever buy clothing ever again"! It's that we all need to think much more about what we buy, and then buy good quality so it lasts, and we really get the best use from it - which is exactly what you've done!

And yes, I agree, what people in 1939 did, and my God, I never thought I'd see us as being quite so close to that situation in several ways... 

Agreed, Ladies.  It really does feel like 1938/39 and we’re on the brink…

Since I only have 13 coupons left for 2022, I’ve started to plan my spending for next year.  I know I will need to spend 20 coupons on shoes (1-2 pairs of trainers, a pair of loafers for work, maybe a pair of dress shoes), 5 coupons on a replacement for my black cashmere cardigan (lost forever); 14 coupons on a replacement for my summer coat (which I’ve been trying to do for the last 4 years without success);  24 coupons on a new suit (assuming that I can find one that I want)…. That takes me to 63 coupons before I buy any wool, underwear, or another handbag. < sigh >

- Pip

florianatwobob

To be honest it’s felt a bit like the phoney war at the start of WWII (at least what I imagine it felt like) since the start of the pandemic, what with empty shelves and limits on certain items. 

I’m currently eyeing up a new pair of hard soles sheepskin slippers for this winter a couple of bras are also on the way out so I may need to replace those. Next year I really really do need a pair of shoes that will do for work but are also flat to I can walk the distance from the station to the office and back again. I normally go from boots to sandals but sometimes, on those wet summer days I really could do with covered toes. 

Cherryfudge

I'm trying to do Second Hand September and got off to a good start by visiting exactly the same charity shop as @CAFCGirl and buying a couple of tops for £2.85. It occurs to me that second hand should mean things like books too though I may struggle there if something I really like comes up on Kindle deals.

I'd been planning to buy knee-high socks but I think that can wait a few weeks.

It occurred to me in the early days of the pandemic that we think of the world wars and we know when they ended but of course those involved didn't. They didn't know if it would be years or if it 'would all be over by Christmas'. Eventually, however, those wars ended, and this one will too. I've given thought and done a little research though, having read elsewhere on the Forums about the possibility of power cuts over the winter. I'm not one for stockpiling food but given that an expert has estimated something like a one in ten chance of the UK having to cut power for a few days over winter, and the fact that places not too far from here lost power last winter because of the weather... perhaps I need to have an emergency box of things we could eat for, say, a week with no cooking facilities. That got me thinking further: we can light the log burner, provided I order wood, so we can have heat and perhaps warm food up a bit (and make toast, and possibly hot drinks). However, surely milking parlours run on electricity? So would milk supplies, bakeries etc be affected? We know from a  recent power outage that several local supermarkets don't have backup generators, so would they only sell dry goods, would there be a run on dry goods, would they open at all given that tills are electric? The repercussions are going to be extensive if storms cause electricity cuts. I read that there are annually reviewed plans to deal with a gas shortage too.

So my 'war chest' has just begun in a small way: candles, (matches yet to come) cream crackers, cereal, marmalade. I've ignored the long life milk as I'd rather do without! I wonder if any readers were involved in last year's storm-induced power cuts and if so, what were you glad you had in, or what did you wish you'd bought? I already have plenty of loo rolls!

skogar

Cherryfudge - I wondered if we might see planned power cuts similar to the ones in the 70s where the electricity goes off for some hours at a time. If so fridges / freezers would be OK. In the 70s essential services like supermarkets did keep power. I am too young to remember those power cuts but instead remember regular fairly long rural powercuts. Although the village getting cut off due to snow was unusual it was always a possibility in the winter.

Does the top of your log burner get hot enough to cook on? We had a solid fuel boiler with an oven that could be used for cooking and used to boil kettles of water on the top normally. It was possible to cook on the top with normaaly pans with care (no temp regulation apart from position!) A big treat were "singing hinnies" split and buttered cooked on the boiler top. If you haven't tried cooking on the top of your stove it may well be worth having a try before there is a power cut to see what is possible. If it gets hot enough you will have plenty of options. If not then perhaps other options like jacket potatoes in the stove itself might be possible.

If power cuts are planned then it gives options like preparing flasks of hot water for drinks etc. Unfortunately we no longer have a wood burning stove but do have a trangia and also a fondue pot for the true 70s experience!