It's getting tough out there. Feeling the pinch?

Spendless

ladyholly said:

Our main problem over the years has been that DH grew up in a relatively wealthy home and spent all we earned. He is much better now but it has taken years of being in debt for him to learn and on the whole he is pretty good now.

My husband has been the opposite. His parents despite having jobs (FIL in the forces) never had 2 pennies to rub together. When my MIL was dying of cancer 18 months ago, she spent her final weeks off-loading to my sis-i-l and one of the things she said was 'she didn't understand why there'd never been any money'. I highly suspect because it went on tobacco and alcohol. Whereas my parents were 'wealthier' not due to income but because of the choices they made about what to spend things on. Consequently DH doesn't see the 'need' for having money in reserve and not spending, I do.

Around 10+ years ago I had friends who moved to larger houses (4 bed detached) because why not live in one compared to the smaller house they ahd, when they earnt enough to afford one. Which was entirely their prerogative of course. It did come with the consequence that due to increased mortgage costs, when their children became Uni age they couldn't afford for them to move for their education due to the way student maintenance loan is worked out, as not enough disposable income to do it, so had to study at a local(ish) Uni and commute. . Whereas I stayed put and have been able for both kids to move away to follow the best courses for them (even if I have found this year of an overlap tough going!). Of course when it comes to retirement, my friends in the now larger houses are able to downsize and release equity, in a way I'm not, my house not being worth as much as theirs. Horses for courses.   

[Deleted User]

Thank you for sharing these memories. I am in my 30s, and was predominantly raised by my grandparents (sadly not with us anymore, they would have been in their mid 80s now).

I have so many happy memories of life with them, we always had to be so careful with money but it was never a problem, we enjoyed picking shot out of the game that grandad would shoot, and taking a huge pack up of sandwiches to the park for the day. How many kids stay at one park for a full day nowadays?! 

A lot of how I choose to live now and raise my children is influenced by how I was raised. I miss them everyday, but I know they’d be proud of our make do and mend approach, and the amount of time we spend outdoors.

I’ve spent the morning outside gardening and planting yet more seeds. Aiming to be self sufficient in vegetables entirely this summer x

QueenJess

ladyholly said:

Perhaps we all need to go back to the days of food according to season. 

I’m already doing this and try to eat as much as possible from British produce. I actively avoid anything I know has been air freighted.

I think looking back (the memories above are before my time, but I do love history) that it is a mixed bag. There are many improvements (eg washing machines and other conveniences), but we have also lost things which unfortunately make things more expensive and ruin the planet (eg not eating with the seasons etc).

London_1

Its surprising  how people adapt to leaner times though I grew up with WW2 and rationing, followed by post war austerity being a large part of my childhood.Probably why I manage so well today ,

My late Mum was a canny little Glaswegian who could make a shilling streetch quite a bit. Every money saving thing I learned from her I used in my own life. Make do and mend was a way of life to millions of people back then.

Not a throwaway society as it seems to be today. perhaps re-evaluating our lives might not be such a bad thing I appreciate no end having today, what my late Mum could never have envisaged. but I also never taken it as a given that life would always be easy.

JackieO x

ladyholly

I always  regret the lack of seasonal food as it was really something to look forward to. With everything available all year I think it takes away some of the excitement. 

LadyHarriet

ladyholly said:

I always  regret the lack of seasonal food as it was really something to look forward to. With everything available all year I think it takes away some of the excitement. 

Oh, I agree - and anyway, the foods eaten in season are usually MUCH tastier than the out-of-season imports. I clearly remember the joy of the first sun-warmed strawberries, gooseberries, and raspberries from my grandmother's garden - mind you, we had to be quick because she bottled everything in sight! 

LadyHarriet

London_1 said:

Its surprising  how people adapt to leaner times though I grew up with WW2 and rationing, followed by post war austerity being a large part of my childhood.Probably why I manage so well today ,

My late Mum was a canny little Glaswegian who could make a shilling streetch quite a bit. Every money saving thing I learned from her I used in my own life. Make do and mend was a way of life to millions of people back then.

Not a throwaway society as it seems to be today. perhaps re-evaluating our lives might not be such a bad thing I appreciate no end having today, what my late Mum could never have envisaged. but I also never taken it as a given that life would always be easy.

JackieO x

Though I am a 1956 baby, your story resonates with me. My grandmothers and mother were the best Home Economics teachers that I could have had! Mum was taught by her mother who had been a cook in service, and then raised her family on a tiny income (grandad had been blinded in WW1). All of their collective wisdom was then passed on to me and I have had many occasions to be very grateful to them!

linz

I'm loving reading about these memories of what it was like to grow up post-war. I wish I knew more about my nanas life when she was a child. I will have to ask my mum what it was like for her growing up, she was born in the early 50's. I agree that the majority of society has turned into wanting everything it now and it will be interesting to see what happens in the next few months as the gas and electric prices go up on 1 April. 

My parents weren't particularly well off, and my mum only worked part time in the evenings until we started high school.  I wouldn't change anything about my childhood though. I have happy memories of doing 'simple things' like being taken to the park pond dipping, or on the bus into town with my mum and brother on a Saturday, and going to my nanas on a Sunday for Sunday dinner. We sometimes used to get treats off her as she worked for a vending machine company and would sometimes give us a mars bar but my mum used to cut it in half so we had half each . We never had a car until mum learnt to drive in her 40's, only my dads work van. I used to get pocket money when I was little. My brother and I had to do dusting or tidying or weeding the garden before we got it though. I got a paper round when I was about 12 or 13 and the pocket money stopped then. I used to get £11 a week for the round but it was a long one, twice a day, once before school and then again after with the evening papers as well. It taught me to save though, as I soon learnt if I didn't spend my 'wages' then i'd have £22 the next week, £33 the next etc. I got used to saving up to buy my own clothes, or if there was a particular pair of trainers i wanted and they were a bit dear i'd save half then my mum would give me the other half once i'd saved enough. I'm glad they made me go out and get a paper round. It's taught me the value of money and that it doesn't grow on trees. I wish i'd been interested in learning to knit when i was a child though. Both my grandparents were avid knitters. My mums more of a sewer and I've started learning bits off her. I think it seems easy enough to learn how to crochet from what I've seen on YouTube. Maybe I'll see if I can get to grips with making my own things in the future. Apart from underwear and tshirts I rarely buy new clothes, I prefer charity shops or ebay as trying to get away from fast fashion and think of the planet more.

Auntycaz

I was pleasantly surprised in Lidl today, on Thursday I had bought some easy peelers for 69p for 600g(£1.35in waitrose) so I thought I'd get another bag. Today they were 39p so I got 2 x bags. I will definitely be getting my 5 a day this week. I also tried their creamfields scottish oats yesterday as half the price of my normal Scotts or quaker, the only difference was the oats were less chunky but by mixing half and half I don't notice the difference.

Florenceem

I shop in Aldi - much cheaper than the big name supermarkets. Mr F wears the loose top cotton socks which you can't buy in the £shops so I darn them - sat and did a pair today - so relaxing - I used a vintage darning mushroom that was given to me.
I will make a tray bake when the oven is on for dinner - can be cut into 18 slices which I put into pretty cake cases. I always baked so my children - 6 of them could have a piece of cake and a hot drink when they arrived home from school. That lasted them until dinner was served - no crisps or snacks.