Living small

C1aire

Oooh, just had a look at the blog. I'm tempted to try making soap as everyone's presents this year. Might shift some of this lavender...

Thanks Rhonda Jean!

rhonda_jean

Hello everyone, thank you all for your kind words and for sharing your experiences. I love reading about how people are simplifying - I believe it's the way we should all be going and it's great to find others there with me.

moanymoany, great to read about your changes in attitude. Good luck.

Hello oldmeanie, we have to remember, and let others know, that these skills are still valuable and will help us live well, and green, on little money.

mollmops, great to read about your experiences. Keep up the good work.

rosieben, thank you. Are you commenting as rosieb?

wmf, I will answer you in the other thread at another time soon. I'm working at my voluntary job today.

I think it's important for all of us to share our experiences and encourage each other as often as we can. God knows there is little encouragement to live simply in mainstream life. I hope to post more here as soon as I have the time. : )

rosieben

rhonda_jean wrote: »

... rosieben, thank you. Are you commenting as rosieb? ...

Yes, thats me! I'm RosieB on every forum but this one! not quite sure how that happened :rolleyes:

D&DD

What a fantastic post Rhonda Jean
I also love reading your blog and I really find it heartening that so many much younger people are also taking an interest in 'old style' ways.




*I'm only a youngster myself course :whistle: :silenced: *

beckseven

This has just really struck a chord with me and I am just going to go and read your blog. I am sitting here on my night shift in order to make money to pay off the debts I amassed when I was young and silly and materially minded! Now I have a little boy I have realised where the real joys in life are and although I am still learning it's lovely to be inspired.

bellaquidsin

Many thanks rhonda jean for that inspiring post. I have always been fairly old-style. Throughout my children's young life I sewed clothes, knitted, crocheted, cooked from scratch, made bread, jam and even butter and cream from the top of the goldtop milk. I always have found it immensly satisfying and although I did one or two part time jobs along the way, I studiously avoided joining the rat race.

Then came the time when the children were off hand and the elderly parents on hand, grandchildren arrived and time was spent in different ways. At this time our financial situation had also taken an upturn so I no longer needed to be quite so frugal and some of the homemaking skills were put on the back burner. Having more money to spend never made me feel more satisfied as no matter how much you have there will always be something you cannot afford

Now it is time for a change again. My DH is due to retire next year and money will become more of a scarce commodity once again. With this prospect in view and in the face of rising food prices, I have revisited my old skills. I'm bread making again and shopping ever so much more carefully and have managed to reduce my weekly spend by £20 or so since last September. There are still more areas where I can cut back and I must say it is no hardship to do so, in fact it is a joy.

Reading your post made me feel less isolated in my quest and all the subsequent posters show that we are not alone - the old skills are not dead.
We need to do what we can to pass them on to the youngsters. I could cry when I see some of them so stressed in their endeavours to 'keep up' with the demands of modern life.

I am proud to say that my DD in her 30's with two young children is a SAHM. I feel that passing my skills on to her has been one of the great successes of my life.

Bella

Angelina-M

What a wonderful cheery blog! Thank you for posting it on here. I've really got into reading blogs recently... in fact I should stop and do a little housework!!

I'm the same as you Bella in that at this stage in my life I dont need to be quite so frugal.. But I just cant stop! My children would rather me cook them something nice than go to McDonalds... thats praise enough for me to carry on my old style ways.

I was in the supermarket the other day. I had quite a lot in my trolley as kitchen roll was on BOGOF and so were a number of things, but apart from that I just had a few things from the reduced to clear section... mainly veg, oh and five bags of tomatoes reduced to 25p, great for making pasta base to freeze. Anyway the family in front of me put their stuff on the trolley and it was all ready meals, packet mixes, biscuits etc.... and it came to £116!!

They didnt blink an eye so I'm sure its a common occurance for them! I bet they could have halved that amount with just a bit of planning and time.

I enjoy being old style and its not just a frugal thing, its a quality thing. How many of our rich friends have envied that home baked bread smell when they come to our door?

debbiedebt

Thanks Rhonda jean - I'm trying to revisit my old skills and reducing my spending. My aim is to be completely debt free so that I can give up work.

All the money I earn goes on shopping and paying off credit cards - daft isn't it. If I didn't shop (or should I say shopped wisely) I wouldn't need to work.

Since I have been using this website my life has changed dramatically - for the better. Less money spent more homemade food - got to be better!!

Anyway Rhonda Jean - thanks again.

Ishtar

Thanks Rhonda Jean

I was exactly as you describe - thought I had my independence through earning money. One nervous breakdown later I realised that it wasn't how it was meant to be.

I gave up paid work 4.5 years ago - I'm still working very hard as a stay at home mum, but not having the income we once had has changed my thinking. We eat much healthier meals, have time to talk, and more importantly for me, I have time with my daughter.

That's not to say it wasn't tough in the beginning. Making that shift from having plenty of money was hard, but now I can walk around the shops and spend nothing. Don't have to buy business suits (which I hated wearing anyway!), haven't changed my car for six years (something I would have had to do 3 years ago due to it wearing out), and can spend my time doing productive things for my family, rather than working for the 'man'. And don't get me started on the savings I can make in the supermarket because I'm not running around on my way home from work, or during my lunchbreak. More time to think about prices and the nutritional value of what I buy.

Another bonus is that OH is also reducing the amount he spends - not because he's had to, but more because my frugal behaviour is catching!

D.

AnnieLee

Thanks Rhonda Jean for your wonderful inspiring post.

I`m now on a reduced income but am much happier than when I was earning a very respectable salary and spending money on frivolous things was the norm. Now I have more time to enjoy shopping around for bargains; find pleasure in hunting around the charity shops and buying a jigsaw for £1 that gives hours of pleasure; making homemade soups and stews for a fraction of the price of the over-salted ready versions. I have re-discovered knitting (I was a bit of an ace knitter many years ago - even winning a national competition, but with my hectic life it went by the wayside unfortunately. Who needs a gym and all the expense that entails with membership when you can get out in the fresh air for a brisk walk to keep fit for free ! Now I find the simple pleasures of having time to watch birds and wildlife so rewarding and have even joined a local wildlife protection group (all for free of course). I can honestly say I am happier now than I was with all the trappings of a good salary - even the car has gone and I don`t miss it. I walk a heck of a lot more now and consequently am as fit as a fiddle...... I can get a cheap day return on the bus or train and not worry about being able to enjoy a drink ! So cheers to the simple life and all the pleasure it brings and long may it continue !