Looking for people who lead an Old Style life without financially needing to do so

Former_MSE_Natasha

Hi guys and girls,

We've been contacted by a journalist who's interested in writing a piece on people who live a frugal life even though it's not a financial necessity to do so.

She'd like to speak to any Old Style MoneySavers who do this and feel MoneySavingExpert.com helps to maintain motivation. If you're interested, please send me a pm asap and I'll put you in touch with Jenny.

Thanks in advance,

Natasha

ceridwen

...now why do I have the feeling she means one of us ?I'm about to go off and hide again.....all other volunteers from my "Simplifying" thread please feel free to step forward...:D. Me - I'm publicity-shy....!!

- but I do think its a very good idea.

kunekune

Has anyone pinged PasturesNew??? Her sig says it all.

ceridwen

very good point - Pastures New sounds ideal - and I can certainly think instantly of 2 posters on my thread - but I wont embarrass them by naming them! - lol (and - for the record - I highly approve!)

Purlease ....anyone less publicity-phobic than me...DO come forward. There is SUCH a heavy-duty assumption in this society that people will live up to their income (if not beyond!) that, at a very personal level, I can only think of one person who lives on less than their income to my knowledge (and duly gives away the surplus). As so many many people do live right up to literally the last penny of their income (even if its HUGE!) - then we seriously do need a counterbalance saying "it doesnt have to be like this". I was going to name an income level that is huge per annum - but I dont wish to get "flamed" by people on that sort of income level justifying why its perfectly okay to keep it all for themselves. Even if I stated an income level of £1 million pa - there would probably be "flamers" stating that they earn that amount and feel perfectly entitled to keep the lot - so I will refrain.

PLEASE PLEASE people come forward.

Bargain_Rzl

ceridwen - for me, your signature sums it up: "Choose what you focus on in life."

I think there are probably three categories of people who live the "OS" way (with grey areas in between obviously).

1. Those who HAVE to be Old Style as it is literally the only way they can manage to make ends meet.

2. Those who earn enough for Old Style to be a lifestyle choice, but who enjoy aspects of OS, and couldn't afford to maintain other parts of their lifestyles without practising thrifty household management (I'm one of those, by the way - I choose what I focus on in life!). And those who choose to be Old Style as it's the only way they can afford to have a single-income/stay-at-home parent family.

3. Those who are really comfortably off, and who simply do it because they enjoy it.

I'm guessing you're looking for people in category 3... I'm sure there are plenty of us in category 2

dan1979

What about an option 4...

Those who are comfortable now but are bracing themselves for the poverty line due to an impending birth!

Bargain_Rzl

Well then you'll be option 2, possibly graduating to option 1 in a few months' time (there are LOADS on here that "went Old Style" in your situation!)

One of the best things about OS is that if you're OS when you're "comfortable" you KNOW you're going to cope financially even if life pulls the rug out from under your feet

ceridwen

Yep - I'm category 2 myself and (in my case - speaking personally) focusing hard on swopping-over to O.S. because I think it likely that the vast majority of "yer ordinary person in the street (like me)" is going to have no option but to be O.S. soon - with Peak Oil on the horizon imminently.

At a personal level too - I could strictly do with working on past my retirement age - but refuse pointblank to do so - so there is an element of preparing to leave w**k as well. You all know how much I "love" that job of mine - not.

champys

Overall, those of us who are OS out of conviction rather than necessity, are people who have found out that buying things doesn’t make them happy, people who prefer less stressful jobs and more time to share with others, people who want to help the environment which means consuming less of everything. In today’s sensation-led media, that does not make good reading in a newspaper or magazine article, so I’d be wary to speak to any journalist about these convictions for fear they would come out twisted or ridiculed in the end product. We do not know which publication the article is meant for!

ceridwen

See your point Champys - and thought had crossed my mind - but I dont think its necessarily the case. After all - there was that article in the "Daily Mail" I quoted during the last few days (on my Simplicity thread) about the woman who had not bought anything for a year - and it was extremely sympathetic. I am wary of tv - things can come over very much like "spectator sport" on that medium - but I think a newspaper or magazine article - well its worth someone taking a chance on that one - as I think things will be presented from a more thoughtful angle (doubt v. much whether this journalist is from something like Chat or the News of the World - think more likely its Woman or Good Housekeeping - or if its a newspaper - then the Guardian or the Daily Mail).

aurorahelios

I think I'm in the grey area between 2 and 3, we are not so comfortably off that I could meet all my life objectives if I didn't practise OS but we could still live comfortably within our means.

Personally, I grew up in position 1 and don't want to go back there. The difference between doing something because you want to and doing it because you have to is huge, so I guess that is my main motivation. Add in that I don't want to be a wage slave, doing something I don't like for much of my life. Also for me OS is healthier, both physically and mentally. Its also better for the environment. So I really can't see any other way of living.

I'm too publicity shy to be the subject of any media attention though!