BBC wartime thrift article

beemuzed

Thanks for this article - really interesting. I remember my Gran's life being similar to that described by moanymoany, also bread being the real basic food of life. Whether Jamie gets his ideas from here or not I think he's right on target this time!

moanymoany

I'm sure that Jamie has knowledge of these threads. I suspect that he has people who reads them for him but gives him a digest of their content.

There is much good sense on these threads, we OS'ers may think that it's common sense, but nonetheless it is news to a lot of folks.

bellsbells

So does anyone fancy trying the margarine recipe then? :rotfl:

Errata

bellsbells wrote: »

So does anyone fancy trying the margarine recipe then? :rotfl:

Nope - nor do I fancy the black marketeering and looting that took place during WW2.

moanymoany

I used to do reminiscence with old people, they talked about the black market a lot. The clothing coupon was 3d each. They all HATED butchers! My mil said that there were no poor butchers after the war. Don't know how true that is, but it was a widely held belief.

A friend of my mum's lived in the East End during the war, she told the tales of going to the Anchor warehouse where a family member was, he was an Air Raid Warden. It wasn't in the huge firestorms, but at other times, they came away with butter and cheese. Truth was, it would have been wasted as it was water damaged, but it was still looting.

ceridwen

I remember reading the book that is being talked about - and I gather the "everyone pulled together" talk was not exactly "the gospel truth" and I recall reading people were physically very tired and drained from an inadequate diet for so long.

But then....I always was very cynical about anything "we" are told about Wars that tends to equal "they werent such great hardship you know". I can still see the psychological affects of World War 2 showing visibly decades later on someone I know very closely.

Peem

With money and time on our hands,

I think sometimes that these articles miss one big thing. We don't have time.

I have to make shortcuts in feeding my family because I have to work. I would love to spend my time looking after the house and having time to plan and buy food but I can't.

I have done the calculations many many times but I cannot afford ot give upr work we just could not live on DH's salary alone.

Luckily I have a well paid job and can work part time. (Truth be told, if I were to work full time we could probably live on my salary, just, but DH would hate to be a house husband). I do not have close family (got on my bike to find work!) and also do not have that "wartime" luxury of having relations to help me with my kids.

House prices are so high because, in the main, households have two wages to contribute to the house purchase.

It just bugs me - for years the government has encouraged women to go out to work, and now they need to spend money to undo the damage which is (to some extent) cause by this, such as obesity, excess waste, kids not attending school, lack of respect etc

Don't get me wrong, I love the fact that women can work after they are married. And work in meaningful careers. I just resent the fact that this "choice" means the option for those of us who want to stay at home to do so is taken away.

If I had known then what I know now I would not have gone to university. Often my friends in low rent houses with no outside work have a better quality of life than the friends rushing about splitting time with children with work.

I don't think I've expressed myself terribly well here. I hope I've not offended anyone - that is not my intention.:o

I just feel the government (whichever party is in power) wants it all ways.

kippers

Peem- I agree with you. I'm hoping to stay at home soon but feel very lucky to be able to do this. Money will be very tight. I know women fought to work and vote etc and i think for some it is great, but for a lot of us this has caused a lot of stress-having to work in sometimes stressful jobs then come home and STILL have to do the housework, cook, arrange childcare etc etc. I wish i was a 1950's housewife with todays luxuries of hoovers, washing machines etc. I think children need a mother around to care for them and be around for important events for them ie school assemblies etc


I don't mean to affend anyone (these are just my beliefs) but i personally feel as a woman i have to work twice as hard as most men do and like Peem said it mostly now takes two wages to live....and are our children any better for it?

dolly_day_dream

I agree with the above. I took a part time job when my then youngest was a year old to help with the extras. After 6 months I decided to become 'liberated' and gave it up. My OS skills meant that we didn't really need that money. However that was 25 years ago.

I then went back to work - part-time (whilst studying for my OU degree) when my then youngest was 6. This went against me when I divorced 2 years later. The judge considered that I had 'lived off my husband's earnings when I could have been out earning and leaving my child with a child minder!!' That was 13 years ago.

My degree served the purpose I had intended and I am now a school teacher and able to support all three of my children, and keep the family home together. There have been many times when it has been very hard to do so. I have been able to because of my thrifty ways, but I have learnt lots from this board. You can teach an old dog new tricks!

With only my youngest still at university things should be easier but I find that money is tighter than ever:o I work long hours (I am away from the house for 12 hours at least a day) in an exhausting job - which I love:D but we still eat a home made meal every night - usually one I have prepared during the holidays and put in the freezer. I am vegan which I consider to be one of the cheapest ways of eating healthily. No food is thrown away - the net has been a fantastic source of new recipes:D

In fact I think that the net will be the saviour for many of us. Sites like this and the fact that we can search for information on just about any topic we need to, mean that skills/tips can be shared.

I only buy from charity shops or use freecycle. I regularly recycle fabrics into new uses. I want to attempt to grow my own vegetables but it is an area that I just don't seem to do well in I don't own a car, I either walk or use the bus. I buy what I need and not what I want. Hair shirt? - far from it I am definitely happier now than I have ever been in my life.:D

Sorry for the rant but in essence we should be greatfull for what we have and use it wisely.

moanymoany

It is such a difficult problem. In a perfect world, two people get married and work together as one for themselves and their families. In the 1930's, 40's, 50's and 60's it was expected that the mother would stay at home until the youngest child was at primary school.

Like everything, it worked for some and not for others. I don't work anymore, I've only got a few months and I'm retired. Today we went to get our ISA's and we worked out that with my frugal and OS skills, many learned on this forum, I've saved us more than I could have earned. Not enough credit is given to the ability to make £1 do the work of £2.

I can sympathise with you dolly day dream, but I think you are on the right path. I know that there are people who have much more than we do, but because they have a more, more, more lifestyle - what they have they do not appreciate and want more.

Today, while waiting in the bank, we talked to someone my dh knows from work. In three quarters of an hour I educated her in the ways of the OS. She was like a sponge asking more and more questions. This is not a lady who wastes money, but I think if she follows up what she was interested in she will save about £3,000 a year. Amazing!

During the was OS was compulsory, now it is common sense.