The skinflinting Thread!

[LadyA]

I'm on a campaign, along with daughter and sil (who are masters in the art!) to buy as little as possible, and most particularly, not to buy something if I can make it. I have a couple of brilliant books which help, notably "Precycle" by Paul Peacock. It's partly to save money and partly to cut down on - well, just "stuff" I suppose. The constant pressure to be good little consumers, and keep buying more and more. When I married and went to the US in 1994, I found that nobody really baked from scratch. There were all these cake mixes - recipes would actually list "one box yellow cake mix (or white/chocolate)" as an ingredient! Here, you couldn't even get such a thing! But now, we have a generation that doesn't recognise food in its natural state.

So, I suppose I'm just getting back to my normal (before my husband's illness took over our lives) cantankerous rejection of the pressure for rampant consumerism!

In pursuit of this, and my not wanting to buy anything I don't need or can make, I've got a slow cooker of baked beans in tomato sauce going, which I will divide into containers and freeze, and I've made a batch of (if I do say so) delicious oatmeal biscuits. With no refined sugars as refined sugar triggers my migraines. Instead, I used coconut blossom sugar and barley malt extract instead of golden syrup. Lunch was homemade bread and soup, and I just had a sandwich for tea (and a biscuit!).

All money saving or make do and mend tips, and of course, thrifty recipes, welcome here!

 

[bigjim]

You'll be knitting dish clothes next. I'm all for make do and mend, we're such a throw away society now. Especially when it comes to electronics, no one repairs just replaces.

 

[LadyA]

You'll be knitting dish clothes next. I'm all for make do and mend, we're such a throw away society now. Especially when it comes to electronics, no one repairs just replaces.

Exactly, Bigjim! We have been conditioned to throw things away and replace them. I know people who, every year, get a new artificial Christmas tree, and a whole new set of decorations for it. Because now we have been told, our tree decorations have to have a theme, a colour scheme! This year it might be red & gold, next year it could be lilac & silver, another year it could be black & white. It's crazy consumerism.

 

[Hen-Gen]

I know what you mean. I've never owned a car and have always been perfectly happy to use public transport and the occasional taxi. But when I say this to people they look at me as though I'm mentally retarded.
I reckon 'greenism' is often just a fashionable pose as opposed to a lifestyle choice.
If I hear one more person say that they have to have a car because there is no adequate public transport then I'll consider murder. Why move there then. That would be like me complaining that there are no cinemas, theatres or leisure centres on Fetlar.

 

[LadyA]

It would be nice to do without the car. But for me, to get to my mum or to work (I only work 4 hours a week), by public transport, would take almost three hours (it's 19km), on two buses, and cost about €13 return! And there isn't a bus between here and Tramore, where I would go most often. I'd have to go to Waterford first, and then get another bus. Of course, one of the main problems here is that a lot of the larger shops have moved out of town! So, even if you could get a bus in, you'd then have a walk of a couple of miles to get where you wanted to go! I suspect many a Council has regrets about that. The place where I get the sacks of chicken feed, for example and bedding etc., is about 1 1/2 miles out on the outskirts, among all the car dealerships. So, I compromise, by doing several things when I go in. Thursdays, for example, I go to work for the morning, then take mum to the bank, and to do her shopping etc. I got myself a bike a few years ago, with intentions of cycling to the village occasionally rather than driving. However, the traffic on the road is so bad, that I found I was terrified! And I also found that my balance is not great! The bike is huge, with large wheels. I'm wondering if I would manage a smaller bike. Something like one of the old Triumph 20s, like I had when I was a teenager!! I can easily walk to the village, it's 2 1/2 miles. But it does take a lot of time to get there and back!

 

[Margaid]

If I hear one more person say that they have to have a car because there is no adequate public transport then I'll consider murder. Why move there then. That would be like me complaining that there are no cinemas, theatres or leisure centres on Fetlar.

Then you would have to consider murdering me Hen-Gen. I live about 3/4 mile from the railway station, but it goes north/south which is absolutely no use when travelling east/west. The station in Shrewsbury is about 3 miles from where I need to go. There is a bus service to Shrewsbury but it takes over twice as long as traveling by car, and you're limited to what you can carry.

However I bought this house because it is near a rail route and I can walk to the local shops but, and it's a big BUT i would not be able to take part in any of my social activities without a car. Even if there is a bus service during the day to the various villages where I attend choir practices, no way would there ever be a bus back at 9.30 or 10pm.

Conversely I get very annoyed with politicians and other people who bang on about using public transport. I can visit my sister by train but she has to collect me from a station up the line or down the line. The train goes through her village but the station, from where I could easily walk to her house, has been closed.

 

[bigyetiman]

We have friends who buy new tree decorations every year, because a colour of theme is the "in" thing. We have decorations lovingly handed down from grandparents, mostly Austrian glass, including birds with spun glass tails bells with little clappers. These are all carefully wrapped in tissue paper and packed away. Some are 100 years old now.
Thats the trouble with public transport it doesn't always fit in with your social life, so you have no choice but to use your car
people think OH is mad as she uses public transport, but it is free on my company's buses obviously, and on transport from London it's free from 60 and that includes trains in the area. The nearest buses to us are a 40 min walk away and are every 15 mins.

 

[LadyA]

Dau, sil and little grandson came over today, unexpectedly. We had scrambled eggs, homemade bread, home made pickled beetroot and relish, lettuce from the polytunnel and cheese for lunch.

 

[Marigold]

Being brought up during and after WW2, I had 'make do and mend' instilled from birth, and some habits are hard to break. I still hoard little bits of string and also the other shoelace which hasn't broken, I undo nice wrapping paper very carefully and save it when possible, and use the soap down to the last sliver, although I don't still have a Soapy Joe to mould the bits into a multi-coloured ball for re-use. I can still remember the humiliation of the swimsuit my mother made for me out of an old woollen vest, lovingly embroidered with coloured circles, which sagged around my knees and revealed what would one day be my tits, at its first outing to swimming lessons with my school class.

 

[Marigold]

Dau, sil and little grandson came over today, unexpectedly. We had scrambled eggs, homemade bread, home made pickled beetroot and relish, lettuce from the polytunnel and cheese for lunch.

There's always a meal when the hens are laying!

 

[LadyA]

Oh, the joys of second hand shops!!
I've been decorating. Very long overdue! What used to be our bedroom when my husband was alive (I found I couldn't sleep in there anymore after he had to move to a nursing home), had not been painted since we bought this house, 19 years ago!! And even then, we were skimping on paint, and had diluted a very pale green with white ceiling paint. It was very washed out by now! And full of holes, where my husband had a penchant for hanging things up. pictures, souvenirs, toothbrushes(!) etc. I found though that after he was gone, I just avoided even going into that room, and couldn't motivate myself to do anything with it. And then, suddenly, last week, I woke up and thought "Going to redecorate that room now!" and just got on with it! Odd, eh? I had to repair 17 holes in the walls, before repainting! Anyway, I got the painting done, with paint my brother had given me. They had bought it for their house, and after a couple of brush strokes, decided that they couldn't live with that colour! I love it though. It's a darkish, duck egg blue. Beautiful for a bedroom. I can't tell you how pleased I am! And the colour also goes perfectly with the curtains that are in that room. So that's good. Free paint, and no need to change the curtains!
But the room needed a new bookcase. And as it has an old fashioned feel to it, I didn't want a modern one. I did see one in a furniture place in town, but it was almost €300! For a small bookcase!! So I went to this second hand furniture/bric a brac warehouse. And got a lovely, old fashioned dark polished wood bookcase for €69. What's referred to sort of disparagingly by antique dealers as "brown furniture". Not "special", heavy and hard to sell. A good going over with lavender & beeswax furniture polish, and it looks really lovely in the room. Now I'm on the hunt for an old fashioned looking light fitting. They did have some in the second hand shop, but I'm a bit cagey about buying electricals there.

I'm on a roll now, and going to repaint the hall at the weekend.

 

[Hen-Gen]

Just got back from my annual trip to the big city (that's Lerwick) to buy some blankets from the charity shops to use as dog beds. £9 spent for six blankets. Beats fibre beds from Amazon which cost the earth. Used to be seen as skinflintery but can now be justified as recycling and ecological soundness.

Actually had to go to Lerwick to pick up a new ram from down south that arrived on the ferry this morning. No-one here names their ewes but for some reason rams often get names. He's big and black so welcome to Fetlar, Tyson!

 

[bigyetiman]

Nothing wrong with charity shops, we have bought some lovely things from them, lovely pine table for the kitchen complete with 6 chairs £30. OH got a hat for her brothers 3rd wedding £2.50 a couple of years ago to name but a few. When the m in law died just before Christmas we brought home a wall unit with a cupboard at the bottom and which was made by the OH's great grandad and has been passed down, and a more solid piece of furniture you would be hard to find, he must have been very proud of it as he carved his name on a small piece of wood and attached it to the back
Why do people use disposable cloths for cleaning and dusting? Use a duster or floor cloth then wash it out.

 

[Margaid]

I use dusters but have to admit to using disposable dish cloths and also blue tissue in the kitchen, Partly a throwback to running an 18 bed B&B but also because if I soak a dishcloth in dilute bleach disposal of the water is a problem (private sewerage system.) I also ALWAYS use tissue to mop up fat so it doesn't (mustn't here) go down the drain. A month after we took over the B&B the drains blocked because of the "fatbergs". We used to pour the bacon fat etc into a fruit juice carton which went onto the bin once solid.

Came home today with two books and a very nice bag!

 

[LadyA]

I love charity shops, and a lot of my clothes come from there. My best charity shop bargains ever were a silver Tiffany & Co. pendant for €7 and a 9ct gold and diamond pendant for €20! I never wear gold, so that went to my sister, but I kept the silver one.
Margaid, I am with you about mopping up oil & fat! I have a septic tank system too, and it does keep you mindful of what you're putting down the drain! The very odd occasion that I've had to use bleach for something, I've poured it on weeds afterwards! I use old socks for polishing furniture, and damp dust everywhere else. I make my own toilet cleaner "bombs" and generally use either bicarb or washing soda for cleaning.

I will be glad though when this decorating work is done! I just hate it! But I just keep reminding myself that I was quoted almost €1,000 by a professional to do that spare bedroom and the hall!

 

[LadyA]

Decorating is finished! I'm so happy! I put the final coat of cream satinwood paint on two small bedside units this morning. They were light brown mdf, but the surface had worn badly on one of them. And I finished the radiator yesterday. I'm really glad to have done with gloss and satinwood paint. That stuff gives me a splitting headache within minutes of starting! Last job now is to run to town for curtain tape. Because I've discovered that although the old curtains are fine, the tape is in bad shape, and as I was putting the hooks back in, the tape was just breaking. Luckily, the curtains are too long anyway, so I won't have to spend time unpicking the old tap. I can just cut the tops off the curtains and put new tape on.

 

[bigjim]

Can't stand glossing. My mum is a dab hand at papering. Everything I help her out I say I must learn how you do it cuz you're not going to be about forever.
Needless to say, my sister had her round last weekend to paper her bedroom.

 

[Margaid]

There are a number of different Chalk Paints available, some of which can be used for woodwork. The best makes need virtually no preparation and they don't smell. Are a bi expensive though ...

 

[LadyA]

There are a number of different Chalk Paints available, some of which can be used for woodwork. The best makes need virtually no preparation and they don't smell. Are a bi expensive though ...

I've used chalk paint before. Never again! Even after waxing, you have to be careful of the surface, because the paint marks very easily, and is impossible to clean! I dropped the snipped end of a candle wick (the burned bit) onto my cream, chalk painted dressing table. And when I tried to pick it up, it disintegrated and spread a dark stain which I haven't been able to get off!

 

[Margaid]

Can you please PM which brand it was Lady A, if you can remember. I was intending to chalk paint some furniture and there are three brands available round here ...