When I Was A Kid

[vervialle]

Reading through the Sunday papers today,full of the credit crunch got me thinking about my childhood and what a very good housekeeper my mother was.She always cooked three things in the oven and would never just heat it up for one thing,old sheets were cut up for dusters and rags to curl my hair, milk bottle tops were washed and given to me to thread with a cotton and needle and hung on the line to dry,I always shudered when some kids brought dirty milk bottle tops to school.The sherry bottle was used over and over again when purchasing more sherry from the offy,always three meals out of a chicken.The smell of the ginger beer plant in the larder and the feeling we were rich when popping that first bottle.Umpteen ice lollys made in the ice cube tray with a cocktail stick.No expensive creams for your knat bites, just a dock leaf, it worked wonders.We lived through the seasons, buying cheaply, oh I could go on, but oh how she set me up for being thrifty and sadly that kind of upbringing a whole generation has missed out on and I am sure that is why people are finding it hard.If I told my son to iron some second hand wrapping paper , I think he would seriously think I was going dotty.

[Jacqui Too]

I feel a post from 'Furry knickers' coming on [:D]

[Patf]

There used to be a Thrift badge for the Girl Guides. One of the things you had to do was light the fire with one match. I wonder if they have that now?

Vervaille - I think you're right that the present young generation find it hard to be thrifty because they haven't had to worry about a bit of extravagance up to now.

[Kitty]

I heard that the introduction of cling film, which was around in the USA some twenty years previously, was delayed because the War Generation would have tried to dry it out on the line and re-use it.

With hard times, these skills will be re-learned.

 

[vervialle]

We were not poor, Mum and Dad had a mortgage, I am fifty, so you can gauge how long ago I am talking about.We were not well off either,but I cannot ever remember there being any waste or food thrown away, everything was used up.I can remember my mother on occasions spit and pollishing my shoes, can you imagine doing that today.I remember getting a leather satchel for my birthday and the whole family put money towards it,my mother read me the riot act about looking after it and I can remember taking it to the shoe mender to have it stiched after a number of years, things were mended then.I do not think my son has ever experienced having anything mended,just throw it away and get a new one.I do think my generation are more satisfied with their lot, but I fear we may be the last generation.What really baffles me is how much the youngsters spend on mobile phone calls, they seem to have to be in contact with somebody constantly,I have been on the train back from London and watched people making a call saying we are half an hour away, we are 15 mins away, another call whats for tea? another one I am getting off the train.What is all that about.Oh I am sounding a bit like Victor Meldrew, I think I will stop.

[Martin963]

I'm afraid I entirely agree about the mobile phone bit.    I probably scandalised some recently-made acquaintances when I rang them on their mobile because they weren't at home and needed to confirm their coming round.  It was fairly urgent as we'd heard from other friends they were waiting for us to confirm,   otherwise I woudn't have dreamt of ringing a mobile.   She asked me to give her directions -  and I said I would do so gladly,  but only when they had returned home to their landline.   She probably thinks I'm daft.

I remember the 1974 recession clearly - I was fifteen and my parents' one treat was a regular visit to the Guildford theatre with dinner in the excellent theatre restaurant beforehand.   They didn't go out really at all otherwise;   well after Labour won the spring election and the three day week came to an end when the miners were given all they had asked for,  inflation of course took off (eventually reaching 27% as a wage/price spiral developed from the hollowness of Wilson's "Social Contract") and people had no spare cash.    Suddenly we were the ONLY -  yes ONLY - people at the restaurant each visit.  

I won't believe that there's a UK recession now until people are cancelling Sky en masse (we cancelled ours in Feb),   cancel their inclusive minutes mobile phone contracts,   and stop eating out.    As far as I'm aware none of these things are happening to any great exteny,   in fact the shop sales figures had a record jump last month (although maybe some of that was a blip?).    I'm happy to be corrected if anyone else has anecdotal evidence to the contrary!

It's very noticeable in 24 that the roads have suddenly emptied outside "rush hour" -  the times we've been into Perigueux these last few weeks mid morning we've had the road to ourselves,  and even those perishing roundabouts in P are not so bad all of a sudden.

I think the storm is coming,  but it's not really here yet.   And yes I'd like to see a lot more thrift.   Apparently the UK throws away 5000 still-wrapped uncooked chickens everyday,   along with 1.2 Million uneaten unopened pots of yogurt.    Wendy and I really grieve if we waste something (half a pot of rillettes was the latest thing to give me grief when it was really too mouldy for me to eat).....

[Clair]

[quote user="Martinwatkins"]I won't believe that there's a UK recession now until people are cancelling Sky en masse (we cancelled ours in Feb),   cancel their inclusive minutes mobile phone contracts,   and stop eating out.[/quote]

But these are essential necessities, aren't they? [Www]

[vervialle]

Well I work for a Bank and the securicor drivers tell me they are doing half the collections from shops in the High St than they were a year ago, I pointed out, maybe it is due to plastic payments and they said it was nothing to do with it.Also my friend works for Next and she said they were having a third of the deliveries they were.So  I really think it is a bit grim.Tescos have slashed lots of lines this week to win customers back from Aldi and Lydl, and I am sure that is only the start, apparently you can get a chicken for £1.99 in Tesco.Needless to say, one that has spent its life in a cage the size of a piece of A4 paper.I will not be subscribing.My O.H. says they would not be able to produce all the chicken needed if it was all free range, but there must be a better way (thats another topic).Yes I agree with the sky thing, that is a luxury, I am thinking of stopping mine, I pay £17.00. for I don,t know what, so yes that will be the first thing to go.Pubs are really feeling it and house prices have really dropped round my way.

[Martin963]

That's the trouble Clair;  you've never said a truer phrase (and you speak a great deal of sense on a very wide range of topics,  if I may say so you're one of this forum's greatest assets)

[Martin963]

That's very interesting vervialle -  and suggests that the official figures take a while to reflect the actual situation.    Thanks for the insight.

[PeterG]

Reminiscing ain't what it used to be , is it?

[vervialle]

Perhaps in the light of the present climate, we should start a Thrifty Thread, with everyone putting forward their money saving tips!!!!

[Jacqui Too]

Ahhh when I was a child we lived in a cardboard box... No seriously I loved my child hood, we were poor and I mean poor, my farther had eventually left us and my mother worked all day, but us kids used to spend all day in the fields and woods making dens, bonfires, tree-houses go carts out of an old pram, what I would have given for a decent hammer and some nails, we'd go home to sandwich spread sandwiches and a cup of tea ( no pop for us only squash at christmas)

I could go on and on and on but we were happy.

I do have a mobile phone and only the other day my friend said "I sent you a text last Wednesday didn't you get it" so I had a look at my mobile and found that I had not picked it up or used it since I had return from France at the beginning of June and it still had my French SIM in it!

[Clair]

Martin, you're embarrassing me [:$]

Seriously though, this is the "I deserve it" generation.

There is a sense of "I work hard enough, I have earned a treat, a little luxury" about most people spending habits.

It's about "I cannot do without a break in the winter" or "I work all week and need to let my hair down on Friday night".

[Jacqui Too]

[quote user="Clair"]Martin, you're embarrassing me [:$]

Seriously though, this is the "I deserve it" generation.
There is a sense of "I work hard enough, I have earned a treat, a little luxury" about most people spending habits.
It's about "I cannot do without a break in the winter" or "I work all week and need to let my hair down on Friday night".

[/quote]

Clair You've met my daughter then!

Where did I go wrong!!

[vervialle]

I know I am going on about wrapping paper, but my son paid £3.99 for one piece in London the other week, its rediculous, but he said, I needed it.I get 5 sheets for a pound in the 50p and £1 shop.I  always compare what I am spending to how long it takes me to earn it, something totaly alien to my son and my nieces for that matter.Makes you think twice then.

[Russethouse]

My parents were not well off but my father came from a very poor background and always thought he was so much better off than he had been, (through his own efforts) that feeling sort of filtered down.....

Did anyone see that program about the art swindlers who had conned thousands out of art experts but not spent the money ? When asked why the guy said ' I have 2 pairs of new socks in that draw I have never had to use' I have everything I need

[Iceni]

[quote user="vervialle"]Perhaps in the light of the present climate, we should start a Thrifty Thread, with everyone putting forward their money saving tips!!!![/quote]

1. Cancel subscription to Living France - but that won't save much. 

2. Cancel broadband.

John

[Tony F Dordogne]

[quote user="Clair"]Martin, you're embarrassing me [:$]

Seriously though, this is the "I deserve it" generation.
There is a sense of "I work hard enough, I have earned a treat, a little luxury" about most people spending habits.
It's about "I cannot do without a break in the winter" or "I work all week and need to let my hair down on Friday night".

[/quote]

Perhaps Clair that the UK is reaping the benefits of the 'Thatcherire revolution', there's no such thing as society, it's all about the invividual and what the individual needs - actually wants, much of the credit crunch seems to have been fuelled by the 'must have now' attitude driven by the media, advertising and people who dont understand self-restraint, how to save and waiting until tomorrow or, heaven forfend, next week, month, year to buy things.

[Russethouse]

Perhaps the parents of the 'spendthrift' generation remember when inflation was so high that saving money was a waste of time...savings seemed worthless.

[Catalpa]

[quote user="Tony F Dordogne"]

Perhaps Clair that the UK is reaping the benefits of the 'Thatcherire revolution', there's no such thing as society, it's all about the invividual and what the individual needs - actually wants, much of the credit crunch seems to have been fuelled by the 'must have now' attitude driven by the media, advertising and people who dont understand self-restraint, how to save and waiting until tomorrow or, heaven forfend, next week, month, year to buy things.

[/quote]

But this started many years ago... 30 years ago maybe? I think (if I remember a project I did on branding correctly) "Access" was one of the first credit cards. An early slogan was: Access... takes the waiting out of wanting. How prophetic. I think the word wanting is key to the credit explosion in the last 30 years.

[Clair]

L'Oréal's slogan says it all: "Because I'm worth it!"

It's the perfect justification of the instant gratification which has characterised the last 30 years of excessive spending.

[Martin963]

More wise words Clair

Tony F - you're not the first person who has latched on to Mrs Thatcher's words,   which sadly were taken completely out of context by people looking fo a way to criticise her.   Somewhere I've got the full text of what she said which appeared recently,  which when taken in the context of her full utterance has almost exactly the opposite sense to how it has everafter been portrayed by her detractors.

We have a friend who - just like you - quotes this bit of "Thatcherism" every time he wants someone to blame,    which is why when I saw the full text I saved it (somewhere!).

I would say that most of our problems go back to the liberalism of the 60's,   but I know that we all have our different scapegoats and - I hasten to add - I entirely respect your view,  which is the view of many many others!

[Gastines]

The wrapping paper posting reminded me,a couple of weeks ago when visiting friends in UK,along with the bottle of wine my wife bought a small box of Chocolates in a well known choc shop,as in Thorn---s. Happened to be Fathers Day so the assistant asked if it was a gift,"Would you like it wrapped? £2.00 please."

Regards.

[Lotmontel]

Clair............so you mean to tell me that the L'Oreal's slogan "because I'm worth it" (now changed to "because you're worth it") isn't about building self-esteem?

I'm shocked! 

Is there a sarcasm emoticon?