Back to "the good old days"?

[diamond lil]

I think with one thing and another, we are going back in time. Cuts, price rises, food banks ...all that's left is the workhouse- and am sure they're drawing up plans for that as we speak .
Let's start a thread to help each other through these hard times! Can you survive on leftovers? Live on less than the dole? make your own shoe/furniture/floor polish? laundry gloop and shampoo? Post it here!
As things are, we need to save every penny in case one day there's no pennies left...

[nickdutch]

I think with one thing and another, we are going back in time. Cuts, price rises, food banks ...all that's left is the workhouse- and am sure they're drawing up plans for that as we speak .
Let's start a thread to help each other through these hard times! Can you survive on leftovers? Live on less than the dole? make your own shoe/furniture/floor polish? laundry gloop and shampoo? Post it here!
As things are, we need to save every penny in case one day there's no pennies left...

Surviving on leftovers.... Already there and have been for some time. Too many outgoings and not enough incoming especially since the recession has hit in 2008. Be grateful for what you have and think less of what others have.

Live on less than the dole..... Getting there. Gonna start going out less (again!!). Reducing energy expenses with haybox cooking and slow cooker cooking, living on rice and lentils... Using my solar in the spring and summer (until I create the brackets to angle the panels at the sun and not just rest them on the west wall). Saving up for a 2L kelly kettle so as to cut down the cost of electric for water boiling. Wood gas stoves aren't just for SHTF scenarios, but they save on hob power in the late spring, summer and autumn. Reducing costs.

Make your own shoe/furniture/floor polish.... erm, nah, just don't bother. Polishing is only cosmetic anyway

laundry gloop and shampoo.... i looked into this quite seriously, but using washing soda (it gives off fumes) gave me a nasty eye reaction, so these days I only use soap flakes to make my own pure bars of soap. I do however use white vinegar around the house from time to time if its the right type (like the stuff that dripak does) if I can see it on offer. White vinegar and bicarbonate of soda as in the stuff again that dripak does (I tend to NOT use my baking bicarb for cleaning) DOES make a good sink de-smeller.

So, what? Does that make me ahead of the game?

[metatron]

If it gets that bad for too many at some point the "have nots" will relise how easy it is to take from the "haves".

If you can live on a fairly plain diet, living on rice, pasta, beans and less appealing cuts of meat, like turkey legs you can save a lot of money. Loads of second had fishing kit about and fishing is extremely easy, nearly anything you catch can be eaten. Cook on a fire if need be, cook in large amounts and just reheat when needed.

[nickdutch]

If it gets that bad for too many at some point the "have nots" will relise how easy it is to take from the "haves".

If you can live on a fairly plain diet, living on rice, pasta, beans and less appealing cuts of meat, like turkey legs you can save a lot of money. Loads of second had fishing kit about and fishing is extremely easy, nearly anything you catch can be eaten. Cook on a fire if need be, cook in large amounts and just reheat when needed.

I was thinking about fishing, but my childhood memories make me think that it is a lengthy exercise without necessarily the payback.

[hobo]

Well our veggie diet is cheap already! Lots of stews, soups and curries - avoid oven cooking.
Melted down a box of wax bits (I get my friends to save the for me too!) and dipped candles this morning.
We try to avoid electric lights in the evenings. Additional camping lanterns are fine for reading - recharged by solar. So glad we invested in this gear when we had the spare cash.
Whenever possible we boil up brews on the rocket stove on the balcony - using only what we need.
Heating only goes on when it's minus something outside!
Umm...sure there's more!
Looking forward to everyone's contributions!

Hobo

[metatron]

If it gets that bad for too many at some point the "have nots" will relise how easy it is to take from the "haves".

If you can live on a fairly plain diet, living on rice, pasta, beans and less appealing cuts of meat, like turkey legs you can save a lot of money. Loads of second had fishing kit about and fishing is extremely easy, nearly anything you catch can be eaten. Cook on a fire if need be, cook in large amounts and just reheat when needed.

I was thinking about fishing, but my childhood memories make me think that it is a lengthy exercise without necessarily the payback.

I think the issue is people fishing as a sport is very different from fishing for food, for example a crab line can be bought for £3 put 16 to 40 hooks on it and bate it up. Tose it out from a rocky outpost or over the side of a canoe (free from free cycle or the sea cadets normally have a few old ones to get shot off) and you have a great mackerel catching set up.

[nickdutch]

I think the issue is people fishing as a sport is very different from fishing for food, for example a crab line can be bought for £3 put 16 to 40 hooks on it and bate it up. Tose it out from a rocky outpost or over the side of a canoe (free from free cycle or the sea cadets normally have a few old ones to get shot off) and you have a great mackerel catching set up.

Cool!
But do we really have that many mackerel in the inland waters of the south midlands?

[metatron]

I think the issue is people fishing as a sport is very different from fishing for food, for example a crab line can be bought for £3 put 16 to 40 hooks on it and bate it up. Tose it out from a rocky outpost or over the side of a canoe (free from free cycle or the sea cadets normally have a few old ones to get shot off) and you have a great mackerel catching set up.

Cool!
But do we really have that many mackerel in the inland waters of the south midlands?

lol, no. Your better off making or buying some fish traps.

[diamond lil]

Just a thread for everybody to put in their own ways & means of coping, not a competition
Well, stuff that I've learned - Never use your main oven, use a slow cooker or frying pan instead.
Add grated carrots and oats to all kinds of stew - you cant taste them but they make it more filling.
Have soup & pud nights instead of a main course.
Home made soup with bread. Almost anything can go into soup, fry it in butter & chuck it in.
Meals can also be things like Welsh Rarebit or beans or sardines on toast.
Rice pudding or semolina.
Yorkshire pud (in the old days they served it before the meat so that people would eat less meat ) Cheap sponge mixes added to fruit and jam/cream/custard poured over.
Make 2/3 small courses instead of 1 big huge one, people feel fuller that way.
Never forget the filling power of bread and butter and jam!
They say the HM laundry gloop is good but I cant be assed trying it, I know how to if need be though.
You don't need to heat bedrooms, at all. Might want to, but dont need to.
You don't need to buy stuff like kitchen roll/face wipes/hand cream/bath oil.You can live without them!
You don't need 30 different kinds of cereal- eat porridge and sprinkle different toppings on it instead.
If money is tight then first things to check are Sky, mobile phones, magazines, food & drink at work. It's amazing how much you can spend on a sandwich and drink from a machine.
If anybody's ever struggling I'd like to think they would come in here and ask or look for ideas, instead of suffering in silence and worrying themselves sick.

[Le Mouse]

Brilliant thread idea Lil! Thanks! Sharing information is the best defence and support in these tough times.

I've learned that many thin layers of clothes keep you warmer than one thick one.
I know it's been proven that we don't lose most heat from our heads, but a good warm hat in cold weather is still invaluable!
I agree that 'stuff on toast' is a very good meal, my favourite being tinned mackerel in tomato sauce on toast that's got marmite spread on it (but then I am weird )
I've made many a dinner from scraps of leftovers in the fridge and felt like I've dined like a queen

I need to learn to make packed lunches. It's my major failing