As Down Economy Sets In, Some are Embracing the Simple Life

[W2R]

I use a gas dryer, although I line-dried for years when I was younger. Line-dried clothes smell great, but some items like blue jeans feel a little harsh and stiff after line drying (in my opinion, only!).
The gas for the dryer doesn't seem to cost much, though it isn't free. I guess it's a matter of personal preference.

When I retire, if I decide to tighten the belt some years I could always go back to line drying. I suspect that I will not have the need to be that frugal, but you never know.

 

[Notmuchlonger]

Please. Someone do a study of line drying vs. Electric..gas..hot stove..out in the sun drying!

 

[unclemick]

Blue Balls! Yesterday in CVS waiting to fill a prescription - the close out aisle had 'Plastic?' blue balls to replace those dryer sheets we used to recycle in the early days of this forum.

heh heh heh - frugal is when you live without electricity - all else is mere warm up. .

 

[Moemg]

Blue Balls! Yesterday in CVS waiting to fill a prescription - the close out aisle had 'Plastic?' blue balls to replace those dryer sheets we used to recycle in the early days of this forum.

heh heh heh - frugal is when you live without electricity - all else is mere warm up. .

I still use my dryer sheets a few times . I also hang a lot of my clothes up more for care than thrift and Khan I also iron so maybe it is woman's work .

 

[Notmuchlonger]

I still use my dryer sheets a few times . I also hang a lot of my clothes up more for care than thrift and Khan I also iron so maybe it is woman's work .

O I iron. Maybe my gender changed while i was ironing..Nope dont have any boobies!

 

[wildcat]

I'm only cutting back b/c stocks/real estate are starting are cheaper now than I have seen in a while so I am stuffing away as much as possible.

I have seen some of the suburban elite in Costco "cutting back" for the hard times. What they really need is a calculator or me to tell them where they can buy it cheaper. Oh well, they try and I think it makes 'em feel good.....

 

[Rambler]

We use the line (in the states, don't have one or any space for one here), for towels, sheets, work-in-the-yard/around-the-house clothes, but more often than not we use the electric dryer for sunday-go-to-meetin' clothes. We got an electric because it seems we may have over-invested in our solar electric equipment. Still, we don't live there full-time, so we may have to use the line a little more if our electric usage goes up later. I grew up with a mom who line dried everything, and my wife line dried everything for the first 15 years of our marraige (not that we could not afford the dryer, that was just the thing to do). That changed when we moved and moved again, but now that we have built the house in the country, we put in a line and are using it while we are there.

R

 

[Helena]

Britain urging return to wartime food frugality


Families urged to cut food waste to combat rising global prices

**

With food and energy prices soaring around the world, a constant supply of high-quality, affordable food is no longer guaranteed, the officials are warning Britons. That could mean an era of scarcity like Britain's 1940-54 food rationing, during the war and its aftermath.


Britain urging return to wartime frugality - Europe - MSNBC.com

 

[Alan]

With food and energy prices soaring around the world, a constant supply of high-quality, affordable food is no longer guaranteed, the officials are warning Britons. That could mean an era of scarcity like Britain's 1940-54 food rationing, during the war and its aftermath.

When we were on vacation in England last September I watched a news article on a group of guys who had been eating for free for over a year as part of a campaign to get supermarkets from being so wasteful with their food. The camera crew followed them dumpster diving at various supermarkets. They always retrieved plenty of packaged food items that were either just out of date or just within date plus bakery products such as loaves of bread that had been baked that day but would not be on the shelves tomorrow.

DW and I were born in England the year rationing ended and were brought up never to waste anything and not leave anything on your plate. However, it will be a big shock for the current generation to have to resort to that level of frugality.

Heh heh - every Sunday was the big meal of the week with a joint of beef or lamb, or Chicken - Sunday Dinner (at 1pm) and then fry-up Sunday evening for supper with the left overs.

 

[Billy]

That could mean an era of scarcity like Britain's 1940-54 food rationing, during the war and its aftermath.

Sheesh. So much good news out there…!

I like the adaptability and creativity stressed in the first article ‘Is Frugal the New Black?’ - how to get what you want without spending as much.

Recently, I visited my sisters and pregnant niece in California. Being the ‘older aunts’ we all decided to pitch in together to get the niece the best bang for the buck.

My one sister doesn’t do the computer at all, and the other sister never buys a thing online.

We discussed going to ‘nearly new’ baby stores to cash in on high quality baby items,… but I couldn’t see spending $20 on one baby outfit and calling it quits.

So… off to Craigslist I went, and found 130 items of baby clothing (a baby ‘starter set!’) plus a 5 piece crib set (never used) and a baby sling (used once). No stains, all buttons, zippers and snaps work. Paid the outlandish price of $65 for the whole thing.

Creativity. Flexibility. Value for money spent. = Priceless.

Be well,
Akaisha
Author, The Adventurer’s Guide to Early Retirement

 

[thaidyed]

You iron? Or is that woman's work?

I think I ironed about 15 times in my life before moving to Asia. As an exchange student, my host mom watched me iron one time and then went out and hired someone to do the family's ironing (she did 'let' me hand wash everything else though, mind you). Now, I proudly do my part for those less fortunate by hiring nice women to iron (and sweep and wash dishes, and and...Mwwwwahhahaha ).

Of course I've never hired a man to iron. Or at least not yet. Will really have to try to that at some point in order to do my part for world gender equality.

 

[Puzzley]

You iron? Or is that woman's work?

I've spent the last 24 years on the road averaging 3 nights a week. When I first started this job, My wife packed for me, and ironed everything. That lasted about five years... Since then, I've done all my own packing and ironing. Every hotel room has an iron, so I pretty well iron everything before I put it on. (Can't blame the wife, I'm amazed she put up with me being on the road for so long)