Simplifying your life - ideas?
Moderator: Peak Moderation
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- Posts: 1104
- Joined: 02 May 2011, 23:35
- Location: Nottingham UK
Fresh fruit and veggies from the local ordinary market, much cheaper than the supermarkets, my local farm shop is too.
Get meat from a decent butcher, once you taste proper meat you use a lot less of it.
Batch cook, fill the oven each time you power it up and freeze the rest.
Only buy from the supermarket when things are on special offer especially toiletries.
Shut the curtains as soon as the sun goes down and make sure they are thick and/or thermally lined.
Buy proper wool or cotton woolies and turn the central heating down.
Draught proof the windows and doors including the exterior gap between frame and brickwork.
Get a kettle that can boil just over one cup or mug of water at a time (saved me a lot this one).
Lots of loft insulation including the top of the loft hatch.
Use the washing machine on coolest cycle you dare, except for sheets and towels (bed bugs and germs).
Bulk buy spices, rice and pasta from local ethnic shops. 500g of cinnamon in South Normanton High Street (centre of Indian shopping in Derby) is the same price as a small jar in Sainsbury's.
That lot has cut my heating bill by about 20% and the place feels warmer, food bill about halved.
Electric is down as well but no long term figure as the old meter was under reading.
I got rid of my car in June it hasn't saved very much money but definately made me think about all the useless miles I did when, with a bit of planning, I could have achieved more with less. As I'm now job hunting I may need to get one again
Get meat from a decent butcher, once you taste proper meat you use a lot less of it.
Batch cook, fill the oven each time you power it up and freeze the rest.
Only buy from the supermarket when things are on special offer especially toiletries.
Shut the curtains as soon as the sun goes down and make sure they are thick and/or thermally lined.
Buy proper wool or cotton woolies and turn the central heating down.
Draught proof the windows and doors including the exterior gap between frame and brickwork.
Get a kettle that can boil just over one cup or mug of water at a time (saved me a lot this one).
Lots of loft insulation including the top of the loft hatch.
Use the washing machine on coolest cycle you dare, except for sheets and towels (bed bugs and germs).
Bulk buy spices, rice and pasta from local ethnic shops. 500g of cinnamon in South Normanton High Street (centre of Indian shopping in Derby) is the same price as a small jar in Sainsbury's.
That lot has cut my heating bill by about 20% and the place feels warmer, food bill about halved.
Electric is down as well but no long term figure as the old meter was under reading.
I got rid of my car in June it hasn't saved very much money but definately made me think about all the useless miles I did when, with a bit of planning, I could have achieved more with less. As I'm now job hunting I may need to get one again
Scarcity is the new black
- Kentucky Fried Panda
- Posts: 1743
- Joined: 06 Apr 2007, 13:50
- Location: NW Engerland
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- Posts: 1324
- Joined: 05 Mar 2010, 14:40
I'd love to get a WIFE that can boil just over one cup of water at a time. I've marked the cup increments on the water gauge, I've shown her how long it takes to fill a mug with water, I've now started keeping the extra boiled water in a thermos and using it for porridge the next morning.SleeperService wrote:Get a kettle that can boil just over one cup or mug of water at a time (saved me a lot this one).
Sheesh.
"Tea's a good drink - keeps you going"
- woodpecker
- Posts: 851
- Joined: 06 Jan 2009, 01:20
- Location: London
If you don't have one, buy a good pressure cooker. It's an investment, really helping you to cook all kinds of things quickly and easily. I use mine at least once a week, often twice, making more than I need and then putting extra portions in the fridge and - mainly - the freezer.
Benefits:
- Everything is in one pot: less washing up
- Things that otherwise take hours can be done in minutes: less waiting for food, less use of power/gas
- You can cook a lot in one go: less work
The one I now have was recommended to me on here a year or two ago. A really good buy.
Benefits:
- Everything is in one pot: less washing up
- Things that otherwise take hours can be done in minutes: less waiting for food, less use of power/gas
- You can cook a lot in one go: less work
The one I now have was recommended to me on here a year or two ago. A really good buy.
I'd echo most of the advice on this thread, basically slow down, de-clutter and reduce your 'needs'.
I'm not there, yet, but I'm working towards at a rate where I can see definite year-on-year progress.
Buying food in bulk is a no-brainer - check out approved foods for cheap, sell-by-date stuff - as is home brewing, growing and cheaper transport options. Definitely get a pressure cooker, we got a posh stainless steel one as our joint xmas present last year and it's amazing. Soups in 1/2 an hour, we can take dry peas and beans, soak them for an hour, and then cook them straight away. it also uses a heck of a lot less energy.
clv101 recently made a quip on the bug-out thread:
I am working towards a 'portfolio' lifestyle. Currently I mix arguably distasteful corporate exposure with more wholesome and enjoyable work. This is my 10th year being self-employed but my 3rd where I'm mixing it up and I think I'm finally past the guilt stage so when I'm - say - coppicing, instead of sat in front of a computer 'working' I'm not feeling bad about it. If things go to plan then in 5 years this may be one of the ways I pay for my food.
I thought that Chris Dixon the Welsh Permaculturalist summed it up well once when he said "you want 3 income streams and 2 hobbies that could become income streams", *that's* what I'm talking about. Upfront it's not exactly simple, though. It requires quite a lot more juggling.
I'm not there, yet, but I'm working towards at a rate where I can see definite year-on-year progress.
Buying food in bulk is a no-brainer - check out approved foods for cheap, sell-by-date stuff - as is home brewing, growing and cheaper transport options. Definitely get a pressure cooker, we got a posh stainless steel one as our joint xmas present last year and it's amazing. Soups in 1/2 an hour, we can take dry peas and beans, soak them for an hour, and then cook them straight away. it also uses a heck of a lot less energy.
clv101 recently made a quip on the bug-out thread:
Definitely in the plan.clv101 wrote:Maybe if you didn't need to spend so much of bug-out preps, you could afford to take a lower paid job, closer to home!
I am working towards a 'portfolio' lifestyle. Currently I mix arguably distasteful corporate exposure with more wholesome and enjoyable work. This is my 10th year being self-employed but my 3rd where I'm mixing it up and I think I'm finally past the guilt stage so when I'm - say - coppicing, instead of sat in front of a computer 'working' I'm not feeling bad about it. If things go to plan then in 5 years this may be one of the ways I pay for my food.
I thought that Chris Dixon the Welsh Permaculturalist summed it up well once when he said "you want 3 income streams and 2 hobbies that could become income streams", *that's* what I'm talking about. Upfront it's not exactly simple, though. It requires quite a lot more juggling.
Thanks for this, Bealers. I'm in a similar position, but still in "guilt" mode when I'm not doing the corporate stuff. Old habits die hard I suppose. Good to know others are making the same transition.I am working towards a 'portfolio' lifestyle. Currently I mix arguably distasteful corporate exposure with more wholesome and enjoyable work. This is my 10th year being self-employed but my 3rd where I'm mixing it up and I think I'm finally past the guilt stage so when I'm - say - coppicing, instead of sat in front of a computer 'working' I'm not feeling bad about it. If things go to plan then in 5 years this may be one of the ways I pay for my food.
I thought that Chris Dixon the Welsh Permaculturalist summed it up well once when he said "you want 3 income streams and 2 hobbies that could become income streams", *that's* what I'm talking about. Upfront it's not exactly simple, though. It requires quite a lot more juggling.
I remember reading a book years ago, by Charles Handy, called "The Empty Raincoat", in which he predicted the rise of the portfolio career. A key point in the book was the concept of "enough", in which one defines how much one actually needs to earn, and then manages the portfolio of income streams to cover this. This is in contrast to the more common idea of trying to maximise income, which of course leads to expenditure rising to match the income level. The natural next step is the subject of this thread, i.e. once one has defined how much one needs to earn, then set about looking at ways to reduce this.[/quote]
- biffvernon
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Our "haybox" is rather wonderful. A cheap polystrene-bead-filled beanbag which is in a figure of eight shape, which lives in a cheap white-painted laundry box. When not in use, and sometimes when in use, this doubles as a stool, a tabletop for the computer, a launch-ramp for the toy trains, and so on. Great "investment".JohnB wrote:I've started using my slow cooker, encouraged by the present lack of a hob in my new home. So far I've done a meal for four in it, and a meal for me with the rest being turned into soup. A step towards the haybox that's on my To-Do list.
"Tea's a good drink - keeps you going"
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- Posts: 1104
- Joined: 02 May 2011, 23:35
- Location: Nottingham UK
Not quite as multi purpose but a trip to a local school or similar when being upgraded will usually result in off cuts of celotex. I got two thirds of a sheet 150mm thick for the asking. Lined it with turkey foil to stop bits breaking off and my sister has been using it ever since. I've got plenty to make another and it sticks easily with evostick or similar.featherstick wrote:Our "haybox" is rather wonderful. A cheap polystrene-bead-filled beanbag which is in a figure of eight shape, which lives in a cheap white-painted laundry box. When not in use, and sometimes when in use, this doubles as a stool, a tabletop for the computer, a launch-ramp for the toy trains, and so on. Great "investment".JohnB wrote:I've started using my slow cooker, encouraged by the present lack of a hob in my new home. So far I've done a meal for four in it, and a meal for me with the rest being turned into soup. A step towards the haybox that's on my To-Do list.
It's also the absolute business to cover a loft hatch with.
Scarcity is the new black
Just had a weekend walking/cooking on stick fire... aaahhhh!
For more urbanite solutions, try these checklists.
For more urbanite solutions, try these checklists.
- emordnilap
- Posts: 14815
- Joined: 05 Sep 2007, 16:36
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read walden
http://thoreau.eserver.org/walden00.html
learn to darn, get a good arctic sleeping bag there are some good ex military ones .
get fit
http://thoreau.eserver.org/walden00.html
learn to darn, get a good arctic sleeping bag there are some good ex military ones .
get fit
"What causes more suffering in the world than the stupidity of the compassionate?"Friedrich Nietzsche
optimism is cowardice oswald spengler
optimism is cowardice oswald spengler
- mikepepler
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Agree on TV - we got rid of ours 6 years ago now.
Also a good point made on budgeting - we went on a money management course back in May, as I was interested in running the course myself, and putting it into practice has helped us step up our mortgage overpayments. We also use cash as far as possible now, and rarely use the credit card (even though it's paid in full at the end of each month anyway). I've done the training and am running the course for others now...
Also a good point made on budgeting - we went on a money management course back in May, as I was interested in running the course myself, and putting it into practice has helped us step up our mortgage overpayments. We also use cash as far as possible now, and rarely use the credit card (even though it's paid in full at the end of each month anyway). I've done the training and am running the course for others now...