Shout, shout, let it all out...

tattercoats · Post by **tattercoats** » 13 Dec 2010, 18:54

...had me worried for a bit there, TT!

Hard to say what I do without when much of it is simply alien to me - others have listed the glossy mags, the makeup, the new tat and gadgets that some folk seem to revel in - never wanted all that anyway.

Kitchen roll! Don't use it. Have a basket of hand-knitted cotton-yarn dishcloths instead, they wash, they clean, they wear out and eventually they compost.

Most of what I do buy is either consumable, second-hand, local, hand-made, or several of the above. I struggled to tell my family what I wanted as Midwinter gifts; came up with thermal underwear and a particular tea I'm fond of. I mean, I even have enough knitting yarn!

Tattercoats

Post by **kenneal - lagger** » 14 Dec 2010, 01:25

lulubel wrote:Considering we've also got electric heating that keeps getting turned up, I nearly fell off my chair when I found out our electric bill for last month was "only" 160 euros.

It could well be that for the next couple of months as well, Lulubel. The snow we have forecast for the end of the week in the UK, coming in on strong northerlies, is forecast to reach down to Iberia as well. Break out the thermals, quick!

I made the mistake of reusing a cardboard coffee cup once too often at a conference recently. I put it down on an exhibitor's table to pick up some literature and it leaked all over the table damaging some of their brochures. I'll only reuse a cardboard coffee cup the once next time.

I'll be buying some stuff soon: things like a two handed felling saw and a good felling axe to replace the chain saw if necessary.

lulubel · Post by **lulubel** » 14 Dec 2010, 18:07

kenneal wrote:
lulubel wrote:Considering we've also got electric heating that keeps getting turned up, I nearly fell off my chair when I found out our electric bill for last month was "only" 160 euros.
It could well be that for the next couple of months as well, Lulubel. The snow we have forecast for the end of the week in the UK, coming in on strong northerlies, is forecast to reach down to Iberia as well. Break out the thermals, quick!

I won't complain if it's cold. It's actually better for us if it's cold than if we have the continual rain we had last winter. The house is relatively easy to keep warm. It's more expensive to try and keep the damp and mould under control if it's very wet.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 16 Dec 2010, 12:51

the_lyniezian · Post by **the_lyniezian** » 16 Dec 2010, 13:47

TroubledTimes wrote:Told you so

Let's start conditioning Brits to stop drinking tea !!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-12008712

added today.

You'll have to try hard with me- some people are chain smokers, I'm a chain tea drinker. How much energy can be saved from constantly boiling kettles, flushing the loo and importing all that tea?

lulubel · Post by **lulubel** » 16 Dec 2010, 18:17

the_lyniezian wrote:You'll have to try hard with me- some people are chain smokers, I'm a chain tea drinker. How much energy can be saved from constantly boiling kettles, flushing the loo and importing all that tea?

Get yourself a wood stove to heat the house, put your kettle on top (probably best not to do this with an electric kettle) and let it boil away all day. Then get on of those toilets that separates the ... er ... waste.

You get 2 benefits.

1. The tea helps keep you warm, so you don't need to use so many logs on the stove.

2. You get lots of fertiliser for the garden.

And as for the importing ... tea isn't very heavy, and they used to do it with sailing ships, didn't they? I'm sure they can manage that again.

Post by **kenneal - lagger** » 17 Dec 2010, 01:39

lulubel wrote:Get yourself a wood stove to heat the house, put your kettle on top (probably best not to do this with an electric kettle) and let it boil away all day.

By all means get a wood burning stove and the proper kettle to put on it but don't leave it boiling all day.

If you do that you will get a build up of moisture within the structure of the house which will reduce the insulation value of the structure, promote mould growth and could cause structural damage, especially to the external brickwork. If you live in a hard water area you will also fur up your kettle.

leroy · Post by **leroy** » 17 Dec 2010, 03:00

Goji berry shrubs make good tea if you dry the leaves. I say good- it does take some getting used to as it tastes like a cross between tomatoes and black tea, but it doesn't come from the supermarket. Silly using the chinese name for this nowadays, whats wrong with 'wolfberry' eh? Good, sturdy perrenials too, don't take too much space, and with berries full of goodness in the Autumn/Winter.

contadino · Post by **contadino** » 17 Dec 2010, 09:45

kenneal wrote:
lulubel wrote:Get yourself a wood stove to heat the house, put your kettle on top (probably best not to do this with an electric kettle) and let it boil away all day.
By all means get a wood burning stove and the proper kettle to put on it but don't leave it boiling all day.

If you do that you will get a build up of moisture within the structure of the house which will reduce the insulation value of the structure, promote mould growth and could cause structural damage, especially to the external brickwork. If you live in a hard water area you will also fur up your kettle.

A house that suffered from structural damage from a kettle boiling is possibly the epitome of 'not fit for purpose'.

lulubel · Post by **lulubel** » 17 Dec 2010, 12:02

kenneal wrote:
lulubel wrote:Get yourself a wood stove to heat the house, put your kettle on top (probably best not to do this with an electric kettle) and let it boil away all day.
By all means get a wood burning stove and the proper kettle to put on it but don't leave it boiling all day.

If you do that you will get a build up of moisture within the structure of the house which will reduce the insulation value of the structure, promote mould growth and could cause structural damage, especially to the external brickwork. If you live in a hard water area you will also fur up your kettle.

I was responding to the_lyniezian's comment about being a chain tea drinker. If you really were a "chain tea drinker" (which I doubt any of us actually are), you would need your kettle boiling all day.

I won't comment on moisture build up because I wasn't making a serious suggestion anyway, and as for furring up your kettle .... getting rid of limescale is one of the many uses of vinegar. Just mix 1 part vinegar with 3 parts water, boil it in the kettle, and rinse. Result - sparkly clean kettle. We have to do it once a fortnight here.

Tawney · Post by **Tawney** » 17 Dec 2010, 12:53

I don't think of myself as having a frugal lifestyle, just never saw much reason to add more complexity to the way I was brought up. I’ve never noticed much of a link between stuff and happiness. So no car, flights, iStuff, e-readers, playstations, tat magazines, dish washers, tumble driers, ciggies, microwaves - TV went this year. Do have a mobile, computer and washing machine. Have solid fuel and gas central heating.

the_lyniezian · Post by **the_lyniezian** » 17 Dec 2010, 16:30

lulubel wrote:
I was responding to the_lyniezian's comment about being a chain tea drinker. If you really were a "chain tea drinker" (which I doubt any of us actually are), you would need your kettle boiling all day.

Well, I was exaggerating for comic effect somewhat- just that I can never seem to have just one cup of tea at a time, I have to come back for three more, and had drunk plenty that afternoon. Plus I keep constantly making myself cups of tea as an excuse for not getting on with something more useful sometimes I'm afraid...

EDIT: Having said that, I don't think you'd need the kettle boiling constantly- only when you needed to top up the teapot...

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 17 Dec 2010, 17:03

Tawney wrote:I don't think of myself as having a frugal lifestyle, just never saw much reason to add more complexity to the way I was brought up. I’ve never noticed much of a link between stuff and happiness. So no car, flights, iStuff, e-readers, playstations, tat magazines, dish washers, tumble driers, ciggies, microwaves - TV went this year. Do have a mobile, computer and washing machine. Have solid fuel and gas central heating.

That says it fairly well for me too. I'm happy with less stuff around me and more: music, friends, fresh air, animals, quiet, space, my own time, self-determination and so on. I've never had a mobile phone or tv, flights are out, we have a small car.

I do like books though. I borrow library books but I also like to have favourites on my own shelves. I also like good hand tools (gardening and woodworking) and top quality kitchen ware (not electric gadgetry).

Post by **kenneal - lagger** » 17 Dec 2010, 17:34

contadino wrote:A house that suffered from structural damage from a kettle boiling is possibly the epitome of 'not fit for purpose'.

One kettle boiling wouldn't be a problem but putting moisture into a house on a regular basis would cause a build up of moisture especially in the outer fringes of the face brickwork. With the weather we are having now, that could cause spalling of the brickwork, which is structural damage. If not tackled quickly this could seriously damage the house.

The dew point would also gradually move into the structure as the ice built up seriously reducing the U-value of the walls.

RenewableCandy · Post by **RenewableCandy** » 17 Dec 2010, 18:03

the_lyniezian wrote:...just that I can never seem to have just one cup of tea at a time, I have to come back for three more, and had drunk plenty that afternoon. Plus I keep constantly making myself cups of tea as an excuse for not getting on with something more useful sometimes I'm afraid...

that sounds horribly familiar...do shut up