Thrifty
Politicians need to lead by example
Is the MP expense row over, do you think? I’ve been following it with great interest. It’s unbelievable to see how many of us are struggling to cope with the recession, being unemployed, trying to just get by, finding ways to save money here and there, while those who are much better off are abusing [...]
Why buy new clothes?
I can never understand a parent’s need to make their children fashion-conscious. If you have the money to do so, I guess you can choose to do what you like. But, there are others who lack the money, but insist that their children wear designer labels, etc. Why? First of all, children outgrow everything very [...]
Can you survive on Jobseeker’s Allowance
I was watching the diary of a young woman trying to live on her Jobseeker’s Allowance. She explained what her outgoings were and how the allowance was not enough to pay for everything. In fact, at the end of the week, she did not have any money to buy food. I’m surprised her rent was [...]
More ways to save water
Water is becoming a scarce commodity as more people are using more water. As it becomes more scarce and usage continues to rise, the cost of water increases. Although there are simple ways to save water, we find that it is not enough. So, we have gone back to the old days of saving water, [...]
Rationing to combat recession
During the war years and the depression, many families learned how to be thrifty. Of course, the government helped by creating a rationing system. Because of the growing recession, some people have advocated that we institute some form of rationing. I think it might be a good idea, as it will also teach young children [...]
What is the purpose of having a car?
We have learned that sometimes it is a necessity to get from Point A to Point B. That is our primary purpose for having a car. Living a thrifty lifestyle means foregoing luxury and style if it is not necessary. And a car is not necessary for that purpose. After all, most cars are not [...]
The frugal mind
Having been forced to live on a limited budget, we have learned many ways to cut back on spending. We may not be able to save, but at least we are limiting our outgoing expenses. Gone are the days that we would have a “shopping spree”. Not that we were ever big spenders, but there [...]
There is free parking in Burgess Hill
We were not looking for free parking, but as we drove through Station Road in Burgess Hill, West Sussex, we found that there were free parking on the street with a one-hour time limit. It may not be excessively convenient for shopping at the Martlets mall, but it is convenient for the street shops from [...]
Don’t be fooled by that diesel trick
When we rented a car in the UK, we were told to pick the diesel vehicle as it was great on mileage. OK. So it got pretty good mileage. But did you see the price of diesel? It was about 12p per liter more than unleaded fuel. That really adds up. We were later informed [...]
Is the train cheaper?
Recently, I made a trip to Cambridge. I had planned to go via train but when I saw the cost, the decision became a no-brainer in favour of taking the car. Here is the cost breakdown for the trip by both train and car. By Train: Day off-peak return ticket to Cambridge: GBP 51.00 for [...]