Hello Dear Reader,
I'm so excited to share a TedX with you. The speaker is a friend and fellow thrifty blogger Elaine Colliar from 'Mortgage free in three'. Elaine's passion for a good life means she makes every pound she has 'do the work of five pounds'. Something that she said in her talk really resonated with me. She talked about us becoming 'polymaths'. This is not about being a 'Jack of all trades' but becoming a master of many trades. To put it simply, it's like this. I couldn't always cook, I couldn't always garden, I couldn't always sew, I couldn't always home wax, or colour my hair, I couldn't always quilt or make bags. I didn't have the money to do any of those things and nor could I pay anyone to help me. Please, before you read any further, take time to listen to Elaine, she talks a lot of sense.
Like Elaine, I wasn't prepared to let our quality of life suffer. I am not prepared to eat one lentil dish after the next, look or dress like a granny and I'm certainly not prepared to be cold in my own home. We learnt and we changed. We learnt how and where to get cheap fire wood and season it ourselves. We learnt where and how to get pallets and split them down into firewood and kindling. We learnt how to ventilate our house so we move the warmth from the one heated room to the rest of the house. We learnt how fix what ever was broken. We learnt how to service what we had to make every pound literally do the work of five pounds.
I sought out learning opportunities. So many people think they have to be taught but we are all our own best teachers. Trust me, it will be difficult, there will be swearing and even tears. Seek out online resources, learn from library books, watch cooking, home renovation and gardening TV programmes. Sit with a notebook and take notes when you find a tutorial online. Book mark You Tube videos and you can learn anything from Yoga, bread making, how to amuse, entertain and educate children, how to make Christmas gifts and in my case.....how to quilt. I've never been to a sewing or cooking workshop in my life.
"Seek out the experts" and as Elaine says "the grannies". Talk to people who grow vegetables, sit and chat to people who knit, sew, bake or cook from scratch. Ask the experts as they love what they do and love to share it. When you've learnt something, pay it forward and teach someone else. The obvious way to learn as well is to take classes, attend workshops and seminars. Ask at your church group, put a notice up at the local day care nursery where you drop your children, put a notice up in the staffroom or canteen at work. Ask for help or for ideas to learn the new skills that you want to add to your life.
Becoming a polymath takes years and you will add to your skills day by day and year on year. I learned to make quilts and moved onto curtains, cushions and bags and have tried my hand at dress making. I have a lot to learn. I've had mixed success with gardening but I know how to and know that when I'm ready that I will have skills that I can put to use, for example, I can grow beans, potatoes, beetroot, radish, tomatoes and courgettes which means I can try growing many other types of fruit and vegetables. I've never made my own fresh pasta but know I have skills I can put to use when I feel any desire to do so.
I can hear so many of you bemoaning your lack of time and all I would say to you is unplug your TV and Wi-fi for a week and see how much you get done when you are not 'liking' cute puppy videos on Facebook.
Now here's your chance, commit to learning something new! Have you never upcycled? Have you never knitted? Have you never used a sewing pattern to make something? Have you never made your own bread? Make a pledge and decide that you will set aside the time. Do you have a colleague who turns up with lovely cakes and wish you could make them, take time to talk to him and ask him about his cake baking. Is your mother in law a great gardener then make the time to have a tour of the 'fruit cage' and find out how it's done.
Yesterday, I used this bag pattern for the first time and by today, I've already adapted the lining to suit heavy fabric such as linen, canvas or denim. I re-read the pattern and instructions, I had another couple of reads and then understood a whole lot more. I looked at the pattern templates and worked out how to make it in less time and with less pieces. My second bag took two hours to make whereas the first took all day.
Don't be afraid to learn, to try and you will find out so quickly that you will need less and less money. You will be a savvy shopper. You will be able to buy that dress, top or skirt in a jumble sale and alter it so it fits. You will be able to rummage through the £1/$1 pile in the charity shop and find large men' shirts that you know will make a quarter of a beautiful quilt. You will know how to service your sewing machine, your PC, your vacuum cleaner, your washing machine and dishwasher and keep everything going years after the ink has faded on the warranty.
I live on a lot less that I earn so I can save and reduce the length of my mortgage and be a home owner sooner rather than later. I have money saved for eventualities and live a warm, comfortable well fed life because I can turn my hand to a few skills I have developed within the last few years. I know my life will become easier and more comfortable in the future as I develop further skills and keep learning new ways to live a good life on less.
Over to you. What can you do that you haven't done in ages? What should you do that would save a whole pile of money? What skills do you have that you could share in your community or family?
As ever, I love hearing your comments.
Until tomorrow,
Love Froogs xxxxxxxxxx
Your post makes so much sense. Industrialisation and the subsequent make it quick, cheap and uniform has done us all great disservice. As a result skills are being lost and it is a crying shame.
ReplyDeleteCould I also suggest that we share or barter within our communities. We can then support those who do things well and they can in turn support us. for instance I may want a cake once or twice a year and that would be something I would barter for.
I love the statement about grand parents. They have much to share and teach and a our greatest resource for many.
I am about to make my first yorkshire puddings....I can cook but these are things my family love and I have never made.....cheaper than buying them!
ReplyDeleteSorry if this comment sounds a bit to the point, I will leave the decision up to you if you publish or not. Knitting, sewing, and cooking, should be put back onto the school timetable from an early age! I have already told my DIL that I shall be teaching my grandchildren to sew and knit, her reply to me was can you teach me too! She already knows how to cook. I go to the library a lot, I don't have reading books out I have practical books out, learn through reading. As and when we watch television, I do hand sewing, sew a button on, re-do hems. crochet or knit. Oh and we save £2 coins, when you have five coins you've got a.........tenner! Save with more, or have a treat..... whether you go to the charity shop, or have a coffee with a friend or partner.
ReplyDeleteJulie
They are on the national curriculum - design technology - what the curriculum does not have is the time to embed these skills, the curriculum rushes from one thing to the next. Students will often have six weeks (1 hour once a week) of cookery in a school year. It's not enough. Don't rely on schools but we have to teach our own children. Thankfully both of mine can cook and fix their clothes.
DeleteI just wish they would teach practical things in school. Like, how to budget, how to change a fuse and wire a plug correctly! Thank you publishing my comment, and I agree learning how to cook and budget should be taught by parents too.
DeleteI gave my DGD - 12 years old - a typed voucher for a day's cooking with Nannie - in with her Birthday gift. DGD arrived at 9am - left here at 6pm - I was in bed at 8.30pm - exhausted but we had a great day.
DeleteDGD made All in One cake followed by JJ's herby Cheese bread and then your - Buttery Ginger Biscuits. We had lunch - some of the the Herby Cheese Bread. Then DGD made Short Crust Pastry - made into Yorkshire Egg & Bacon Pie. Next recipe was Carrot Cake Muffins and finally Coconut Pyramids.
I had some HM Buttercream in the fridge so DGD had her first go with a piping bag - decorating the Muffins.
We had great fun yesterday - DGD baked an All in One cake as did I - then held a British bake Off judging competition.
My daughter started Y7 last September and they had 6 weeks of 'cookery' after Christmas. They 'cooked' cornflake cakes, fairy cakes, pizza, cous cous, made a smoothie and final week was a fruit salad. This was all stuff they had done at primary school. I remember when I was first year ( as it was then ) we made Shepherds Pie, Fruit crumble, scones, jam tarts and lots of other things where we actually used the oven ! We had this lesson every week for the whole year. FQ is right though as you cannot rely on school and I do things myself with my daughter. She can cook a meal such as spaghetti bolognese, with minimal supervision , and she has only just gone 12.
DeleteSewing is a skill I would love to learn but I have always had a fear of sewing machines that I would stitch all my fingers together ! I've always envied people who have beautiful soft furnishings who then admit they've made them themselves. Its a great life skill to have.
DeleteI can only do my best to quell your irrational fear with physics. A domestic sewing machine does not exert enough force/Newtons to sew through your fingers. Most sewing machine struggle with denim, heavy linens and corderoy. Once the foot is down and the fabric is between the machine and the foot there is no physical way your fingers can get underneath. Also, your fingers are lumpy and will not go through the machine. Now, girly ! Get your Wonderbra and face what ever in life you are 'scared of'. If you live near me, or can get to me, then I will happily teach you to sew. Froogs xxxx
DeleteI was a single parent living in a grotty flat and trying to make it look lovely. I made curtains from curtain lining fabric - cheap. I had not done much machine sewing and I did sew my fingers but as Froogs said the stitches were superficial; not right through - still hurt a lot to unpick though!!!!! BUT I did it; I made curtains for all of the flat and they looked fab and cost me between £2 and £6 per window (back in 1990)and my grotty flat ended up fab and we were very happy there :)
DeleteL.x.
PS And I learnt to keep my hands out of the way :)
I think this is one of your best posts - there is so much in it I shall have to come back for a few re-reads!
DeleteL.x.
I'll try and get DB to video me sewing so I can show hand positioning and feeding/holding the fabric
DeleteHi Folks, it also depends on what individual schools are doing within the framework of the National curriculum, as I will be teaching 'Technology' this year - my classes each have a six lesson intro to cooking and sewing followed by a whole term on these skills with two lessons a week.
DeleteI'm new to the department and have all the lessons planned by a very talented new teacher with her finger on the pulse - I'm planning to post all the recipes on my blog with the how-to's.
While I do think cooking should be taught at school (if only because it's a way of reinforcing basic maths skills) schools can't be expected to do everything with the limited time they have. Also most school aged children aren't expected to cook for their families regularly, so it's not surprising if many of them don't see the point of lessons. I hope things have changed, but some of the parents at my school in the 90s went as far as to throw away the food their kids had made in HE, without even tasting it.
DeleteIn my opinion, it would be much more useful to run cookery, sewing, budgeting, parenting skills, wood work, mechanics, computing, etc. classes that are open to everyone. After all people learn better when they see the relevance of things.
I Made 3 skirts for work this week. Material that did not cost me much, one was a child's quilt cover bought from a brocante. I learnt how to put in an invisible zip by following a tutorial on you tube. The pattern was made from a skirt I love and fits me well. I cannot find any skirts I like here so I decided it was best to make my own. They are all washed and ironed and ready for wear next week. I am now starting to make a simple jacket.
ReplyDeleteJust think what a team would come from joining you with Elaine and Jack, together you could "teach the world" far better than 2 releases of that record ever did.
ReplyDeletei regard myself as fairly thrifty, certainly more than I need to be. This enables me to buy the new fabrics that I love to quilt and bag make. I still haunt Charity Shops for bargain fabric, buttons and zips, and I happily mix old with new, cotton with denim, shirts with curtains. My life, our meals and my sewing are sometimes "interesting" but never boring.
Yes, the secret seems to be learning new skills and making things rather than buying them, which I think of as paying somebody else to make them.
ReplyDeleteSince the frugal life was forced upon me, I've discovered all sorts of new skills I never thought I'd need.
This was a really inspiring post, thank you! I am always afraid to try and learn new skills for fear of making a mess or doing it wrong, but I am definitely going to get going with something new. I've had a jam making kit in the back of my cupboard for a year. Christmas Chutney anyone?
ReplyDeleteI have knitted since I was 5, am 34 now! I made my first jumper when I was 8. In the last few years I've taught myself crochet, and can make basic clothes on a sewing machine. I was taught to cook by my Mum and so have no problem knocking up family meals, cakes, bread etc.
ReplyDeleteBefore I had children I was a maths teacher (I am the lady who used to teach with you!), and tutor now. I guess that would be my biggest skill and I am interested in ways I could use that for people who are motivated but don't have the money to afford a tutor. The tutoring website that I use has mentioned setting up such a scheme so hopefully something will come of that.
However many tines I try gardening though, I don't seem to have the knack for growing much. I try every year ... Only have success with rhubarb and strawberries though.
Absolutely the best way to learn is to motivate yourself and seek out the resources, be it teachers, family, friends, books, Youtube ... . I would love to see some sort of skills exchange.
And now I want to learn to quilt after seeing what you've made!
Hi Kate - I hope you get to share those incredible maths teaching skills in the way you have described - you are such an asset. Great news about the cooking and sewing xx
Deleteyou asked on a previous post for charity quilts info - try project linus uk.
ReplyDeletevery thought provoking post, well done
Angela
I have been crafty for as long as I can remember. I taught myself to knit when I was young and my twins lived in hand knitted clothes when they were little. I taught myself to crochet but don't do it that often. I used to be a bar tacker and then an overlock machinist and I now have made roman blinds for pretty much the whole house. I sew cushions, quilts, curtains but have never dared to buy enough material to make clothes. I build furniture for the home from recycled materials and make tealight holders etc from the same. I make my own cards for special occassions and made my mum a large scrapbook album for her 50th. I also build my own garden furniture, sheds, potting benches, signs and whimseys and yet I cannot bake. I burn any kind of baking I attempt. My cooking skills are a little better and I have learned to cook good meals from scratch using home grown produce when I can get it to grow, I'm not brilliant at cooking but I've come a long way from thinking I had to boil pork chops lol.
ReplyDeleteBasically if I see something I want I try to find a way to make it myself - other than clothes obviously.
Hi Linda, you are a talented lady! I'm thinking the burning problem with baked goods may be either your pans or your oven. If the pans are too thin or too dark the bottoms of baked goods will heat too quickly. This can usually be helped by lining the pan with a piece of parchment paper. It's pricey (at least where I live) but it's cheaper than new pans and can be reused many times. Note - this is NOT waxed paper, it should state parchment on the box; usually found with the waxed paper, cling wrap, and foil wrap in the grocery store. The other problem might be your oven; a good investment is an oven thermometer. I used to burn cookies every time I made them but when I checked my oven it was running about 10 degrees F. hotter than it should, and also it's hotter at the back than the front. So now I set it a bit lower, and I switch the pans front to back halfway through the baking time. Good luck!
DeleteFroogs
ReplyDeleteAn excellent post. I feel blessed that many, many skills were taught to me as a child. I sew, cook, home can, garden, mend, run a wood stove, even cook on it, etc. Only things I could never seem to pick up were crocheting, tatting, knitting-much to my Grandmother's chagrin.
I've also taught myself several things, out of necessity. Over recent years, I have learned to do small repairs, to bake bread, rolls, even hot cross buns as well as make my own pizza.
My next new endeavors this Fall will be furniture refinishing and quilting.
You are spot on. I have always gone to the library when I wanted to learn how, now I watch Youtube as well there is an amazing amount of skills being shared, I am having a go at making my own tahini today as I love hummus but not prepared to pay $7 fvor a jar of tahini. Another way to learn is when you see something you admire ask how it is made. I have never been able to make sucessful sponges despite being a reasonable cook. One day when visiting an elderly lady shed served up a beautiful light sponge, I asked her if she could show me how to do it, she had tears in her eyes as she agreed, we had a wonderful afternoon making sponges, spong roll etc.
ReplyDeleteMy mother taught my brother and me to make cakes and sew on buttons when we were aged 5 and 7. Thirty years later she passed on the same skills to my children.
ReplyDeleteI love the bags you've made. Amazing reduction in time to make the bag - one day down to two hours. Thanks for including the pattern number yesterday.
ReplyDeleteThis is such an inspiring post. I wish there was a way for you to reach even more people. So many could benefit from this.
You know none of us came out of the womb with skills. We may have had inborn talents but not skills. We learn skills by practicing. I sew well because I practiced. I cook well because I practiced. We are always learning in our skill set.
ReplyDeleteHi
ReplyDeleteGorgeous red bag, I love it. Constantly inspired by your great blog and fab ideas. Many thanks
Jo xx
Hi
ReplyDeleteGorgeous red bag, I love it. Constantly inspired by your great blog and fab ideas. Many thanks
Jo xx
Great post Froogs! I tend to pick one thing at a time that I want to master. Last year I really wanted to learn to make bread, so I decided to stop buying bread and start buying flour, then I HAD to make bread, and I quickly learned a recipe that would work for a loaf a week. This year I want to learn to can. Over the past 3 winters I have been teaching myself to knit, I had very basic lessons as a child, and I just had to push myself to try to understand the patterns and stitches until I could do it, now I can knit socks and I've started on a vest. I did the same with sewing when my parents gave me a sewing machine for my 21st (so useful and frugal to be able to make your own clothes and furnishings!). In the vege garden each year I try a new crop that I haven't managed to grow well before, last year I mastered carrots, this year I'm focussing on potatoes. I think the important thing is not to try to do too much, just pick one thing and really research and practice until you can do it, then move on to the next thing. Cheers, Liz
ReplyDeleteAbout 3 weeks ago, I noticed that my washing machine was leaking from the bottom - flowing out the front of the machine. It only leaked when the machine drained. The machine was only 1 month out of a 5 year warranty, and I thought "that's it. Time for a new one. It will cost more to repair it than it's worth."
ReplyDeleteThen I thought "Wait. Let's research this online." I found out it was a $5.00 (USD) part that I could replace myself. And it only took 10 minutes to do it. So, YES, we can learn anything we need to learn to do it ourselves!
None of my skills were taught, I had to learn them as a teen or adult. I'm not sure why my parents felt it was unimportant to teach me anything. But whe nmy mother was in hospital for 6 weeks when I was the age of 14, I learned to cook the hard way! Since then I've never backed down from learning something new and it always enriches my life and my family's. I make all gifts, just finished an upcycled shadow box for my granddaughter's birthday in 2 weeks. I'm behind on my quilting, I have one sold but only half finished. Behind on knitting as well, I have a sweater (jumper) half finished that was meant to be a friend's birthday gift, now it will be her Christmas gift! I'd love to learn woodworking but for now my plate is full.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great post Frugal Queen and has inspired me, finally, to go and buy a second hand sewing machine. I kept putting it off because I didn't know which one to get, how much to spend, new or second hand....
ReplyDeleteAnyway, today I picked up a Brother x5 that has been used once by a young woman not far from me. She said she couldn't be bothered with it and I could have it for £40.
I haven't used a machine since I was at school and I hated the needlework teacher so I used to wag her lessons. Silly me. I don't know one end of this machine from the other but I'm going to make it my new challenge and get to grips with it.
Thanks for inspiring me. One day I might be able to show you something I've made and hopefully it will be more than a hanky.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI'm just about to have a go at fixing a leak under my sink.
ReplyDeleteThere's a bit of a leak and a funny smell so I'm going to sort it out myself.