Change of Lifestyle

[Flo]

Talk about a change of lifestyle for some


How have the Covid19 restrictions affected us? Well I doubt that we will have the same problems - will we?

[Green Aura]

That nearly made me fall off my chair, laughing!

I've seen several memes floating around social media showing how those "low-skilled" people are really the ones keeping everything functioning.

I guess it shows the different levels of entitlement and attitude doesn't it. I'd be embarrassed to admit I'd never changed a bed or used a vacuum cleaner, they sound slightly miffed that they're having to. I fear the last sentence is woefully wrong. After all this they won't appreciate their staff more, just hand back all that stuff that's beneath them.

[Weedo]

Live in domestics are a rarity here but the increasing sales of cooking equipment (pots, pans etc.) evidenced by there scarcity in the shops, indicates some change to lifestyles. Interestingly, the guy across the street from the town house makes blinds is busier than ever - seems like folks are either taking the opportunity to re-decorate or are doing so out of boredom.
(are people still confused about the farm house and the town house? - not snobbery or excessive affluence, just circumstances - we both work full time in town and bought a small farm a few years ago which also has a house - we split our time between the two - will be rectified soon-ish I hope - the effect of Corona on the stock market has paused retirement plans temporarily)

[fruitfly]

Are any selfsufficienteers changing what they are growing because of the Covid situation?

[Flo]

Not really. We try to grow as much as we can use or preserve anyway. Season isn't helping though. It's not been an average growing year. My main change has been the way I stock the cupboards at home.

[Green Aura]

Not so much. We'd already bought the new greenhouse before lockdown was a thing and the garden revamp was planned, if not actually started. Most of what we're doing is structural, trying to grab a bit of space to grow some simple things like salads etc. I suppose lockdown did give OH a little more free time for us to do the major stuff, always with one ear on the phone.

Living miles away from anywhere I keep a good store cupboard and we have a couple of chest freezers.

Have you changed your growing/eating habits because of lockdown, fruitfly?

[fruitfly]

No I haven't. I thought if any of you did, it might give me some good ideas in case I decided to grow things especially, without wasting time and effort. I am creating a little stash of essentials, teabags, milk powder, bottled water, and other items, for if it starts up again as they suggest it might.

[Odsox]

I am definitely making a point of saving as much seed as I can. Looking through the various seed company's online sites, just about all varieties are sold out.
I have no idea if the commercial growers who supply seed are working as normal during lock down, but new seed might be in short supply next year.

[Green Aura]

Good point. Fortunately, over the last few years, those things we were still growing were all given over to heritage varieties so we can save our own seed.

Stuff for in the garden though! I'll try to remember to leave a couple of each for seed production. (Runs off to find seed companies with stock.)

[Flo]

Looking back at the original article, I'd say heaven help the big house staff when they return and have to clear up milady's efforts.

I must admit that with the charity shops still being in lock down due to the elderly volunteers not coming back in, there's certainly a change of lifestyle going on. I mean - there's no chance of buying second hand at the moment. And the local charity shop that supported the closed down youth centre has moved to a smaller shop, stopped doing second hand furniture and run out of volunteers. Used to be the place to start over many years. Local Facebook is giving away a lot of tat free mind - left at front gates or back gates but not usually things I want or in areas I can easily access. Possibly people have discovered that the local charity shops aren't open to take their tat.

On the other hand, the re-opening of all shops in England is going slowly. And I don't think that the footfall on the high street is anything to shout about at present. Don't think there has been any great rush to spend except at the nearest Primark.

[Green Aura]

I get most of my clothes on Fleabay. Otherwise it's a minimum 140 mile round trip to the nearest charity shop, open or not!

Mind, prices seem to have gone up since lockdown - I suppose people are cottoning on to the notion they can make money out of all this - some, I'm sure, out of need others not so much.

[Viper254]

We've also struggled getting stuff secondhand from shops locally.

I sell a huge amount on eBay (I break motorcycles for parts) I have been selling stuff at an incredible rate as people turn to projects they have in their garage as a way to kill time.

This means I need a steady supply of cardboard boxes, but haven't been able to get them as the supermarkets and shops aren't letting you take them whereas they usually would.

Car keeps going flat on the driveway as we're both working from home. To be fair, that's saving us a fortune.

Not growing as such, but I'm manically stockpiling wood - if Mrs. Viper is still working from home when October or November comes about, I will have to heat the house much more comprehensively than I usually do when it's only me working here. Can't afford to run the heating with the ferocity I suspect she'll desire, so the woodburner will be working hard I think.

Prices for secondhand stuff does seem to be on the up.

[Green Aura]

This means I need a steady supply of cardboard boxes

Sorry, Viper, I've got them all! We're drowning in the stuff!