60 years on - and still 'making do and mending'
By Jayne Warren - 12/05/2009
As the latest figures on pensioner poverty reveal the true extent of financial deprivation among older people in the UK, pensioners are returning to the skills they learnt in the war and post war years to survive - making do and mending.
According to research by Age Concern and Help the Aged, seven in ten people aged 50 and over are re-visiting their thrifty skills picked up during the war years or handed down from their parents to help them save money and fend off the blows of the economic downturn. The survey shows that:
• 91% budget carefully and spend within their means
• 87% cook from scratch rather than buying ready-made meals
• 71% reuse leftover food
• 54% shop for food in the reduced section or buy reduced food at the end of the day
• 50% sew or mend items for themselves or others, and
• 29% grow their own vegetables
The research also shows that nine in ten older people believe the ‘make do and mend’ mentality could help younger generations weather today’s recession - and younger people share the same belief.
Tina Watkin, who is retired and lives on Pension Credit, told the recently merged Charities that 'scrimping and saving' had become a way of life again. She said: "I have just started growing my own vegetables and use homemade compost from vegetable peelings, shredded newspaper and coffee grounds. I usually cook at home, but if I buy myself a Chinese take-away as a rare treat, I will eat half and freeze the other half.
“I also try not to waste water. Washing clothes is kept to a minimum and I never use half loads in the washing machine. When I've finished washing up, I use the dishwater to wash the car or wheelie bins and sometimes to water the flowers. I always mend clothes for my grand-daughter with new zips or velcro. It's a dying art, but I have taught my daughter to knit - there is real pride in wearing something that took three weeks to knit. I cut my own hair rather than spend money at the hairdressers."
Michelle Mitchell, charity director of Help the Aged and Age Concern said: “The set of thrifty skills many older people can tap into represents an invaluable resource in times of recession. However, pensioners in 21st century Britain shouldn’t end up in a situation where they are forced to return to a mindset born out of the hardship of the war period. And even with all their thriftiness, many older people simply have no slack left in their budget to tighten their belts any further as they battle against high food and fuel prices and shrinking income from savings.”