Reformed shopaholic? please can you give me the benefit of your advice

Anglea

Hi all

Ziggles, lovely to see you back and know you are feeling better now.

How's the fudge buying?

As to my advice giving. Before I married, I always had the 'treat them mean' attitude. The b/f's had every opportunity to steer clear of me, but they didn't.

This is probably why I give that advice to you girls, as I can see it from the other side of the fence.

CompletelyLost

Hi ladies,

Anglea - I wonder about your makeup theory... maybe when we're not all dressed up and looking ultra feminine, we're less worried about attracting male attention because we don't think anyone will be interested? Therefore we're more relaxed? Is that what you mean?

Glad to hear you found a vest that fits. I love long vests and tops! It's a rarity that I find things long enough on me. I bought a top from Next but it's a weird length - not long enough to be a dress, but not short enough to be a top. It's gorgeous but I think it's going to end up being returned

Today I dumped a pile of CDs in the charity collection bin at the supermarket. I've also separated a few more items into a bag, which I will hopefully also get rid of tomrrow. I need to stop hanging onto these things in the vain hope that I'll make a few pence selling them. I'm in real decluttering mode this week..! I guess the more I start to see results, the more I want to get rid of

Frogletina - I found your poem is quite sad. I don't mean that in the patronising sense. I think Anglea is right... but you know yourself better than we do... if someone was mucking me about I would cut all ties. But then I'm one to hold a grudge

Anglea

Hi all

CL I didn't mean that about the make up, not sure what I mean actually :rotfl:

Can't your top be worn over those jeggings you've mentioned in the past?

I never realised you could take CD's to a supermarket - which one?
Have you tried that Cash4clothes to sell yours? They take other things not just clothes. You can go on their website and book a collection. I've never tried it but sometimes they put leaflets about the next collection date in my letterbox.

CompletelyLost

Hmm, I think the top is too dressy to be worn with jeggings... maybe black leggings or skinny jeans... I'm not soo sure. It has a belt which is a bit too high up on me (I think so anyway). I wish that I was handy with a sewing machine, as it would be so easy to take it up a few inches - problem solved!

At the Iceland near us, there's a recycling bin for books and music and they go to Oxfam. There's also bins for the usual cans, plastics, newspapers, and also clothing (which goes to charity too).

The stuff I'm going to take next time is mainly scarves that I only paid £2-ish for anyway so probably aren't worth anything really. I could keep them until autumn and they'd sell better, but that's months away and I'd rather have the space cleared.

As for your makeup theory... I think that's maybe how the hoodie works for me... sometimes I dress down because I'd rather people didn't look at me!

NGlady2

Good evening ladies

Just thought id check in and say hi

CL - i think a top like that looks really nice with skinny jeans

Well - i am SO tierd, it can't be right to be this tierd on a sunday night, right?

I went to London yesterday - had a brilliant day. And you are going to be sooo shocked when i tell you this!! I went into Ox st primark and I spent an entire £29.50 - I had started by just throwing whatever i like into my basket to go try on, but then i realised how huge the changing rooms queue was, and DEman although patient was starting to hate it. So I sacked most of it off and just got the two bits I wouldn't be able to get from my local store or that I havnt seen plus a black work skirt that i wondered if itd fit

Well I tried them on - and decided that £18.50 of this - which is two of the items are going back. So I spent an entire £10!!!

Also a dress I brought from Dorothy perkins is tiny on me, so being returned also!!

So all in all, yesterday, my day in the big smoke - i spent £25 after returns.. amazing?!!?!

This also included 2x tube cards!!

Next up - been to my local city today. Mum brought something on the 3 for 2 haircare, and didnt want her second/free one so I spent £5 and brought two lots of haircare which I need which normally cost £5 each. Wont need them for a couple of weeks, but money saving nonetheless when I do!

I am currently sat doing my half way through the month financial check-up... all going pretty well really. EXPECTING next weekend to be quite emotional/therefore I may take comfort in the shops, but this has been accounted for and I can afford without doing too much damage a small amount of spending-tlc. It's really helping writing everything down. I even decided to put my hair back for an extra couple of weeks, its getting pretty rooty now, but im not going anywhere special, so have been able to put this months £50 hair fund into my short-term saves hopeing to be able to pay a small amount more in at the end of the month.. first time i've ever done that.

CL - hows ur mums op gone?

Did i mention i've taken the plunge and booked one of those 'personal-shopper' sessions at Debenhams in July? Booked for a little while away so A: i've had my birthday, my OH is treating me to spends for my session B: time to save up

Anglea

Hi al

NGlady, I'm glad you had a good time in London, and only spending so little :eek: you've shocked me :rotfl:

I have a question, what is this month's £50 hair fund? Do you put that amount away each month - how much hair do you have? LOL

Good luck with the personal shopper, I miss the days when I had a clothes stylist but I never got on with the woman that took her place when the one I liked stopped doing it. They used to bring clothes to the house on a rack.

In Debenhams, do you wait in the cubicle and they bring you clothes to try on? How much does it cost?

I'm glad you've reminded me, CL and NGlady how are both your mums?

NGlady2

Anglea, I try to allow £50 for my hair every month, as every 6 weeks it costs £60 to have it highlighted

In debenhams, you choose your catagory - so wardrobe update etc or occasion outfit etc. you go into a luxe room and the lady goes and gets things for you to try on with no obligation or anything. It doesnt cost anything on the outset.

My mums ok - shes not in the hospital until end of next week.

Anglea

NGlady, I understand now about your hair.

It was because of your comment about buying hair products and roots I thought you do your own hair colouring at home and wondered about the £50 and how many boxes you'd be needing

How do you book the Debenhams shopper? It sounds very good.

NGlady2

http://www.debenhams.com/customer-service/personal-shopper

Here you go Anglea - it says its available in 115 stores nationwide - seems theres quite a lot in the south of the country offering it.

It has had good reviews online, and there was a lady in the other challange i do - the clothes challange, which im failing badly on account of forgetting my current level for the year lol, she said she had it done and there was no pressure whats-so-ever to buy anything. I am feeling a little worried in case i genuinely dont see anything i love/want and the lady im with tries to make it out u have to buy.

CompletelyLost

Hi ladies,

NG & Ang, thanks for remembering about my mum.
She had another consultation about 2 weeks ago, she had some more tests done and they have decided that the original operation may not be the best option for her and could have complications, so she's going for yet another consultation in 2 weeks. So no op for the forseeable.

NG: You did very well in London. I've actually never been shopping there... I've been to a film premiere once, but that's it! I would love to go, but at the same time, I do not like crowds and I can imagine what's the queues are like. My quiet little town is enough for me! What did you buy from Primarni?

Take care of yourself anyway, and I'm sure your mum's operation will be fine. You have all our permission to treat yourself next weekend

The Debenhams thingie sounds good if you're the kind of person who's willing to try different things and take someone else's advice. I'm sort of set in my ways and tend to wear the same styles so I'd probably annoy the assistant!!

I'm sure you'll enjoy it though, NG, at the end of the day they can't exactly force you to hand over the cash for something you don't want/like! Are you taking someone with you?