Items the advertisers try to convince us are essential

Aldahbra

Alison_Funnell wrote: »

Fabric conditioner - line dry in a breeze - great smelling, soft and free.

Don't all your towels go hard?

Justamum

Aldahbra wrote: »

Don't all your towels go hard?

Fabric conditioner isn't good on towels anyway as it inhibits their absorbency. I know that a tumble drier is anathema to many on these boards, but for towels they are essential. My drier broke a few weeks ago and I had to dry mine outside. It was like folding cardboard :eek: I've got a new drier now so towels are soft again.

BitterAndTwisted

Crikey! I can't imagine what was wrong with your towels. Maybe not rinsed thoroughly enough? I have to dry all my laundry on an airer in the kitchen as I don't have any outside space, so no gentle zephyrs reach them. I don't use fabric conditioner on them and they're always soft and fluffy. Must be the vinegar in the final rinse.

*zippy*

I've just got my towels off the line and they are like cardboard too so you are not alone justamum.

I've noticed a change in Kids Birthdays too, they seem to have become mini Christmases with parents buying loads of presents to open.

The daftest thing I bought a few years back were those little sachets of porridge oats for the microwave, it never entered my head they were just normal oats until someone on here posted about them on a similar thread. One of the girls in work said she bought them the other day, but wouldn't have it she could buy a big bag of oats for the same price

Its interesting when I do surveys for new products and you get the tick boxes "Its important to me that my dishes are squeaky clean" "I worry that there are still stains on my laundry that I can't see" etc. Do they really think we have time or inclination to worry about these things :rotfl:

Flibsey

I get cardboard towels when line dried too, and I use vinegar and essential oils for their rinse cycle because I don't like the idea of what fabric conditioner can do to towels lol... I like mine fluffy from the dryer. to be honest, I love my dryer but don't run it as much as some people I know.

Kid's birthdays are really bad, especially going to parties as a parent. I am NOT going to be like one woman I'm unfortunate enough to know who spends at least £25 on each gift she sends... the cynical side of me thinks THIS is why her daughter gets invited to all parties! then I feel bad...
I buy little gifts for parties through the year in sales. also, if it's a very good friend of my child, and I have time, I'll make a little something for the child too. recently it's been "crayon totes" (still not sure if I can post links yet so please google it!).

the most recent party, my child had a home made dress, took a gift where half of it was home made... Soccer Mom on the other hand had a child dressed in a disney store outfit, took a massive gift (didn't get to see what was in it) etc.

I can't stand traditional porridge, but I love readybrek style stuff. I buy supermarket own brand though. and I use a microwave to make it! heat the milk in a mug!

juno

*zippy* wrote: »

The daftest thing I bought a few years back were those little sachets of porridge oats for the microwave, it never entered my head they were just normal oats until someone on here posted about them on a similar thread. One of the girls in work said she bought them the other day, but wouldn't have it she could buy a big bag of oats for the same price

You can now buy cornflakes in little one person pots. Just the cornflakes - you can also get "milk and cornflakes" as a muller corner style pot, but I sort of understand those for if you going to work or somewhere and don't have milk. But these are just an individual portion of cornflakes.

chocolate_buttons_2

red_devil wrote: »

special milk for cats ha ha.

my cat was lactose intolerent she could not drink milk and had to have lactose free - many cats are the same. The special milk is lactose free.

Justamum

chocolate_buttons wrote: »

my cat was lactose intolerent she could not drink milk and had to have lactose free - many cats are the same. The special milk is lactose free.

That's why cats shouldn't really drink milk - it's not good for them. Water is cheaper.

mrsmortenharket

I've never given my cat milk. She came from mum & has had water ever since.
There are so many products out there that we just don't need.
Magazines are just adverts really aren't they? And that statement comes from a recovering magazine-o-holic. I dread to think how much I've spent on magazines over the years. BUT I have tended to buy from offer subscriptions.
I have recently seen powder or conditioner for clothes that is for darks or whites or something. Why?
I'm not big into beauty products either. I don't get my nails done, get fake tans, get my legs waxed etc. Many people I know see these as essentials. I do get my eyebrows threaded though as they're Very Bushy. But I go as long as possible in between & pluck.

I have been married for nearly 16 years. we had a cheap registry office wedding. Back to my MiLs & then we went home for a bit. The non to a pub in the evening which was free. My friend & her mum did a buffet for us. DJ was cheap through a freind. My dress was cheap from Monsoon & then even cheaper as there were marks on the straps. No bridesmaids. No official photographer. No fancy flowers. In fact nothing fancy at all. My auntie made a cake for us. We are still married. People forget that the wedding is just a day & the marriage is what matters.

Lisa

Willow92

At the moment we have two of those dettol handwash thingies. I really don't understand why we have them! apparently the handwash dispenser in the kitchen was too dirty... (well bl**dy clean it then!) and one in the bathroom for no reason. It's really stupid coz when they run out we go back to normal handwash... Hm. I'm trying my best to make my mum and her partner realise they waste way too much money on things they don't need like a home cinema system (they lived how many years without one?!) and the latest purchase was a new loo seat. Apparently the last one kept slipping....it never slipped when i used it...The new one slips every time someone uses it. What's the point in buying something new and it ends up being worse than what you had before?