OS Singlies - We Do It Our Way!

mum2one

I usually have a plastic food bag in the handbag or the cafe we go to when were in Towyn, we take a plastic food box in, - thats for the dog.... I have to say one pub, it was in the Hungary Horse chain, - we'd forget the dogs bag and asked could we borrow some cooking foil, they came out with a plastic salad container...

def agree re single room supplements, what makes me laugh if your going all inclusive then your saving the hotel some money as there technically saving money. I can understand a single person in a twin or double room, as they would be losing money on the drinks and food. What does really annoy me is when you pay a single room supplement and your in a single room, they can't fit 2 people in there.

A big hi and sorry about your husband Lesson learned you take care.

I have had a very productive day today, but shattered now, we didnt go to the hospital today, so it was a be organised day....
-got paperwork to be a 3rd party on dads bank account, as mum has no idea what shes doing, (not meant in a nasty way), but dad has always taken control of the finances, managed to get online banking set up, thats one problem sorted.

- Collected my new glasses, - there definatley different, - got to wait for 2nd pair, as I had to change the choice of frames.

- got DD to swimming on time, which considering we left home 30mins later than I wanted to!! and got back to collect her on time, i was early

-got the dog to the vets for his booster, - but got told the dog has to go on a diet!

-supported the local market and brought my fruit from there

-brought myself 3 pairs of trousers - all 99p each, popped into my local catalogue surplus, one pair had £35 price tag

- got a bargain sim only deal £9.99 for unlimted texts, 1000 minutes and 250gb was topping up £10 to £15 pm on payg

-in process of changing my phone and broadband package, now be with EE instead of BT - save £15 per month on what paying now for line rental and BB, then get all calls free, including 1000 mins of mobile calls - on average spending £5 a month as mother doesnt think of using her mobile she gets the house line out - average at least £20 pm saving....

-Found some bargains in Clintons, they had a wide range of Yankee candles half price, - got 8 (whoops), and a gorgeous Me to You teddy bear, about 15in high with a heart, was £35 reduced to £5...

-One happy bunny...
time for me now with the TV xx

BookWorm

Goodness it's been busy in here! :hello: to all new and 'old'

I don't do much solo eating out but I do know that I find it easier when I am on holiday or visiting somewhere new. I would find it much more difficult to do somewhere where I may see people I know - daft I know I think it's probably because I would worry about other people's thoughts or assumptions and I find it easier to ignore (or should that be pretend?) if some place unknown

I was :mad: reading about some of you that have been turned away for being singlie diners - that is SO wrong!!

BW

calicocat

ellie99 wrote: »

Oh I like this idea, I really do, you have a wicked mind calicocat

I've felt like doing this to a few car salesmen in the past. I've been single quite a few of the last 20 years since DH died, and been in control of my money all of those years, so I choose and buy my own cars.
I turn up at a garage to look at a car, and the salesmen think...well tbh I don't know what they think...that I'm wasting their time? that I'm not serious? that I don't know what I want? that I'm not going to buy? that I need a man with me? :mad:

Have met some very condescending salesmen who obviously wanted to talk to a man. There was one car I actually wanted to buy, but the salesman was so reluctant to discuss price that in the end I walked out and left it...I'd have loved to go back in my lovely new car bought elsewhere just to show him :rotfl:
(but unfortunately I don't look like Julia Roberts so the effect may not have been quite the same :rotfl:)

Thank goodness there are some reasonable salesmen out there, and that we can also buy cars privately.

Lol.....you don't have to look like Julia Roberts kiddo, it's all about attitude....yes, I do have a Baaaaaad wicked side...lol.

I must say...cars is a real dodgy area I think for us singlie females, generally we don't know what they are talking about (or care), so they clearly often feel they have free reign to say/charge what they like. This is one area I do at times either pass the buck to a male friend, or take one with me. However, the last year I seem to have found my footing with this a bit more, feel more confident about it, and can stand my ground and let them know what I expect. Luckily I seem to have found a nice place locally that seems good for service etc....i think (?).


Wow Mum2one.....you have been busy!

Horace

I hate salesmen and service managers in car dealerships. Once I was told that I was a silly little woman - well this silly little woman had marked various items on her car that were due to be replaced during a service, on collecting the car, this same silly little woman was asked why she insisted on opening the bonnet to check because it was obvious that was where the engine was kept. I took great delight in going through their invoice - noting down the items that I had been charged for yet they hadn't changed. I then reminded them that my father had been a mechanic and that I spent my childhood in the garage with him instead of in the kitchen with mum. I knew how to strip an engine down and how to build one. I wrote a letter of complaint to the HQ of the dealership regarding this nincompoop service manager - he must have been sacked because he wasn't there the next time I went in.

My aunt lives nr Cheltenham and has told me about a garage that she goes to (if I lived nearer then I would probably go too) that is aimed at women. There is a nice waiting room with comfy sofas, tea/coffee making facilities, nice magazines. Small jobs are often done for free eg. checking a squeak, fitting new wiper blades that sort of thing - the service is great and when bigger jobs need doing then the women go back and will pay a fair price for these jobs (why can't all garages be like this?).

Hope you don't think I am mad - I have an old friend coming round on Wednesday for lunch, although I have held committee meetings in my house before, I have never had anyone over for a meal. Do you think that cooking up some jacket spuds and serving them with cheese and a side salad would be ok?

BookWorm

That sounds fine to me Horace. I'm sure your friend will like whatever you serve them

calicocat

For the sloths out there.....BBC1, sunday, 7pm, a baby sloth has life to deal with.....


We may learn something....

Horace

Thanks for confirming my thoughts on lunch BW - it is a scary prospect entertaining guests (even if it is someone I know).

Will this sloth programme on Sunday teach me how to do the housework in a less sloth-like manner?:D

mothernerd

My most recent meal alone was in N*ndos a couple of years ago - they were lovely, asked me most apologetically if I minded someone sharing my table (for 4) when I had nearly finished. However I had only gone in there because of a toilet crisis - went into the city, knew the town hall was being refurbished, so got off at the station to find the wonderful Victorian facilities were being done up, was re-directed to a portaloo at the end of the concourse only to find it padlocked (needed a member of staff), plunged into the shopping centre where they were queueing nearly round the block and decided N' s was a quicker option. Asked to use the loo while waiting to be seated - no problem.

Remember going in an Indian in Blackpool when I was in my mid-twenties. Was a conference delegate - they liked to take a couple of younger people along for the experience, didn't have to make a speech or anything, just learning how things worked and who people were. The only problem was that the rest of my immediate group lived near enough to drive in on the Saturday morning, so after checking into my b&b on the Friday night I set out to find somewhere to eat (the Liverpool group adopted me after that, the Manchester lot were rather elderly) alone.

The daytime places had closed, the evening places only just opening and I was at South shore rather than in the centre and McD's etc were not as prevalent then, so I was quite pleased to find this little place open. They seemed a little bemused by me but that may have been because I was their only customer - it's a fine line between being near enough if the customer wants anything and standing too near.

I have been in pubs on my own, starting with the 2nd or 3rd time I ever went into a pub. I had arranged to meet my friend at the bus station and she wasn't on the bus when it arrived. It started to rain and I thought if strange people were going to talk to me, I would rather be where it was warm, dry and well-lit (the pub) rather than cold, wet, windy and dark (no shelters in the bus station then, just posts and pavements) and about 12 teenagers sharing the one, missing a couple of slats, bench.

Never had a car but going into G*me about 20 years ago. The very young male staff members obviously weren't used to middle-aged women on their own going in there (they looked like a bunch of kittens confronted by a lion). I had dropped my 2 youngest off for a special Christmas all-morning laser quest session. The eldest was on his way home to sleep as he had been to the 12 hour overnight session.

Picked up 2 games consoles and a pile of games (from my list). The deal was that for every game you bought, they knocked £10 off the price of the console. By pooling my money with contributions from my brother, mother and mother's cousin I managed to get the consoles 'free'. Took it all to the counter - instant respect. Only one choice he didn't agree with (had read all the reviews, boys made lists, everything scored 9 or 10). Explained that the only 'non-great' was for the youngest and the only thing he had specifically requested. A few years later there were a lot more girls playing games so things are gradually evening out.

I don't think I am particularly brave but I am practical and if it makes more sense to do something, I will. Went into a pub on my own a few years ago, after a meeting on a hot Summer's evening - usually went straight home (not that the baby-sitter was bothered) as I didn't have money for socialising but the room was stifling, the meeting over-ran and for the last half hour I had been promising myself a drink. Went into the pub across from the meeting room and ordered a pint. Got into conversation with 2 much younger women who thought it was 'wonderful' that I should venture in on my own and had a lovely time. But really just being practical.

moneyistooshorttomention

BookWorm wrote: »

I was :mad: reading about some of you that have been turned away for being singlie diners - that is SO wrong!!

BW

Well....that's got me wondering if any reporters (or anyone who knows a reporter they could persuade) might like to do one of those "consumer test" articles trying out going into a restaurant on their own for a meal and seeing what happens. I think it would be beneficial if a national newspaper were to send in two households (a single person one and a couple one) into the same restaurant on the same evening and see if there was a different reception given to those "households".

As I said, there are millions of us out there and we sometimes like our meals cooked for us and served up with all the "trimmings" the same as anyone else...

Families and couples get special treatment in places often (eg reduced prices each) on the one hand, but we cant even get basic treatment (ie the service we require) at the standard price sometimes. Something strikes me as rather unfair here...

Charis

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

As I said, there are millions of us out there and we sometimes like our meals cooked for us and served up with all the "trimmings" the same as anyone else...

Families and couples get special treatment in places often (eg reduced prices each) on the one hand, but we cant even get basic treatment (ie the service we require) at the standard price sometimes. Something strikes me as rather unfair here...

We're not in the position of being able to start up a 'Singlie' movement, cos if we had a rally we would be just another large group! It is blatant discrimination though. I fall into each of the other three categories that can still be discriminated against as well, ie being older (although I don't feel or act my age, even if I do look it) wearing glasses (along with being post menopausal that's almost as good as an invisibility cloak for remaining unnoticed while waiting to be served) and being larger than average, although compensated in some ways by being taller too.

I love Calico's feistiness, it's the only way to get what we deserve, which is no more than most other people expect. There is hope though,
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-28292651 :T