Not Buying It- A Consumer Holiday 2016

nursemaggie

For all of us shorties M&S do short lengths and Bon Marche do leg lengths
from 25in inside leg to 31in inside leg. Sorry GQ they don't do them long enough for you.

Perhaps we should set up our own online shop selling small and tall sizes outside the normal ranges.

GreyQueen

Yeah, I need a 34 inch inside leg for trews not to be half-mast on me. And few places cater to that, apart from LTS whose quality is appalling for their price range and whom I don't want to do business with ever again.

I do have a pair of casual trews bought from a CS which I think are a German brand and joy of joys, the proportions are correct in terms of rise (meaning the distance from crutch to waistband, the knees fall where my knees are and the hems are correct. Perhaps I need to go for things sized for continental ladies from Northern Eurpoe. I believe the Netherlands has some lanky lasses and caters accordingly.

Haven't bought anything today but did pay my water bill online a few minutes ago.

chirpycheap

nursemaggie wrote: »

chirpycheap try imagining you only have one tiny cupboard for food and a small fridge. Now do an inventory of all the food you have. Write out a list of meals to use it all up and don't buy anything until you have to.

JackieO can help as she is very good at managing on nothing. Take a list don't buy anything that is not on it unless it is a real bargain and you know you will use it up fairly soon.

I think it is a good idea to add up what it is all worth when you do your inventory. As long as you have four or five days food you really don't need any more SM only close 2 days a year.

Thanks Nurse Maggie you are absolutely right.
My mum used to feed a family of five in a tiny kitchen with no fridge or freezer and just one of those pull down Sixties kitchen cabinets to store food in and we certainly never went hungry. There was however no grazing on snacks etc as there was one packet of biscuits or a homemade cake for the week and when they were gone they were gone. She shopped little and often but we never had multi packs of crisps, chocolates or cakes available for snacking between meals. You went to the shop and bought a chocolate bar one at a time and we knew it was a treat and a luxury. The availability of cheap food has certainly led some of us into bad habits.
Some wise advice kindly offered, thank you:)

Aril

Day 15/366 Another NSD. Too busy housesparkling for clients - Friday is a long day and I arrive home very weary. Shopping is the last thing I want to do when I get in! Tomorrow I must do a spot of hunter gathering at the SM but am pleased that a rummage through the freezer whilst planning next week's meals has yielded a pack of open chicken pieces which became tonight's supper. Tomorrow I'm helping out at a jumble- last year I brought home very little but we shall see!
Arilx

pm2326

I'm also reducing the food mountain and meal planning.

Having worked out next weeks meals it looks like I need only buy fruit & veg again so looking like a £2 or £3 shop at most :j

Nargleblast

I bought 3 packs of Ald1 bratwurst last month, 18 big fat sausages altogether. They were roasted in the oven and cut in half on the Sunday before Christmas, and formed part of our Winter Solstice celebration meal with our neighbours. There were seven of us, and as usual I catered for the five thousand, so most of the bratwurst pieces ended up in the freezer.

They migrated to the fridge about a week ago, and strangely enough have reappeared in stews, breakfast fry-ups and sausage sandwiches ever since. The last four pieces found their way into OH's breakfast this morning.

One major minimisation task complete, and one very smug Nargleblast.

Nargleblast

Could have sworn this was the Make Do, Mend and Minimise thread when I wrote my last post! However, the judicious use of leftover bratwurst meant not spending money unnecessarily!

wildthing01

Well, not a NSD today, but have shopped mindfully.... birthday cards for the kids' classmates birthday parties throughout the year, 10 for a quid at card factory (they're nice designs and reasonable quality too). half-price birthday pressie for nephew later in year (as part of my new list of all the family birthdays with dates and ages so can plan ahead instead of panic buying). top up shop for cat litter and packed lunch items (we do main shop at aldi but they don't stock certain items so have to go to asda for some bits). picked up pencil case ordered from smiths' sale as part of DD's birthday present (a little extra, she wants one for school).

went into one of the 5 charity shops but was very half-hearted about it and wasn't inspired by anything. I do tend to shop on spec for clothes because I have learnt that going clothes shopping when I actually need a specific item usually leads to disaster, as I end up panic-buying or settling for something I actually don't really like/feel comfortable in, and so don't wear, thus money wasted. So I prefer to buy things I love when I happen to see them, knowing I'll def wear them. I only clothes-shop in charity shops or fatface half-price sale (never full price fatface), so if I see something I love, I generally have to get it there and then else it'll be gone. This has led I think to fewer purchases and the things I do purchase, I wear and wear and wear because I've bought them out of love, not necessity! I bought a pair of almost brand-new (clearly only worn outside once or twice) zara shoes a couple of weeks ago, £4.50 (according to website, RRP around £45) and although I was actually looking for boots, not shoes, I've worn them pretty much every day since, as I love them so much.

Lynplatinum

Ahoy there shipmates

I hate buying shoes - too many memories of my mum insisting on 'sensible' shoes and taking my lads shopping before school begins with herds of badly behaved screaming kids around while my two sat there getting more and more frustrated and fed up! Most Mums seemed to discipline their kids by shouting at them or smacking them !:mad:

I am fairly small 4 ft 11 and 3/4 and size 4 1/2 shoes - half sizes these days are a nightmare! Ech! are really good but I really cannot afford their prices - although then again a pair will last about 2 years of constant wear!

Larumbelle - I too have been in that difficult position. I just amuse myself by people watching and refusing to allow people to buy me stuff on the grounds that I have somat similar already at home (they dont know the difference!! )

NBI - went for a pint tonight with my friend and her OH - they went to buy a curry on the way home - I came home and got out my frozen portion of parsnip curry made 2 weeks ago and frozen! Have to laugh at myself - even the parsnips were YS :rotfl:

Nite all!

[Deleted User]

I just love Saturdays as its my one day when I can do what ever I feel like and today apart from making some celery soup for next weeks lunches and putting away my ironing I shall do bu$$er all for a change :):)
I intend to snuggle down on my sofa and have a read of my library book this morning ,then after lunch I my put my feet up and watch a movie on tv whilst doing some knitting.Its cold and frosty outside and I shall not stick my nose over the threshold today.No visitors, and no phone calls ,just me in perfect peace and quiet for a change :):)
Tomorrow first thing my eldest DD comes for her Sunday morning scrambled eggs and coffee and natter and in the afternoon I shall be off to youngest DDs so today is a do-nothing-much day :):) I had decided at new year that I was going to have at least one day in the week when I do what I want to do for a change.So I think that Saturdays seem to be a good idea No shopping, No nattering,No spending, just me, on my own, enjoying the peace and quiet.Pure bliss
Hope you all have a good day doing what you want to do and not what other people want you to do for a change :):)
Cheers chums
JackieO xx

P.S. chirpycheap, make a list and stick to it ,only shop when you have at least 7-10 things on the list ,adapt what you have in stock, and change meals to what you have to use it up first.My late Mum taught me how to streetch stuff until it squeaked and practice makes perfect honey, and I have been practicing for around 50+ years