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Put away your purse & become debt-averse
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Back when I was a spendy madam, I think that out of all the clothes I bought, more money was wasted on stuff to wear during hot summers than probably any other time of year. I've always loved autumn & winter stuff....black, rich purples, all those lovely fabric textures. I also like skirts & dresses over chunky tights & boots, and tunic tops plus layers over jeans & black trousers so can usually find plenty I like. Summer clothes are a lot less forgiving & often collections seem to focus on 2 or 3 shades, often brights, or pastels, which don't suit me. In the past, I would find myself buying summer tops & stuff which to be honest were just 'ok' & I didn't really like enough to justify spending my money on. Despite this ongoing heat, I don't have many truly summery clothes at all. I'm under 5ft 4 ins, so often find that armholes on sleeveless tops come too low......I don't have many inhibitions but boobs jumping out through your armholes isn't a good look, is it?! Also, maxi dresses are waaayyy too long & are often in fabrics which make taking them up difficult or risky. I did see some lovely linen tunic tops on quite a funky matket stall recently for between £20 & £25, so the plan is (& it's quite money saving on the whole).......1) See if I can make do with what I've got 2) If the hot weather carries on, I'll consider a top from the market stall in a colour which suits me so it will last & be a good wardrobe addition. 3) Order sewing pattern for tunic top. Have already seen one & have the fabric. It's not wildly summery BUT if I like it, I can knock that pattern out in a couple of bargainaceous summer fabrics either this year or next.
All of this is sounding a lot better than wasting money on stuff I end up hardly wearing, like the old days....i.e buying a top in 2 or 3 different colours despite not really looking or feeling good in any of them. I'm sure improving my dressmaking skills is the answer. Am a demon knitter, but not as confident with making clothes......all those cheap tops I could potentially be turning out though......trots off to find the fabric.....
F x2025's challenges: 1) To fill our 10 Savings Pots to their healthiest level ever
2) To read 100 books (36/100) 3) The Shrinking of Foxgloves 6.8kg/30kg
"Life can only be understood backwards but it must be lived forwards" (Soren Kirkegaard 1813-55)0 -
Dressmaking doesn't always work out cheaper! The likes of Prim*rk & Mata*an often work out cheaper but of course the quality probably isn't as good as something you make yourself. But if you've got fabric to use anyway the only cost is a pattern, so definitely worth giving it a go.
Denise0 -
That's what I'm thinking, joedenise. I paid £7.98 for the fabric & the pattern is just the sort of style I like. It's a tunic style top but there are 3 or 4 different variations so I'd be able to buy the pattern once, but use it several times. It also includes a pattern for leggings, which I'm less likely to make, but I might if I found some awesome fabric. Am lucky that there's a fabric stall on our local market & he rarely charges more than £3.99 per metre, sometimes less - he often has some lovely stuff, so think it's probably worth dusting off the sewing machine to have a little go!2025's challenges: 1) To fill our 10 Savings Pots to their healthiest level ever
2) To read 100 books (36/100) 3) The Shrinking of Foxgloves 6.8kg/30kg
"Life can only be understood backwards but it must be lived forwards" (Soren Kirkegaard 1813-55)0 -
Wish there was a fabric stall in my local market or any of the others I can get to if necessary but for some reason none locally sell it and nothing as cheap as £3.99. The only local place I can get fabric is Dune*m and they are certainly not the cheapest!0
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Oh Foxgloves - I really need some of your motivation. How can I get out of 'can't be bothered' mode? I just seem to put me and the house at the bottom of every list - so nothing ever gets done.
I caved in last week and bought myself 1 summer top and 1 summer skirt. I had to - I can't cope in this heat at all...Not giving up
Working hard to pay off my debt
Time to take back control
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6290156/crazy-cat-lady-chapter-5-trying-to-recover-from-the-pandemic/p1?new=10 -
Joedenise - I know I'm lucky to have access to a good local market. The fabric stall is there every Wednesday. He has rolls & rolls of stuff stacked high, all sorts of stuff, & is happy for customers to rummage. I've never paid more than £3.99 a metre for anything & I like that he has jersey for making stretchy tops, etc, as I think that can be tricky to find. I like Dunelm but I'd have to head to a big city centre for that as we don't have a local branch so I don't go very often.2025's challenges: 1) To fill our 10 Savings Pots to their healthiest level ever
2) To read 100 books (36/100) 3) The Shrinking of Foxgloves 6.8kg/30kg
"Life can only be understood backwards but it must be lived forwards" (Soren Kirkegaard 1813-55)0 -
CCL - Well you have a huge amount on at the moment, so the beating yourself up for feeling 'can't be bothered' can stop right there, Missis!
There have certainly been times in my life when I've felt as you describe......& of course, do remember that since taking redundancy, I'm not working, apart from 2 voluntary roles in a charity & local politics.
But, what I do know, is that if I get stuck in a 'can't be bothered' rut, then I soon start not to feel happy with myself & it can become a bit of a spiral. You know, the more you cba to do something, the more you notice it needs doing until it's occupying a much bigger space in your head than it needs to......then you start beating yourself up because 'that job needs doing & soon' turns into 'I still haven't done that bloody job' & it becomes a stick to beat yourself with. So because I know I feel much happier if I'm on top of things, I try not to let too much stuff slip.
But I'm not out teaching all week in term time like you are & I don't have children to look after. Also, as you've identified before, I love growing stuff & cooking, which is a big advantage on the home front.
So don't beat yourself up m'duck! Choose 2 or 3 things you'd really like to tackle over the summer & think how pleased with yourself you will be afterwards.
Nearly over the line now, Cat!
F xx2025's challenges: 1) To fill our 10 Savings Pots to their healthiest level ever
2) To read 100 books (36/100) 3) The Shrinking of Foxgloves 6.8kg/30kg
"Life can only be understood backwards but it must be lived forwards" (Soren Kirkegaard 1813-55)0 -
2 more weeks Foxgloves and I cannot wait. I feel like I might sleep for the first week...
I have a list of jobs - like sorting through old clothes etc. And I'm lucky that I have good friends and a good support network around to help me...Not giving up
Working hard to pay off my debt
Time to take back control
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6290156/crazy-cat-lady-chapter-5-trying-to-recover-from-the-pandemic/p1?new=10 -
Onebrokelady - Hi there, I've just caught up with your diary too. Good to hear from you.
Oh, those bloomin' flamingo lights. Pretty, kitsch, a little bit quirky.....but v v plastic. They will only last for so long, won't be repairable, & will then sit in landfill forever. Like every other bit of plastic churned out since.....well, the invention of plastic...they will never biodegrade. I really did want them, but the feeling did go away & I'm pleased to say has not returned. I appreciate that you recognised the tempting pull of those pesky flamingos. I reckon the same Bad Fairy must have visited both our cradles at birth & sprinkled us liberally with magic spendydust! Thankfully the short-lived pleasure I used to get from buying heaps of stuff has been well & truly eclipsed by loving my budget!
Take care,
F xOriginal Debt Owed Jan 18 = £17,630 Paid To Date = £6,510 Owed = £11,1200 -
Onebrokelady - that's a good tactic. I do something a little bit similar sometimes. If the purchase is to come out of my monthly Personal Spends (which is always cash), I look at that amount of money in my purse & ask myself 'Do I want this item MORE than I'd like to keep that money in my purse?' & more often than not these days, I decide I'd rather keep my cash. Honestly, none of this is exactly quantum physics, is it? How different things would be if I'd been an early adopter of financial common sense. When I was a student (very much the start of my overspending & debt), there was a fellow student who lived in the same Halls & she always budgeted without fail. She was good with her money to the point of parsimony & I thought she was SUCH a goody-twoshoes tightwad! I often wonder what she's doing now....probably paid off her mortgage & got an awesome emergency fund at the very least!
F x2025's challenges: 1) To fill our 10 Savings Pots to their healthiest level ever
2) To read 100 books (36/100) 3) The Shrinking of Foxgloves 6.8kg/30kg
"Life can only be understood backwards but it must be lived forwards" (Soren Kirkegaard 1813-55)0
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