2020 Fashion on the Ration Challenge

PipneyJane

TwibbleDee said:

I balanced the budget today.  It might be a good thing that I didn't find any shirts.  

Congratulations, @TwibbleDee.  Often tackling the budget is the hardest part.  Personally, I micro-budget the lazy way.  The joint account takes care of all the household bills; everything else has its own, separate, savings account (holidays, Christmas, clothes/makeup, Knitting & Craft, the car, Fun Fund for nights out with my friends, new glasses account,  etc).  Whatever's left in my bank account after I've funded all those is mine to spend for the month on whatever I want (aka my "money to live off").  There have been times - in the 2000's - when some of those accounts only got £5/month but, even then, it adds up surprisingly quickly.  Ironically, my Money To Live Off now is smaller than it was back in the days I was struggling, but that's because I have expanded the savings account universe.  (Back then, I didn't have accounts for haircuts or the Fun Fund or a "Birthdays" account.  Now, I do.) 

The other concept I employ is Quarantine.  Whatever is in a designated account can only be used for that designation.  No robbing my clothes account to pay for a night out with the girls because the Fun Fund is empty and I've only £20 left of my Money to Live Off.

HTH

- Pip

Laura_Elsewhere

When I first moved to live with My Intended, I had to learn to manage someone else's money... I spent ages trying to convince him to set up some kind of monthly spending allowance for me, because I was fine with buying groceries using an account in my name that he put money into, but I felt awful buying anything personal like chocolate or yarn or hand cream... 

He kept on refusing to set up any kind of "pocket money" system - which I now see was quite right but in my inexperience I felt guilty buying anything non-essential... but his basic argument was:

- if you think buying something at that price just now is a good idea, then buy it. 

The idea being that if I felt I couldn't say that honestly, then it wouldn't be a good idea to buy the thing at that price just now. 

It's taken a looong time but it does feel liberating, *not* having to make furtive jokes with pals about hiding my purchases so he doesn't see I've been buying stuff again...! And it is nice feeling that my judgement is trusted completely. That is totally new! 

Laura_Elsewhere

@TwibbleDee - hope you and yours are safely out of the way of Hurricane Laura - sounds terrifyingly powerful (no relation, honest!); even parts of Arkansas are under serious storm warnings from Laura hitting the coast of Texas - blimey! 

PollyWollyDoodle

Interesting to hear how others manage their funds.   Everything is in one account apart from long-term savings, and I use YNAB to manage separate ‘pots’.  Unlike Pip I cheerfully borrow from another pot (if it has surplus in) when needed - usually because I have blown the ‘entertainment’ category although that’s happened much less in recent months, of course. 

Anything I make from eBay or more recently Ziffit goes into my PayPal account and I use it for hobbies eg yarn, fabric although I also have a separate category for hobbies in the bank account. 

‘Wardrobe Department’ covers my haircuts as well, and they are my single biggest expense in that category. My hairdresser charges London salon prices but I think a good haircut is essential, especially if you have very fine hair like mine. So far this year I have bought two pairs of boots and a sports bra - my aim was to buy only second-hand stuff apart from shoes and underwear. Even though charity shops have reopened here, I haven’t been shopping, so that category is well funded. It’s this thread that has made me focus much more on buying second-hand. Not only is it coupon free, but I’m also very aware now of the environmental cost of producing new clothes. I was too busy this summer to do any home dressmaking but it’s part of my plan. 

Hope you are ok TwibbleDee, Storm Laura (unlike our own sweet-natured version 😀) sounds scary. 

PipneyJane

Laura_Elsewhere said:

@TwibbleDee - hope you and yours are safely out of the way of Hurricane Laura - sounds terrifyingly powerful (no relation, honest!); even parts of Arkansas are under serious storm warnings from Laura hitting the coast of Texas - blimey! 

May I second that sentiment?  Please let us know how you get on @TwibbleDee.

- Pip

catherinekate

I'm so far behind on this thread that if I tried to catch up I'd never post! So I have read the last couple of pages and am saying Hi. And yes hoping all affected by Storm Laura get through it OK.

I nearly bought some yarn yesterday and then realised I had exactly enough, of more or less the right sort, sitting in the stash, so purchase averted. Still only spent 11.5 coupons YTD.

I also rather impulsive-bought a sewing machine - the one Pip highlighted from Aldi. Since then every single person I've mentioned it to has laughed and said they had one for the asking, my mother in law even has two spare (including a hand cranked 1940s job) so I feel a bit silly. Anyway I am happy with it and yesterday I finally managed to sew a straight line with correct tension. That took me 5 days to achieve.

I have joined a couple of sewing groups on Facebook and whilst they are full of kind and helpful people, I am a bit shocked at the wastefulness of it, people always posting about their huge stashes and big purchases and making 30 bras in 30 days. I will need to find my own way to some sort of low waste / low impact sewing I guess.

With some other hobbies I have a cost/reward system going e.g. for every mile I run I put 50p into my "running budget". I can't really see this working for clothes, the coupons system is working better for me as I tend to "buy cheap, buy twice" left to my own devices (or really, buy cheap, buy once, wear it with holes in . . . oops)

PipneyJane

catherinekate said:

I'm so far behind on this thread that if I tried to catch up I'd never post! So I have read the last couple of pages and am saying Hi. And yes hoping all affected by Storm Laura get through it OK.

I nearly bought some yarn yesterday and then realised I had exactly enough, of more or less the right sort, sitting in the stash, so purchase averted. Still only spent 11.5 coupons YTD.

I also rather impulsive-bought a sewing machine - the one Pip highlighted from Aldi. Since then every single person I've mentioned it to has laughed and said they had one for the asking, my mother in law even has two spare (including a hand cranked 1940s job) so I feel a bit silly. Anyway I am happy with it and yesterday I finally managed to sew a straight line with correct tension. That took me 5 days to achieve.

I have joined a couple of sewing groups on Facebook and whilst they are full of kind and helpful people, I am a bit shocked at the wastefulness of it, people always posting about their huge stashes and big purchases and making 30 bras in 30 days. I will need to find my own way to some sort of low waste / low impact sewing I guess.

With some other hobbies I have a cost/reward system going e.g. for every mile I run I put 50p into my "running budget". I can't really see this working for clothes, the coupons system is working better for me as I tend to "buy cheap, buy twice" left to my own devices (or really, buy cheap, buy once, wear it with holes in . . . oops)

< insert evil laugh here >

My plan is working.  We are the Borg.  We will assimilate you.

I don't know much about Facebook Groups.  I suspect, like many postings on FB, they're driven by "Wow!  Look at me!  Come and stroke my ego!" and not by general friendship.  (I read family/friends FB entries but rarely initiate my own posts.  If I want to download my brain, I'll write it on my blog.  If it's MSE relevant, I'll write it in the Forum.)  There is a Sewing Thread on here, @catherinekate.  It's fairly active. 

I like your cost/reward system.  I might have to borrow it for my running.

- Pip

Cherryfudge

catherinekate said: I have joined a couple of sewing groups on Facebook and whilst they are full of kind and helpful people, I am a bit shocked at the wastefulness of it, people always posting about their huge stashes and big purchases and making 30 bras in 30 days. I will need to find my own way to some sort of low waste / low impact sewing I guess.

Have a look on FB for 'Up-cycled cloth collective'.

I'm so glad I'm not the only one who spends hours and hours to get their sewing machine to sew. Mine was also a brand new machine. When I came back to it several years later (this summer) it worked like a dream so I must have left it in good order, though I'm a bit wary of changing anything ever again. A funny but unexpected moment was when I tried to put the presser foot down and the whole attachment dropped off! I don't know why but the controls were not where they are on every other machine I've ever used.

diminua

Managing funds - I have spreadsheets with predicted spend (up to the 1st January at the moment). Basically it's a glorified calendar but with all my ingoings and outgoings totted up each week, so I can see where I am and where I will be. It could probably be set up more efficiently by someone whizzier at excel, but it works ok. I do estimate what I will spend on different bits but as long as I know I'll keep in the black and can continue paying regularly into my savings I don't fret too much about being over or under those estimates. 

In clothes related news, I forgot to declare a spend on underwear last week, which is another 13 coupons. I've changed my signature and am now up to 37 out of 66 spent. 

Hope everyone is ok.  

thriftwizard

The bag's arrived and it's absolutely excellent! Lovely soft leather, but sturdy, stylish, secure & spot on colour-wise. I can slip my big camera into it with scarcely a bulge showing, plus all the everyday necessities needed at a wedding when you're mother of the bridegroom, best man, usher & two of the bridesmaids. Well worth the 5 coupons.

A 1940s sewing machine, catherinekate? A positive latecomer... I'm sticking to my 1909 treadle! I do have a very whizzy big computerised machine with hordes of stitches & alphabets upstairs (acquired secondhand; a huge bargain, but a bit fussy) but if it's a straight-stitch job, you'll find me on my much-loved treadle. Quilts, bags, curtains, dressmaking - it never skips a stitch.

Still need to sort out a new "posh" bra. I know I have plenty of coupons left, but that's not currently the case with actual money; I need to get the bodywork on my van sorted out, which will cost the best part of £1K, so I'm selling everything that isn't nailed down in an attempt not to use "family" funds, since my earning opportunities have been decimated this year. Hence I shan't be heading up to Rigby & Peller, just our local department store.