2023 Fashion on the Ration Challenge

PollyWollyDoodle

So, this year I’ve bought
One pair of boots
5 prs knickers
3 bras
A pair of slippers that were second-hand but looked brand new, still in the box so I’m counting them. 
I think that’s all I have bought new - so that’s 24.5 coupons. 

I have also bought a short sleeved shirt, two t-shirts, two pairs of jeans, a cashmere jumper, a cardigan, waterproof coat, a pair of trainers, a sundress, thing for covering up on the beach and a woolly hat. All from charity shops or second-hand selling sites, so no coupons. 

I’m so proud of my niece, who bought me a gorgeous scarf and a pale green necklace for Christmas, both from a charity shop!  

I am not going to roll over any coupons - happy to donate them to anyone who needs them!  I don’t want to be accused of hoarding. 

 This has really become a way of life for me now, I love the challenge of finding the right garment.  My style is mostly casual, but I often get complimented on things that I’m wearing or asked where I bought them. Because I favour fairly classic styles, my things don’t look dated (in my view!) so I’m still wearing stuff that’s years old.  I decided recently that I am bored with my down jacket, several years old but still good. I am actively hunting for a new one, and when I find it, the old one will be donated for someone else to use. Here’s to a frugal and secondhand 2024, I would like it to be a year in which I have some more home-made clothes. Great to see so many people following the challenge, and a huge thank you to @PipneyJane for the inspiration. 

Cherryfudge

Probably about time I got my clothes ration book (AKA week-to-view diary bought in sales last January) to see if there's anything left.

I am fairly sure I didn't write everything down, sorry. This is what I know about:

2 prs ladies' socks for gifts - 4 coupons
50g acrylic yarn - 1 coupon
Flowery trousers - 6 coupons
White cardigan - 5 coupons
2 prs men's socks for gifts - 6 coupons
trainers - 5 coupons
2 prs trainers - 10 coupons
3 bras - 4.5 coupons
1 hat - 0 coupons
5 prs ladies' socks - 5 coupons
2x 100g acrylic yarn - 4 coupons
3 prs pants - 9 coupons
1 pr ladies' socks - 1 coupon
Tippet - 2 coupons
= 62.5 coupons known to have been used.

Here's what I bought off-coupon - whether second hand, coupon-free or for DGDs, who are both under four so don't need coupons:
2 charity shop balls of yarn
pink cardigan
blue jumper
Fitflop sheepskin boots
Dark red leather bag
Bias binding
2 uniform shirts (bought in good faith but as I've now left the job, they are still in the wrapping)
Pyjama cord
Felt squares
Embroidery thread
Scarf
Grey Nike running top
Cross-body bag
Coast dress - was too small
Trekking sandals
Ribbon
Another Coast dress
Carboot sale items - not listed separately
Trainers
Green embroidered top
Another pink cardigan
Pink pashmina
Blue jumper
Toddler dress
Khaki embroidered shirt
winter weight slippers
Wallet
Blue joggers
Chambray dress
white ASOS tee shirt
Blue and pink M&S jumper
orange cushion
2 tee shirts 
green and white smart shirt
light mustard-coloured chenille jumper
scarf to match
red printed scarf
light blue Fat Face tee shirt
black tee shirt
red merino cardigan
grey wrap
white Craghopper tee shirt
blue polo shirt
Shein jeans
pyjamas
East Shirt, blue linen
Pink lacey jumper
Monsson black sleeveless tee shirt
Blue striped top
Dark grey Primark cardigan
Toddler PJs and dressing gown
Baby grow with accessories.

Of those, I've re-donated a pink cardigan, khaki shirt, chambray dress, M&S jumper and polo shirt.

It's a frighteningly long list!

flamingo747

That's excellent work Polly. Cherry, that is an impressively long list! Amazing to do it all within your allowance

retiredinfrance

Now that I’ve had my totals adjusted to 42.5/66, I , too, will donate my coupons to any person in need.  Wouldn’t want anyone to get into the clutches of a spiv. Also in memory of my mother and a wartime good deed of hers. Her sister in law who came from the depths of the country had fallen in love with a Welsh soldier . Her parents were against the marriage, although she was of age. She arrived up in my mother’s city intending to run off to his family or to live with him…. Over a weekend my mother got them married by special license , a wedding dress and trousseau procured- I suspect that my mother used her coupons as my mum liked things to be done properly and wouldn’t have wanted Helen to be seen as a poor Irish girl. The wedding dress was from the best dress shop and Mum sent the bill for that and the licence up country hinting that the bills could be shown to anyone that Helen had not “ run off to live in sin ”. They paid.

Cherryfudge

What a great piece of family history, @retiredinfrance! 

flamingo747

Oooh what happened next?! 

retiredinfrance

They went to Wales, he went to war, they had 4 sons, war permitting, never went back to Ireland while parents were alive- I suspect money was a more relevant issue as the children would have been youngsters. Lived happily ever after and Helen kept in touch with my mum.

retiredinfrance

Just in just in case someone points out that a British soldier wouldn’t have been in Ireland  during the war, and indeed at other times, I had typed Ireland in place of N Ireland to save typing. For accuracy purposes it was County Tyrone  and my mum lived in Belfast.

flamingo747

Awww how lovely that they loved happily ever after it seems so rare nowadays 

Laura_Elsewhere

flamingo747 said:

Awww how lovely that they loved happily ever after it seems so rare nowadays 

We are, me and Mr E We met when I was a student and he was tech support and lecturing on a totally different course, back in 1992, happily went out for about six weeks but knowing I was leaving at the end of my course, so we waved our fond farewell... 23 years of 'difficult' times for us each and it was nice having a memory that once there was someone who was just plain nice, not the tragic great love-of-my-life type stuff, just a comforting reassurance that not everything turns out bad... and then just as he was struggling into a new life leaving a very lonely marriage and I was struggling out of the summer when my dysfunctional family imploded for good, we found each other again via social media, and within the year I had moved here, and now (after more dramas and near0-tragedies) we are very contentedly married.... we are indeed living and loving happily ever after!