Resourcefulness: The budgeter's friend

foxgloves

@EssexHebridean - I have always been a sucker for nice boots. My first pair was bought for me at the age of 10. They were knee-length cream-coloured vinyl (do bear in mind I'm likely a good bit older than you, so this was the 1970s) . We weren't allowed to wear boots at our primary school unless there was a medical or otherwise genuine reason. I remember developing a sore toe around then & absolutely milking it so as to be able to wear said cream vinyl horrors to school for a whole week. They were fur-lined so were naturally the ONLY footwear I owned which I could walk in without limping - what a drama queen, but it did the trick & they were much admired! Surprised I got this past my Mum as she was strict & usually would have told me to wear my school shoes, dodgy toe or not.
My love of boots has certainly added to the debtisodes over the years - can't decide if the worst buy was the ruched purple suede pair with such high heels I couldn't walk in them, or the ultra-soft suede heavily fringed moccassin-type pair which were so structurally unsound that they would twist while walking.
Being a size 5, I too would look at the children's section but only in Ravel (remember them?) which was a fave shop of mine. In fact, my wedding boots came from their children's section....soft black leather with a sufficient heel to keep my dress off the floor & sparkly diamante buckles.
F

badmemory

Confession time here.  I have never ever bought boots.  But only because they always seem to curl back into my heel & hurt.  However, back in the Mary Quant days I did buy a pair of, I'm not sure what to call them, knee high spats possibly.  You wore them over black shoes & it looked like you were wearing boots.  I confess to loving very mini skirts, although standing on buses tended to be a better option than sitting.  Unlike the tight fitting ones of today they tended to be more A line & be dresses, so don't lift your arms.  I even got married the first time in a mini skirt white dress.  Made by my own fashion designer of course.  It is surprising what people will believe.  But then I had been doing it since I was 12 at least.  I hated the fact that bought ones never fitted properly.

milann

Wedding boots sound lovely.
I got many things from the children’s dept until I was about 30 including a gorgeous black tiered gypsy style dress I wore for special occasions for years. 

Blackcats

I loved Ravel as a teenager - so much more exciting than the shoe shops my mum preferred.  My worst buy (but I thought they would be wonderful) was a pair of high heeled shiny black shoes with white stars punched out of them.  I don't think they were leather but they were very stiff plastic and gave me blisters on my heels and most of my toes.  I persisted until I could stand the pain no more.  I sometimes think my feet still bear the scars from those shoes.  

PennysIntoPounds

Raising a glass to you and your mum x

kayannie

My favourite boots of all time came from Ravel in the 1970's. They were knee high, purple boots, made of the softest leather. Worn with a very short purple mini skirt, I thought I was the bee's knees! KA

foxgloves

It was a lovely shop - a little more expensive than all the British Shoe Corporation chains, which were all v similar, but they did have very good sales. Certainly the lure of this shop played its part in building my 24- year overdraft. I was so sorry when I heard they were closing down.
@kayannie - That would have been such a trendy look at the time. I was also a sucker for purple boots.
F x

foxgloves

@PennysIntoPounds - Thanks, I try to focus more on remembering the people I have lost on their birthdays, rather than the anniversary of their deaths. I will be having a nice big warm cheese scone in Mum's memory this weekend. They were her absolute favourite.
F x

foxgloves

Afternoon Friday Frugalistas,
Busy but pleasant day. Budget positives as follows:
*Mr F took our car for its big annual service 1st thing,  which cost £200 LESS than the price we were quoted. That's going to be much less of a hit to the Car Maintenance Saving Pot than expected. 
*Baked a cake for the birthday boy.
*Made a batch of fudge - the one outstanding gift I had left to sort out. Now boxed in the one I made from my wrappings stash.
*Saved some of the blue-top milk leftover from the fudge for making bread sauce. Saved leftover evaporated milk to go in a rice pudding.
*Baked a white crusty loaf.....a chunk of which will be nabbed for the bread sauce.
*Went around garden with secateurs cutting holly, ivy, fir & bay & made this year's festive wreath using the internal frame of a bought one which I saved ages ago. Decorated it with my usual combination of sprayed-silver fir cones & shiny red baubles which were from the 99p shop years ago. A recycled silver bow completed this free project & it is now on our front door.
*Put the Christmas tree up while singing carols & folky stuff. Mr F helped me with the lights.....mostly trying to set them.up.so the cable looks as unappealing to Soot & Ash as possible.
*Mr F's cooking night - more items out of the freezer & veg which needs using up.
*Entered a competition.
I think that's it. Am watching something lovely now, & not on TV so no electricity involved - instead, a fabulous sunset over the houses opposite which is getting more vivid every minute.
Love F x

badmemory

The sky here was an unusual colour which looked to me like snow.