We’d like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum.
This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are – or become – political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.
PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING
Hello Forumites! However well-intentioned, for the safety of other users we ask that you refrain from seeking or offering medical advice. This includes recommendations for medicines, procedures or over-the-counter remedies. Posts or threads found to be in breach of this rule will be removed.2026 Fashion On The Ration Challenge
Comments
-
Surplus women quoted the headmistress of a GPDST school who told her girls in the middle of WW1 that most of them would never marry. Jeremy Paxman sneered at the book quoting statisticvs that most women did marry. He entirely missed the point that those middle class girls would have expected to marry their brothers' friends or their friends' brothers. The sort of boy who went to a minor public school and went out to Flanders as newly commissioned first lieutentants and who did die in disproportionate numbers in a very short space of time. Think Vera Brittan traumatised by the loss of her fiancee, his two friends and her younger brother.
But I've never much cared for Jeremy Paxman anyway so not surprised at his mansplaining
It doesn't matter if you are a glass half full or half empty sort of person. Keep it topped up! Cheers!10 -
@maryb - a college friend went to her dad's gym while she was home for the hols once, many years ago now, and eventually she approached A Certain TV Presenter working out at one of the weights machines, she being a bit embarrassed and flustered, but before she could really say anything, he talked over her, loudly and confidently, so lots of people turned to see as he admitted with a faux-modest smile that, yes, she had seen him on tv… only for her to interrupt him in turn to explain equally loudly that no, no, she had just wanted to let him know that one [bit of paired male anatomy] was hanging out of his short-shorts…!!!!!!
I never could take him seriously after that… :D2025 remaining: 37 coupons from 66:
January (29): winter boots, green trainers, canvas swimming-shoes (15); t-shirt x2 (8); 3m cotton twill (6);
.
2025 second-hand acquisitions (no coupons): None thus far
.
2025 needlework- *Reverse-couponing*:11 coupons :
January: teddybear-lined velvet jacket (11) & hat (0); velvet sleep-mask (0);9 -
@Nelliegrace thank you for the book mention. I have placed a reservation at the library.
Certainly times have changed. My mum had to give up her job, on marrying and I remember being hauled in for a telling off by my bank manager for going overdrawn, (early 80s) - with him asking 'what would my father think?'
Fashion on the Ration 2026 Coupons 12/66
Stash in: 12 coupons
Stash out (yarn): 6 coupons 4 x OH socks7 -
@Laura_Elsewhere you are welcome to your soapboxes, but please shove over - I want to borrow them.
The writers of the Geraldine MacEwan Marples just showed how ignorant they are of history and also showed their inbuilt misogyny. They couldn't understand why there wasn't a Mr Marple, so rationalised that she must be gay.
We are the ones who benefit from them. Most of them couldn't do much, but they could learn nursing or teaching - and they did. A vast number of women, unmarried, without homes or family of their own, able and willing to live on the job, able and willing to work extra long hours, able and willing to earn lower pay…
A group of (generally) well educated women who were exploited by employers and the state, because female labour was considered less valuable than male and "women don't need so much to live off". It's still playing out today. In the UK, the median average salary for a man is £48,832 per annum, while the median average salary for a woman in full time employment is £35,670.
Interestingly, nursing salaries have kept pace with inflation in the last 30-odd years, even though nurses still haven't received recognition for their level of responsibility or academic achievements. Patients go into hospital to be nursed.
(I've just been playing around with the Bank of England's inflation calculator. It is most depressing. Professional/middle class salaries have not moved in years. I recently applied for a job similar to the one I had in 2016 and the salary range was the same as it was back then. The inflation calculator tells me it should be £23k higher.)
- Pip
ETA: I totally agree with you.
"Be the type of woman that when you get out of bed in the morning, the devil says 'Oh crap. She's up.'
It ain’t what you do, it’s the way that you do it - that’s what gets results!
2026 Fashion on the Ration Challenge 24 spent out of 80.5 coupons (66 plus 14.5 from 2025)
12 coupons - yarn
12 coupons - 3 M&S thermal bodies11 -
I had a reminder of wartime life…
Everyone is fine, but we had a fuel-tanker explode near here today- we ran out and ended up spending forty minutes stopping cars going along that way despite the massive black clouds of smoke, and calling encouragement to the unendingly-long line of very scared but brave tiny kids as the primary school was evacuated…It made me really appreciate how many women have that, had that, as part of normal life… in Ukraine, Gaza, so much of the world, as well as here in Britain during the last war- and during the Troubles too. My 1970s primary school was near barracks so we had bomb-threats quite a lot but no actual bombings.
It must take so much emotional energy to keep on coping with dramas and sudden alarms…
2025 remaining: 37 coupons from 66:
January (29): winter boots, green trainers, canvas swimming-shoes (15); t-shirt x2 (8); 3m cotton twill (6);
.
2025 second-hand acquisitions (no coupons): None thus far
.
2025 needlework- *Reverse-couponing*:11 coupons :
January: teddybear-lined velvet jacket (11) & hat (0); velvet sleep-mask (0);10 -
Big hugs, @Laura_Elsewhere. That was a very good thing for you to do, diverting the traffic away from the site of the explosion.
Action makes incidents easier to cope with, relieves the stress hormones. It's when you can't do anything, that it all becomes so much harder to deal with. If it was 1942 now, I'd be doing first aid drills and spending my air-raids manning the first aid post…
- Pip
"Be the type of woman that when you get out of bed in the morning, the devil says 'Oh crap. She's up.'
It ain’t what you do, it’s the way that you do it - that’s what gets results!
2026 Fashion on the Ration Challenge 24 spent out of 80.5 coupons (66 plus 14.5 from 2025)
12 coupons - yarn
12 coupons - 3 M&S thermal bodies10 -
Please don't come off your soapbox. Exactly what I would have typed and was going to.
Having been in Germany for my holidays, I am always amazed how much the Germans love Margaret Rutherford. For my friends they enjoy Joan Hickson but Margaret Rutherford and the theme music is Miss Marple for them
“the princess jumped from the tower & she learned that she could fly all along. she never needed those wings.”
Amanda Lovelace, The Princess Saves Herself in this One6 -
Not sure where to share this, but I'm feeling rather smug and it is vaguely fashion related, so I'll share it here.
On Friday in the Boots App on my phone, I noticed a "buy a No7 product, get a free mascara" offer in the vouchers section. Since I'd just finished a tub of all-in-one foundation, I thought "perfect timing". Que much gnashing of teeth - the one I use was out of stock online. I visited two branches on the weekend; no joy at either. More gnashing of teeth.
I kept checking the App and, yesterday morning, my foundation in my colour was back in stock online. Noticed it was also on buy-two-get-one-free, so ordered 3 and, when I placed the order, discovered that they also applied a 20%-off discount, plus it qualified for free P&P.
My order was delivered today by the postie. £86.18 of value (3x£14.95 foundation, 1x£17.95 full sized mascara, £3.95 P&P), for £25.42.
I think I got a bargain.
- Pip
"Be the type of woman that when you get out of bed in the morning, the devil says 'Oh crap. She's up.'
It ain’t what you do, it’s the way that you do it - that’s what gets results!
2026 Fashion on the Ration Challenge 24 spent out of 80.5 coupons (66 plus 14.5 from 2025)
12 coupons - yarn
12 coupons - 3 M&S thermal bodies10 -
Well done you!
Sealed Pot Challenge no 14
Fashion on the Ration - 5666 ( 5 - shoes, 1.5 - bra, 11.5 - 2 pairs of shoes and another bra, 5- t-shirt, 1.5 yet another bra!, 3 coupons swimming costume 1.5 yet another bra, 10 coupons, 2 jumpers, 6 coupons 6 prs of socks, work trousers and steel toe capped boots, 11 coupons)7 -
Thank you, @Laura_Elsewhere for putting the record straight! It just didn't seem right. My favourite is Joan Hickson. She comes across as a genuine person to me.
Now I must go and read all the books for myself! 😊
2026 Fashion on the ration
Anorak = 11 coupons... total 11 used/66
Light anorak = 9 coupons...total used 20/668
Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply
Categories
- All Categories
- 354.4K Banking & Borrowing
- 254.4K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 455.4K Spending & Discounts
- 247.3K Work, Benefits & Business
- 604K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 178.4K Life & Family
- 261.5K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 16K Discuss & Feedback
- 37.7K Read-Only Boards