Steadily climbing the mountain, enjoying the view along the way

Humdinger1

Happy birthday to Mr KK! Congratulations on all your plans and savings @KajiKita. Yup £114 is easily spent on nosebags out - it was conscious spending though not in a red mist/frenzy so that's MSE. Love Humdinger xx

Skint_yet_Again

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81905097#Comment_81905097

£114!! 🫣 I would have cried 😉 Easily done I suppose with starters/main/dessert/wine/ coffees? Belated happy birthday to Mr KK.

Glad you have been able to get out in the garden

KajiKita

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81905205#Comment_81905205

I do like this idea … but have taken £28 out of my cash pocket money and put it aside for next month 😊 And yes, he had a lovely birthday weekend 😊

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81905286#Comment_81905286

He’s definitely steadily improving. Every time he goes to get it dressed it hurts less and the nurse is pleased with his progress. The one downside is he is becoming more active and as a result the dressing is not staying on properly, which means I am having to do patch ups! Ordered a huge roll of dressing tape today so I can stop wasting plasters patching him up 😉

@debtfreewannabe321, I’m glad you saw me as being public spirited! 😂😂

@Humdinger1 I am very glad I added a birthdays pot last year as it means I can be freely generous which I always enjoy ☺️

@Skint_yet_Again it was two starters, two mains, one dessert (shared), one wine, two sparkling waters, but he properly indulged himself with a fillet steak! 😉

KK

KajiKita

In other news … my sweet peas have started to germinate!! 🤩🎊🎉❤️😊🌞💐 Squeeeeee!
I have diligently and lovingly watered them along with the sage cuttings I rescued, I think, over Christmas when I removed the huuuuge sage bush in the veggie patch - two of the three rescues are sending up fresh growth ❤️

My right shoulder is really giving me gip and has been for over a week. Disturbing my sleep and impacting everything i do with that arm … It’s not due to the training I’m doing atm, but due to the reverse arm rotations at high speed the instructor had us doing at dancemums… I felt something ‘twang’! I’ve knocked that on the head now, partly because it clashes with my training but also because I never did think it was well taught and the shoulder injury was the final straw …. However, I contacted two of the people who went to the class today to say ‘goodbye’ and one of them wants to meet up for walks to help get her steps up, which I am really chuffed about 😊

Did the shoulder rehab exercises my coach has set (it’s a rest day for me so no actual training) and sent my coach some feedback.

The other OAT I have tackled this evening is to try on all the delivered items from MnS and beneath armor. I found it very interesting and it has completely reinforced my perception that MnS have gone very, very wrong with the shape and cut of their clothing these days … I’d ordered a pair of H0bbs work trousers from MnS and they fit really well, delighted with them, I will keep them for ‘best’ days. Then I tried on the MnS equivalent - wouldn’t even close around my waist and if they are a long fit as per the label,then I must be a flipping flamingo as they were flapping around my calves! 😳 (I do exaggerate here, but honestly only slightly). If I had gone up a size for the waist, my legs would have been swimming!
I then moved onto the training tops - the beneath armor were a good, slightly snug fit, nice colours, spot on. The MnS version - the sleeve inset was just weird - as if my arms were meant to come out another 3” down my body, out of my ribs and the body section was as baggy as, even though the shoulders fit. Super, super, weird … I’ve been thinking it’s me, my problem, for aaaages, being fat and out of shape - nuh huh - MnS are producing for their outlet on the far side of Mars or some such! 🙄 I see many returns in my future … 🔮 🤔

No PB win this month - oh well, best keep pootling on I guess 😉😊

Time for a shower and a new novel methinks 😊

KK

PennysIntoPounds

Excellent scientific investigation! I have felt that M&S clothing quality has been steadily going downhill for a good few years now, which is such a shame as it used to be the dependable place to pay a few quid extra but know it would be decent, now it's not cheaper than anywhere else but is as poor quality as everywhere else

Ouch to the shoulder, hope it eases soon

KajiKita

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81908223#Comment_81908223

Both of these are desperately frustrating, the shoulder obviously, but I’d really like to support MnS as a British, historic, institution, employing British workers (in their shops at least). But unless I want to actively waste money (I can hear the collective MSE shudder from here! 😂), I no longer can …

🤷‍♀️

KK

PennysIntoPounds

I feel the same @KajiKita but they make their clothes in the same cheap labour countries as all similar (and cheaper) brands so at the end of the day, M&S ain't paying your mortgage, you are

beanielou

Yes, sad on M & S demise. I no longer buy from them but other British brands who manufacture here & support the economy. When I was wee there was a M & s factory near to me. There was a fantastic factory shop. Sadly all very long gone but well within my living memory. So sad.

badmemory

I still have a couple of MnS things I bought 50 years ago & still wear. Things I have bought in more recent times haven't even lasted 2 years.

Greying_Pilgrim

beanielou said:

When I was wee there was a M & s factory near to me. There was a fantastic factory shop. Sadly all very long gone but well within my living memory. So sad.

Same beanie - well, the factory was in Greying Town, I lived a few miles outside at the time. But the factory was well-known, and it was seen as a great job if you got into that factory, you were taught valuable skills (bona-fide apprentice scheme), and the pay was quite good (compared to other offerings for predominantly female employment). Whole generations of families were employed there, and it was a sad, sad day when the factory closed in the….. 80's? or very early 90's. And to this day - although obviously it is diminishing, you will see death notices where the people are still noted - with pride - as having worked at the "X" factory - it was held in such regard, and you were too, as an employee.

Greying X