Frugal Fashion.

I have been buying.

Now, then don’t jump down my throat friends.

I needed some clothes. My work is very customer facing and after spending nothing on work clothes for about 2 –3 years. My office wardrobe had become very spartan. Plus my go to weekend jacket at 6 years old now looks very tatty. My Mum even said so (and we all know Mums know best). The pockets have been repaired so many times that now I cannot even patch them up as there is no solid material left.

Gone are the days of blowing £100-200 every 3 months on a new suit. Quite frankly, I have decided to stop wearing a suit to work. They are just too expensive, and everyone seems to be a little more casual now in the office.

I have one good suit left, but I only wear it now when I have an important client meeting.

So how to dress frugally ?

I turned to eBay. I have only bought clothes from eBay once before and it was not a wild success. I think the term “abject failure” would be more accurate, but as the suit only cost £4.50, I just donated it to a local charity shop and chalked it up to experience.

This time I went in and searched on specific makes in my size 0, ok I am lying size 12. :o)

I started off getting this.



A Joules jacket second hand. It cost £21. Joules clothes are beautiful. I bought a jumper and tshirt of theirs about 5 years ago and they just wash and wear wonderfully. A jacket like this is going to cost between £89-100. So I think it was a bargain and the colour is so beautiful. It really is in immaculate condition, and the lining looks (and smells perfect) 

Then I picked up this.

It is a Boden Wrap dress that would retail at about £69. It came in all the original packaging but the  label cut out. This particular seller seems to have a lot of end of lines of Boden. Again Boden is a name in the UK synonymous with quality and I could not normally afford their items, even in the sale. I paid £14.99.

I also picked up this M&S dress.

Again it was second hand, but a good sniff and intense review of the fabric, showed no sign of wear and tear. It really is brand spanking new. I reckon a dress like this would cost upwards of £70 off the peg. This cost me £8.50, and it fits like a glove. I really felt so smart and sexy in it and nearly everyone at the company commented on how nice I looked and a about 50% asked where I had got it.

And, finally...

This was the cheapest, and I am wearing it right now. It is a NEXT dress that I think would cost £29 - 35 to buy. Again, it was second hand and I can find no sign of wear and tear. The price? £5.51. Again my college “G” was waxing lyrical about it with a little vest top underneath and a plain black jacket, I really do feel very smart.

So total spend was £50 exactly on three dresses and 1 jacket, all excellent quality that I would never be able to afford at normal retail prices.

Excellent!

Frugally yours

Abigail

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Rest In Peace x

These are my work shoes. Bit grim are they not? The back stiffening has completely gone and until recently when I armed myself with a tube of superglue, they used to let water in through the soul of the left foot.

They are scuffed at the back and have been re-soled about 3 – 4 times. If I was being scrupulously honest I would admit they had a slight aroma too.

I only have these one pair of work shoes that cost me about £50. Normally work shoes last me about 6 months being worn from 7am-7pm 5 days per week.

These little babies have lasted about 3 years so I feel I have had my money’s worth.

For the last 3months I have been keeping an eye out for some new work shoes. They had to be smart and in leather that were comfy enough to wander around town, a lower heel to my current shoes and in black. Oh, and did I mention cheap too?

Since joining Ebay, I have put in a number of bids on slightly worn shoes with no success.

Until I won these. £8 incl P&P from Wallis in black leather. Worn once apparently (they look unworn to me!)

They arrived last night and are currently gracing my feet as I type and are very comfy.

Very pleased, they suit my limited budget and for £8 if they can last until January then I feel I have had my money’s worth.

My old shoes? Well they walked themselves out of W Towers and committed Harri Kari in a black wheelie bin.

Rest In Peace.

What was your best Ebay / Freecycle bargain?

Frugally yours

Abigail

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Ebay and Eggs Again.

Firstly, Hello and Welcome to my 2 new followers Lisa May and Compost Woman. Thanks so much for visiting and taking the time to comment. 

2 Ebay Auctions ended recently.

I sold a pair of shoes on Thursday and yesterday one of the Yves Saint Laurent make up palettes went too. The combined cash received should have been £43.74.

Note the “should have been”.

The lady who bought the shoes has not paid and despite repeated emails never responded, so today after warning her yesterday I referred the matter to the Ebay Resolution Centre. A few hours later I received an email from her stating her account had been hacked and she had not meant to buy them.

I do not think I believe her as she only has 3 feedbacks and 1 of them was bad saying she never paid. So I am stuck, I do not know what to do. Any ideas?

The make up palette buyer paid within a couple of hours and I will post it tomorrow.

It is all good news as it is money from my debt, and after checking my buyer is happy I have decided to knock it from Credit Card 2.

Still 2 items left which finish later today the Madonna catsuit and another YSL lip gloss palette. Both seem to be attracting little attention, but most of the bids seem to be in the last few minutes. Yesterday’s auction was at £7.50 until the last 30 seconds.

Once these are done I am going to have another rummage and see if anything else can be auctioned.

On a final note, I seem to have caused much debate with yesterday’s Egg Post. So many readers made very valid points and I do feel guilty at buying cheap eggs. No one local to me sells their own eggs from “back garden chickens” but I will keep a look out.

I would point out that until about 2 years ago when money really started drying up I always bought happy eggs.

I think it comes down the following decision, I will switch back to buying happy eggs, but in all honesty if it is the end of the month and money is very tight I probably will buy cheap eggs again if desperate.

Debbie, you made a very good point. When / where does ethical shopping end? I would happily always buy organic chicken and fair-trade but it so much more expensive.

Well, I can only do my bit I suppose when I can.

Frugally yours

Abigail

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One day At A Time

Firstly, Hello and Welcome to my new follower - Jessica. Thanks so much for visiting!

Thanks to my blogging friend Frugal in Norfolk for your wise advice yesterday, I do hope you do not mind if I copy it to a post

“Sometimes you can run, others walk and occasionally crawl or come to a complete stop. Things can only get better .....”

You are absolutely right. I thought about what you wrote and realised I was obsessed with paying off my debt. Do not misunderstand. I am pleased to be debt obsessed, but realised that this was not a competition. Paying off my debt, is a marathon not a sprint.

It is just as important to feel financially comfortable. By this statement I do not mean it is ok to go clothes shopping, or splash the cash on some overpriced knick knack.  I mean not to be worried about the next utilities bill etc.

So I took a big breath and gave myself a pat on my back for paying off so much in 6 months (71.7%) and gave myself permission in July to pay back a minimal amount. I believe it is important to keep the momentum going.

I also went and put a few more items on Ebay, another YSL new lip palette and then I took a deep breath and fetched out the Madonna Catsuit I bought a couple of years ago.

For our non British friends the “Material Girl” a few years ago bought out a one off collection at a highstreet retailer. The most sought after item was a knee length catsuit with a diamante zip. I bought it, only trying it on when I got round to my parents.  Once my Mum and I stopped laughing at my fat ass was poured into it, and my sister ceased to call me Edina I popped it away to a wardrobe with its tags still in place.

Anyhoo, it on now, so we shall see. Perhaps all this will allow me to pay some more off the debt or increase the savings.

In the meantime, I am taking everything one day at a time thinking “Well Abigail, nothing I need to buy just yet”.  Today I only spent £1.59 (cola and crisps) leaving my purse cash at £2.11 with 2 days left to go and 15 days until Pay Day.

Nothing I need to buy tomorrow either hopefully.

Thanks Frugal In Norfolk, for you well judged advice”

Frugally yours

Abigail

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I’m In The Mood

I am in the mood today for paying off some more debt, unfortunately I have no spare cash to do that.

So I put a pair of unworn M&S shoes on Ebay. Unworn due to the fact the heels on them are elegantly tall and entail me towering over The Chap. I loved them when I got them and still do, but they have never been worn, so go they must.

I really want to try and make some money this month, but am struggling to know what to sell and how much to expect to get for items.

For example these shoes cost me £29.50 a year ago and are unworn, even sporting the labels on the bottom. I hope that I could get c. £10. We will see if that is achievable over the next 7 days.

Then I think I will try to sell some old DVDs and maybe some ornaments that are currently hidden away in boxes.

I want to pay off an extra £40 during June and so far that seems a pretty tough challenge.

Not much writing this evening I am afraid, I woke at midnight and spent most of the night being violently sick only relieved by the stomach cramps. Pretty miserable!

Just want to go to bed if honest.

More tomorrow.

Frugally yours

Abigail

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UFOs Identified and Eliminated.

Firstly, hello and welcome to my new follower “adventures in dinner”. Thanks so much for visiting and Donna, I really appreciated your comment on my post about Mum. So thanks, it cheered me up no end!

It was a really productive weekend, if (being really honest now) a little bit lonely.

I had dinner with my parents on the way home on Friday, then popped into the supermarket. I will update my shopping page when I get a moment this week. £34.52 spent in Tesco. However, I did buy the final knife from their offer before it closed yesterday.

So I am not sure if it is allowed, if it is then this was my first ever No Spend Weekend.

I went to bed early Friday night and was up at 7.30am with the flat totally cleaned and vacuumed by 11.30am. “J” can round at 12.30 and I was able to serve up salmon steaks (donated by my mum) with baked potato served with sour cream and chives (courtesy of mum’s garden) and some reduced sugar snap peas / mini sweetcorn medley. Then I did jelly and ice cream for pudding. Yes, jelly and ice cream. Honestly, try it, give an adult jelly and ice cream this weekend and they love it as a one off. Takes you back to your childhood.  I also gave her my left over knife vouchers and she went off to buy 3 delighted.

“J” left about 3ish and I went and got out my sewing machine and overlocker. I moved my tailors dummy into the lounge and unfolded the ironing board.

Time to start on the Unfinished Objects (UFOs) that have been littering W Towers

1) So until about 8pm I then just concentrated on finishing my second wrap dress. I cut the piping and attached it to the neckline. Fitted the sleeves and hand sewed the sleeve ends and piping. I then put some detailing work on the ties and attached then after hemming the edge from both fold overs.

Basically the whole thing is done bar the hemming. The dress is far too long and needs a good foot cutting off. Whilst I could have done it on the mannequin, I decided to leave it until another pair of eyes was around. The last bit of hemming should take 20minutes. What do you think?

2) Shortened The Chaps new work suit trousers as they were far too long. I messed this up to begin with (more haste, less…) and got into a right panic thinking I had ruined them. I find in these situations, it is best to put everything down. Make yourself a cup of tea……ok or a rum and cola and not think about it. 30 Mins later I went back and looked at them. Realised I could sort it out with a lot of unpicking and went to bed. I finished them the next day.

3) I repaired the holes in my bed linen (base fitted sheets just pop open at the corner I find). It takes 10 seconds to repair on the sewing machine. Another UFO down

4) Repaired the holes in both pockets of my white winter jackets. As I normally bung my house and car keys in there small holes 2 months ago had grown in size until I could put my whole hand through into the lining of the jacket. I will admit I did not patch them properly. But as they are pockets, no-one will know and it means I can use my jacket again.

5) Sewed a button back on my work black trousers.

6) Sewed button back on my favourite TK Max winter wool smart coat.

7) Put my first item on eBay to sell, a sticky fingers blue suit. We will see how it goes.

I have not done as much as I wanted, as on Sunday as I woke up with a dreadful headache and could not get going until about 1 o’clock.

I also did all my washing and ironing and started out sorting this pile ready to file this week.

I was hoping to get on with my bag I am making too, but The Chap rang, he was back from traversing Tryan in Wales and had cooked a Thai curry and invited me round.

A quick bath and I was there. It had been a week since I had seen him and I was so glad he was back.

After a year together spending all weekends with him, not having him around I was a bit lonely. But, my gosh I am pleased all those nagging sewing jobs got done.

What about you, did you tackle a UFO?

Frugally yours

Abigail

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