Not buying new in 2015

[Flo]

Funny but one of the old guys on my allotment site says he has had damping off on all his brassicas for the first time ever.

[ina]

In a way it's good to know I'm not the only one. I have a few seedlings left - I'll try pricking them out into the stuff I used last years. Highly annoying! I was looking forward to kohlrabi again - had masses last year. And am just eating purple sprouting broccoli most days, and still have some kale left, and a couple of cabbages that have overwintered...

[Flo]

You want to have a good sterilizing session with your pots and growing area sometime just to ensure that you've nothing left for next year - it's a fungus that hangs around but good hygiene helps to cure it.

This buying nothing new lark goes badly. Could do with another handbag but nothing useful around the second hand shops this last couple of weeks. The standard of trousers has dropped too and replacing my gardening trousers is going to be game on. The stuff on the hangers was worse than the pair which won't stay up and which you can see through. Humf. Good thing there's no trouser shortage in the wardrobe at the moment.

Did buy new shoes last week - special offer of free postage and so it was worth it. Yeah, on-line job as nothing on the high street fits.

[ina]

I only have one handbag - have had that for around 25 years - and can't even remember the last time I used it! :)

I needed boots, too; just bought some, and then a few weeks later somebody on our local facebay offered Doc Martens in my size - practically new and for not much more than I paid for the cheapos... Sigh. Can't really afford yet another pair, though.

I have plenty of trousers - unfortunately, a lot of them are just a bit too small at the moment - anybody else have that problem, that the wardrobe is full of stuff you need to grow into?! (And no, I can't take them to the charity shops and buy something my size instead; they very rarely do anything in larger sizes.)

[Flo]

How do you manage to go round with no handbag ina? I need mine for specs, phone, camera, paper and pen, purse ................. I've looked at what's on offer in the charity shop and decided that mine will last a good bit longer yet.

[ina]

Rucksack! :) Much easier to carry - generally holds more, too, and copes with most of the usual shopping, too.

[Flo]

In the end a couple of usable handbags turned up. I like a small rucksack type bag for phone, purse, small camera, pen and paper. Don't want to be lumping anything big most of the time.

I've really got out of the shopping habit in general. Have just bought a couple of pairs of shoes at sale prices (end of line) from the internet wide foot shop I use. I really only need two pairs of shoes but you know how it is, sometimes the price is right and you put them in store. Mind you should have seen the gardening shoes I threw out - they were beginning to hurt poor feet.

[Green Aura]

I've just done our annual clothes shop - ebay, of course. New trainers for OH and second hand posh t-shirts. I've got a bundle of tops and skirts. £65 all in.

Who says I'm high maintenance.

[Flo]

I'll say you are high maintenance then ....

[Green Aura]

[Flo]

OK so I'm high maintenance today.

Went through the wardrobe, turfed out stuff that was no use (bamboo socks that were far too tight round the ankle and hurt, 2 pairs of gardening trousers that had shrunk for no good reason ...) and had to buy new after going for weeks around the charity shops in the case of the trousers. I have bulges in the wrong places so don't do zipped up ones you see ....

[Flo]

It's strange but once you get into the idea of trying not to buy new for a year, my shopping has dropped off considerably!

[Green Aura]

We went to our nearest farmers' market this weekend. To be honest it wasn't very big, or particularly brilliant, but I could generally spend quite a few bob in such a place.

I spent less than £30 - unheard of.

[Flo]

How do you manage to spend that much at a farmers' market? Other than the veg stall that sells what's on the plot and the plant stall that does good herbs I'm stuck - mind ours is into pies and alcohol and cakes - with me being not a meat eater, not a drinker and not a buyer of cakes with eggs in it can be limiting.

[Green Aura]

2 types of cheese, strawberries, moisturiser (I wanted something for my trip to Finland) and a lip balm for the gal, 3 jars of chutney and 2 very small pies and I can't remember if there was anything else but I don't think so.

You don't get much for £30 these days, Flo.