I had never heard of the concept 'swishing' until my friend Helen mentioned it to me a few weeks ago. Sounding a little bit ominous and conjuring initial images of car keys thrown into a fruit bowl etc, I decided to find out a bit more. It turns out swishing parties involve the swapping... of clothes and is very legit! Everyone needs to bring in an item of unwanted clothing (still in good condition), socialise a little bit whilst browsing and then swapping commences. I'm keeping my fingers crossed Helen will run one but if not, I think Ken and I should definitely get some 'swishing' on the go. What could be better, upcycling 'new' clothes', good social times and saving money? It's what T6 is all about!
According to www.swishing.com, running a Swishing party is simple, just follow the rules of the rail:
1) Everyone must bring at least one item of quality clothing.
2) You will have half an hour to browse before the swish opens.
3) No item may be claimed before the swish opens.
4) As soon as the swish is declared open, everyone may take what they want.
5) Remember no scratching, spitting or fighting.
Vintage kilo fairs
If you happen to be in London or Edinburgh on these dates, pop into a kilo fair ran by www.judysvintagefair.co.uk. Pick your items, go to the scales and pay for what they weigh. That simple. At £15 per kilo, there's every chance you could get several bargains!
As we approach T4, I need to perhaps confess this month has not been as plain sailing as one would have liked and hoped for. Like Ken, I too have made a few slip ups albeit ones with good intentions. Like Ken, pre T6, I would have reacted similarly and just buried my head in that metophorical money sand pit until it all hopefully blew over. However, following Ken's posts and realising that if I just blogged it out, other T6er's wil take stock and realise sometimes there are times when I shouldn't lead by example. So here's my comprehensive list....
Errors and fails
Ebay
Personally, I have nothing against Ebay when used responsibly. Around the time of T3 and at work, I wondered over to the reprographics room for no other reason than to drop some papers off and procrastinate with the repro lady legend that is known as Michelle. During our conversation, Michelle said she got all her clothes from Ebay saying it was great for bargains and she recently bought a Monsoon dress for about £3 which looked practically new. So I thought yes, definitely a thrifty way to buy clothes (my Achilles heel). Anyway, I signed up and hunted for a Topshop tshirt I have had my eye on for a while, setting my budget no higher than £10. Like I said, I had good intentions. As the bidding frenzy ensued and I was clicking that 'place bid' button, the excitement of winning my potential item took over to the point where I ended up getting that t- shirt for £11.26. So, over the intended budget when P&P came to £4.00 too. Here's the life lesson and one which I reflected upon. As you're clicking on that 'place bid' button to get one over the other bidders, you don't win. No, what you end up with is an used dinosaur t-shirt and paying more than you would because you want poll position in the eBay bid battle. I can only blame my childhood memories of 'Sports days' where getting that 'good effort' sticker for taking part does not make you feel any better for coming fourth in the wheelbarrow race.
Anyway, if you are sensible like Michelle, Ebay can still be a place for bargain hunting. Just go in with a sense of awareness and use the tips below:
Set your budget and don't go any higher, unlike me. Be strong!
My sister told me to bid at the last minute as this is when you are more likely to get the best deals so bookmark the page and keep an eye out on the watch list before swooping in with your bid.
Watch out for P&P costs. They add cost to your bid which only gets added on after you are the 'winning' bidder.
Rail ticket fodder
I can only blame human error for not making the mistake once but twice! As you may recall around T2 time, I placed my tips about getting some good deals which I still stand by but not when you do stupid, frivolous things. My friend Paul and I went to Liverpool on Wednesday but I can only blame myself for the mistakes before.
Error 1
When your friend texts you to say he is free to go on Wednesday 11th April, don't book your tickets for Tuesday 10th April. So, I got those bargain tickets but on the wrong day! Oops. Train companies don't let you change the days for free either. I rang their customer line and was told the following fees would result. So if you wish to amend your tickets, there is the initial admin fee of £10 then a charge of £10 per ticket you wish to change!Wanting to change four tickets is pricey! Being told this, I opted just to book new tickets.
Error 2
Yes, book two single tickets as they're cheaper but always check you put in the right information! I put in the wrong days again for our outbound journey didn't I? Because I am an idiot.... When we got to the station, to see if they could change it, the computer does always say 'no'and thus, it ended up with not a very thrifty costing trip. We did have a great time though despite the farce that is me. See below. Thanks for reccommending Crosby beach Ken - loved the outdoor sculpture 'Another place' created by Antony Gormley! We got acquainted with number 64 and it has become one of my favourite places to visit.
'Crosby beach' with our main man '64'
To get here: Walk to Liverpool Central station, head for platform 2 for the train to Southport. Trains depart every 15 minutes and you can get a ticket for 3.50 which can be used as a public transport pass all day.
Albert Docklands - also showcasing some very blue skies :)
Spent sometime pondering where 'This morning' was broadcast.
Despite these errors, we should take stock and move forward. Rachel is a teacher and she says that when she conducts parents evenings, she tries to use the positive, negative, positive sandwich when meeting parents. So, despite the errors above, I will apply this sandwich metaphor accordingly.
Wins
Blue rainbow Apartments...
have been a nice discovery. I went to a hen do recently in Manchester and stayed in these apartments where we paid £38 per person for the night which I thought was great, particuarly when some hotel rooms for the same standard can cost more and are less convenient for socialising in. Costs were also kept down as we bought food and drink in too. Here's the link. We had a great stay. Thanks blue rainbow apartments!
I like music and I listen to it alot. I am fully aware following my degree where I was made to study audiology that my hearing is impaired and I predict full loss in the year 2022. This means I have gone through a lot of pairs of ipod headphones which are v.pricey at £27.99 if you get them at HMV. However, my sister Po is a smart cookie and she took out this great insurance where you can hand in your damaged ones and get a new pair for £3 so definitely worth checking out!
Summer Camp
Along with continuing thriftiness and good times. I paid £5 to go see a band called 'Summer camp' at the Harley. I knew nothing about them and am happy to say, the duo were definitely a lot of fun to watch.
Don't let the red polonecks and cats put you off.
Spotify
I'm not on 'Facebook' but my younger, much cooler sister is, so if you want to stream your music for free, I think you log through your fb account and sign up to 'Spotify'. On the other hand as I'm about five years behind when it comes to catching onto tech trends, I suspect everyone and their pet dog is spotifying as we speak.... I still find it advanced, we can watch 4od for free - I have been amusing myself with the delights of series 6 'Peep show'. Just ace.
Nothing to do with thriftiness but I am very glad I made a few rail ticket errors and it hasn't left a permanent reminder on my face...
.jpg)
