My wedding dress cost £35 from Dickens & Jones in Richmond..1971.. about £430 in today's rates!
DH and I pay out for gigs/theatre and eating out. I never think how much cheaper it would be if I was at home! I go out to meet friends, be entertained and to enjoy my time with DH & pals .. it would spoil the event! If I have decided to pay out why then mutter about the cost.. unless it is an unexpectedly disappointing meal/ show? W go to the cinema a lot too.. TV screen not the same!
I rarely buy a full priced item of clothing.. always in a sale!
I usually pay more for everyday clothes than 'occasion' wear as I don't go to many occasions when posh frocks etc are required! I trawl charity shops and make some of my own clothes.
I do buy Neale's Yard toiletries …..
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How much is the most you would pay?
(164 Posts)I've come to the conclusion that I set quite low limits compared with other people about how much I will pay for things. A friend and I were discussing theatre tickets, I find £50 about enough but wouldn't go past £100 which apparently means most London theatres now. I think £200 dresses are too much apart maybe for a one off occasion like a wedding and then I would have to be sure I loved it and couldn't find anything cheaper. Do you set limits on what you pay for things?
We paid £10 for two glasses of wine in a pub in Windermere. We watched the barman pour it. It was the same wine we buy in Aldi for £3.49 a bottle. DH was not impressed.
I will pay no more than £35 for concert/theatre tickets, £3 for a sandwich and I'm still wearing clothes I wore at work 10 years ago which mainly came from my friend's catalogue. We do buy good quality food, organic where possible and one of my dogs has a total cereal and rice allergy so his food is pricey.
I did pay about twice that for a wedding outfit many years ago - but that included shoes, bag and hat - worn twice and has sat in the wardrobe ever since (just in case I have an 'occasion' to go to).
I'd feel quite sick (butterflies in the tum!) at paying £200 for a dress. That's probably why I dislike going shopping for clothes because I look at the prices and think No.
We were out somewhere recently and DH was grumbling that, for 2 coffees and a sandwich for him, cheese scone for me he paid £14.90!
I like a spritzer and one pub charged £8.50 - it's just a small white wine topped up with soda.
Thanks so much for all these lovely comments and for being skinflints. I was shocked to hear how much some things cost and I really don't understand designer labels. I was in the children's department of a shop the other day and they had designer stuff for kids!!!
You may well be right there, Maggiemaybe, as I've got some things that weren't particularly expensive, but have lasted well. There are expensive things that aren't very good quality, I agree. Some sell purely because of their label rather than how well they are made. I think I've inherited my Mums tendency to look at things before buying - are the hems straight, is the stitching strong, do the patterns match at joins, etc! ?? ( She worked for a dress maker before the war and made a lot of our clothing - a skill I didn't inherit, unfortunately, and so was well aware of these things). I think she would despair at what passes quality control nowadays!
I’m worse when it comes to drinks out. I was grumpily calculating the cost of the ingredients in my g & t at our quiz night this week. DH is always embarrassed anyway by my answer to “what gin would you like, which tonic?”. The cheapest. 
annsixty I do that too ( comparing meal prices to home!)
Especially with puds.
DH says darkly if we are out and ordering coffee and cake
‘Don’t get started!’ Haha.
Thank you, shandi. I’m too thrifty to put weight on and have to buy new clothes. 
Well, being from Yorkshire, am even more of a cheapskate than you trisher I always want a bargain.
Have never spent a great deal on clothes ( but look reasonable I hope) and never more than £35 ish on theatre tickets.
Our three AC have all had weddings, and again I didn’t spend much on an outfit ( there’s really no need.)
I now know I am a tightwad.
I have never paid £100 for a coat, I don't wear dresses but £35 is the most I
Have ever paid for trousers but Have been known to buy good tops but not many of them.
When out for a meal I constantly compare the cost with how much I could have cooked it for at home
If only my bank balance showed the result of this tightness.
Maggiemaybe I'm jealous that you can still fit into something that you bought over 20 years ago
.
I am in a very fortunate position to live in London and be able to get cheapish theatre tickets, mainly for matinees. Now I can walk further than 100 yards I may start doing that again.
I was spoiled when working being given free tickets with great seats occasionally but we had to go that evening most of the time.
I have very wide feet so I have to pay around £79 for a pair of shoes or I would be walking in my bare feet.
I don’t think spending a lot necessarily means that things will last though, Mapleleaf. I’m just going to have to say goodbye very reluctantly to a cream and black stripy sateen shift I bought (yes, in the sale) from Tesco for £10. Of all my clothes it’s been easily the most versatile and most complimented and has seen me through lunches, parties, dances, Christmases, holidays for over 20 years. The material’s gone now by the back seam and despite my best efforts it’s beyond repair. Even now I’m thinking of cutting it down into a little top and a cushion cover (as I said, I’m a skinflint!).
The most I would pay for:
Theatre/gig tickets £35
Tea or coffee whilst out £3
Shoes /boots £40
Dresses £45
Knitwear £35
New coat £100
Skin care £45
Anything for my home? limitless!
I recently paid £8.43 for two pieces of fresh haddock, was stunned at the cost, which incidentally was delicious, but not sure I will be repeating that again.
I do tend to set myself limits, even more so now I'm not working. However, as someone up post said, its relative to your own situation and also to your own preferences. £200 for a dress may seem a lot to spend, however, if it's going to get the wear and lasts a decent length of time, then it's probably better than spending £25-30 on something which looks worn out after a few wears and needs replacing more frequently. Perhaps buying things less frequently because they are well made ends up being better value.
Food wise, I shop around, but I do like decent quality and to know its provenance, so probably spend a bit more, but find I have less waste as it gets eaten.
There are no pockets in shrouds.
Shows and such like can be pricey, but they are a treat.
A good job I am sitting down when reading what people pay for items. GrannyGravy my spending is not relative to my income or savings- I am Scottish!!!!
I would prefer not to go than pay £200 for a dress which may only be worn once.
I live in London so unless I want to starve I am resigned to paying over £3 for a sandwich but my last one was only egg and cress- heaven knows what meat or prawns would have cost. I know I am a skinflint and take after my father who rarely let the moths out of his wallet.
Blimey you all put me to shame I ve never spent that sort of money £35 for a theatre ticket would be my limit and most of my clothes that aren’t charity shop would be in the £20-£30 range, highest I ve paid for shoes/boots is £45 I would never pay £6 or £7 for a sandwich I could have made at home £3 ish would be my limit and a coffee would be £1,50 to £2.50
£6-8 is high for fish and chips Gabrielle large (and it’s huge) cod and chips would be over £4 under £5 and I live by the seaside
I'm not one for eating out as one can never be sure just how fresh the food is and lots of chefs take smoking breaks. Do they wash hands or breathe over your food as they plate up?
Besides which, a lot of food is pre-
prepped miles away and frozen.
The exception is cod and chips from a good chippy, about £6-8 by the sea.
Never pay silly money for coffee and cake but so do pay for organic bread baked locally, British fruit and veg in season and local conserves and yogurts, butter, cheese.
Clothes? £25 tops for trousers, £20-25 or less for jeans, £30 max for tops. Shoes?...it depends but certainly nowhere near £100.
My fav ankle boots were £4 from a charity shop and were originally from Tesco (F&F)
I recently paid £11.50 to get them heeled. 
I do spend a fair bit on homeware and bedding but always want a bargain.
Well, unless you're Meghan Markle or however you spell it.
Surely our spending caps are relative to our income and savings?
I do resent paying a lot for a cup of coffee.
About £3 is my absolute limit for a fancy one.
I won’t spend money on new clothes or shoes, but I’ll happily spend cash on my baking/biscuit icing hobby or any amount getting decent quality dog food for my girls. Might have to cancel Cornwall holiday because of the vet bill and my dentist who thinks I’ve extremely deep pockets.
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