Another of those articles full of numbers we all like to discuss.
I was intrigued by this paragraph. How do you compare?
Among the items its panel considered necessary for the average man were 10 pairs of boxer shorts, 10 pairs of socks, five pairs of jeans, two pairs of trousers, two suits, 26 shirts of various types, two pairs of smart shoes and two pairs of trainers.
Full article is
www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22065978
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Some strange ideas in the Beeb article. Some people (The Rowntree Foundation) states that a single person needs £%.13e a week for alcohol! Anybody who really "needs" alcohol should see their GP or join AA before their problem develops
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>> Some strange ideas in the Beeb article. Some people (The Rowntree Foundation) states that a
>> single person needs £%.13e a week for alcohol! Anybody who really "needs" alcohol should see
>> their GP or join AA before their problem develops
There's an element of comparing apples and oranges in the BBC article as the surveys have different standards. The JR one was for a modest level of social comfort and hence the need for wine/beer. It's not about 'need' in the sense of 'require'.
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>> I was intrigued by this paragraph. How do you compare?
>>
>> Among the items its panel considered necessary for the average man were 10 pairs of
>> boxer shorts, 10 pairs of socks, five pairs of jeans, two pairs of trousers, two
>> suits, 26 shirts of various types, two pairs of smart shoes and two pairs of
>> trainers.
Boxer shorts ~ 16 pairs
Socks ~ 32 pairs
Trousers ~ 16 pairs plus 2 pairs for gardening
Suits ~ 3
Shirts ~ Short sleeved 23, long sleeved 33, no tee shirts
Smart shoes ~ 9 pairs
Casual shoes ~ 3 pairs
Gardening shoes ~ 2 pairs
Anoraks ~ 8
Overcoats ~ 2
Ties ~ 25
Jeans ~ none
Trainers ~ none
Fortunately, we have integral wardrobes stretching the full length of one wall in all three bedrooms plus a free-standing wardrobe.
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>>Trainers ~ none
No trainers... How can anyone live without trainers?
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8 anoraks? jeez its cold and wet up there in Licolnshire.
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Should have done mine I guess, as I asked the question.
Boxer shorts, 10, amazingly
Socks 36 pairs. I counted them the other day for my sins.
jeans - none
trousers - four pairs
suits - none
shirts - 18
shoes - one pair
trainers - none
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>> 8 anoraks? jeez its cold and wet up there in Licolnshire.
>>
A snail has to keep warm!
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>> No trainers... How can anyone live without trainers?
>>
Smart shoes ~ 9 pairs
Casual shoes ~ 3 pairs
Gardening shoes ~ 2 pairs
Last edited by: L'escargot on Fri 26 Apr 13 at 09:11
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Don't "do" clothes, much to SWMBO's annoyance.
I have one suit which I've worn once since the job interview I bought it for nearly 2 years ago. Don't like suits, and cannot understand the place they have in business culture. The sooner they die out the better. I have a couple of ties. Haven't worn a tie at all since the same interview. Awful, and utterly pointless things.
My employer, in a rare moment of sense and logic, has established a smart casual dress policy, so I tend to wear chinos and a shirt. Have a shirt for every day of the week, plus a couple of spares.
Outside work, I live in jeans and T-shirt. Have probably 10 T-shirts and 3 pairs of jeans. Also have a pair of combat trousers which are supremely warm and comfy, and a pair of lounge pants which are superb for hanging about the house.
A few pairs of shorts which haven't seen much action in the past few years thanks to the permanently absent British summer.
One pair of formal shoes, one pair of trainers, one pair of wellies, one pair of Converse. Between them they cover absolutely every situation or activity I indulge in. SWMBO cannot understand how any human being can exist with just four pairs of footwear. I cannot understand how any human being can require more than 20 pairs, as she has. ;-)
One winter coat, and one fleece.
Unless I count the overalls I have for DIY or tinkering with the car, that's all my clothing.
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>> One pair of formal shoes, .........
I don't want to be seen wearing the same shoes at every formal occasion.
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>>
>> I don't want to be seen wearing the same shoes at every formal occasion.
>>
I don't think I attend enough formal occasions that anyone would notice, and certainly if I factor in the ones I attend with the same people, it's once or twice a year at the most.
If people notice I'm wearing the same shoes, they have more time on their hands / less to worry about than I do. Good luck to them :-)
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>> If people notice I'm wearing the same shoes, they have more time on their hands
>> / less to worry about than I do. Good luck to them :-)
I don't think Imelda Marcos would agree with you.
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>>
>> I don't think Imelda Marcos would agree with you.
>>
I'm married to one of her disciples. She doesn't :-)
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>> >> One pair of formal shoes, .........
>>
>> I don't want to be seen wearing the same shoes at every formal occasion.
>>
I can categorically say that I have never, ever looked at someone's shoes and committed the design to memory in order to compare them at future events.
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>>I can categorically say that I have never, ever...
Erm, well, um, I do !
:-)
Wearing the same pair of shoes two days running is as unacceptable as wearing the same underwear two days running.
Last edited by: Humph D'Bout on Fri 26 Apr 13 at 10:54
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Humph when you say days do you mean years?????
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It's not just about appearances, it's about foot health and hygiene. The bacteria which thrive in the warm damp environment of a shoe die off if the shoes are "rested" between wearings. Worn daily the bugs thrive. Not only that but the average adult loses about a pint of perspiration through their feet every day. Most of that evaporates but some of it remains trapped in the material of the shoes and in particular seams and stitching. If allowed to dry thoroughly it causes no harm but if not it will cause premature degradation of the shoes or boots due to chemical reactions.
Therefore, just alternating two pairs will extend their useful life more than just twofold. Industry studies have proven that adopting the practice of alternating between two similar pairs of shoes on a daily basis extends their life fourfold and contributes significantly to the reduction of foot health issues.
Using the same shoes constantly contributes strongly to foot deformation, corns, hard skin, fungal nail infections and athletes foot in particular. It's not about "I'm a bloke and I don't care" it's about treating your feet with respect. They are your main point of contact with the planet and need to last you in good condition until you die.
Lecture over !
:-)
Last edited by: Humph D'Bout on Fri 26 Apr 13 at 11:25
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Humph - like you couldn't have told me that 30 years ago!
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I could have actually. Had you been available to tell.
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Humph, wot about white socks and sandals? How often do I need a different pair of Jesus creepers?
;-)
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Well, joking aside, sandals are intrinsically healthier than shoes in warm weather due to the circulation of air around the foot but statistically they are also more dangerous due to lack of abrasion / impact protection and inherent instability.
I'm boring myself now...but you did ask !
:-)
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There are some modern sandals around with supportive looking soles these days. What do you think of those? Without the socks, of course? :-)
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Some of them are very cleverly designed. Particulary those from reputable manufacturers. Timberland, Keen and Clarks are particularly good at that sort of thing.
Much more difficult to make sandals fit properly than shoes. The lack of available contact points with the foot and indeed the ( usual ) lack of hosiery when they are worn confers a need for a far more accurate and comfortable fit.
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gardening shoes? dont they call them wellies in lincolnshire?
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If I had drawn up a list for you I think I would have been pretty close. Would have included more ties though. :-)
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>> If I had drawn up a list for you I think I would have been
>> pretty close.
I forgot my wellies. One pair for gardening and one pair for going out in.
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>>I forgot my wellies. One pair for gardening and one pair for going out in
:-)
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Presumably for those going-out occasions where none of the nine pairs of smart shoes is quite right.
In my drawer,
socks: 77
pairs: 5
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>> Presumably for those going-out occasions where none of the nine pairs of smart shoes is
>> quite right.
Exactly. For instance, when walking along the edge of the dunes at Donna Nook when the seals have come ashore to give birth. lincstrust.org.uk/reserves/nr/reserve.php?mapref=15 (Well worth a visit if you've got a respectable pair of wellies to wear.)
>> In my drawer,
>> socks: 77
>> pairs: 5
>>
I believe you!
Last edited by: L'escargot on Fri 26 Apr 13 at 10:44
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Trainers: none.
"toiletries and soap (£2.30 a week), hairdressing (£3.30 a week) and hair products (£3.70 a week)."
Blimmin' 'eck. A £2 razor blade a month; a £7 haircut every eight weeks; a bottle of shampoo £3 three times a year, and a couple of bars of soap a year £2.
I've said before that £1 a person per day is easy for food; in fact I did it last week just to prove to myself it was easily done.
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>> I've said before that £1 a person per day is easy for food; in fact
>> I did it last week just to prove to myself it was easily done.
I don't doubt it's possible. But could you do it every day for a year with enough vitamins and nutrients to stay healthy?
Many fruit and vegetables, unless you can find reductions, are not cheap. Canned / processed crap is cheap, but won't keep you healthy.
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Be interested to try that, Mapmaker. Care to post last week's menu?
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I only own one pair of proper smart shows. I then have a pair of black trainers for cycling and other general usages. I mostly wear Converse when I am out (have a few pairs). Apart from a very expensive coat (Berghaus) most my other clothes are cheap, I generally only pay £10 for a pair of jeans.
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Pairs of socks?
I only have black singles! Makes life much easier.
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My mobile PAYG cost me over the year £4 a month, seems reasonable.
You can run a car reasonably cheaply although when it comes to repairs luck has alot to do with it.
£9.50 a week on furniture? Who makes up this rubbish, once you buy furniture it isnt as though it wears out unless you live to 100. My washing machine is now 10 years old and still going strong, nor was it an expensive one but a bog standard Beko, it currently cost me £17 a year.
It seems some very middle class logic is being applied to the spending habits of people on low incomes.
I still wear clothes I wore when I was a teenager, I buy maybe one or two items a year and I havent bought new socks for a decade, some of them I remember wearing to school.
As for discretionary spending that is the first thing to go on any tight budget, it should be renamed wasteful spending.
One of the most useful things I do is that when people are getting rid of stuff that is still useable I offer to remove it for them which is how I cam eto own my cooker, coffee table, spare bed, a TV, several small tables and a whole host of other bits that have all come in useful. Now I am known for it I get offered stuff all the time and I make sure that any xmas presents I get are things I need rather than the usual useless rubbish.
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I can imagine, but I don't like plain black socks, even when I wear (one of my two pairs of) black shoes to work. The likes of M&S compound the problem by selling their socks in packs of five or seven pairs, each in a subtly different shade or pattern, so they all have to be laboriously paired up, and then discarded if one of a pair develops a hole. Cynical, I call it.
Last edited by: WillDeBeest on Fri 26 Apr 13 at 11:38
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I buy a 10 pair pack of black socks from Matalan so pairing isn't a problem.......
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>> I only have black singles! Makes life much easier.
I once tried having all socks matching. Found they faded at a slightly different rate over time. Easier to have matching socks and pair them up.
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Can you live on £12 a week?
Survive, probably.
Live, probably not.
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I don't spend that much on cloves, apart from the converse nothing is really expensive, and the Converse last far longer than cheap shoes. I have worn the converse I have on now every day since December and they are still barely worn.
Apart from gigs, going to a rather expensive one tonight, but it is a once in a life time thing, I suppose my other vice is gadgets. But then I drive possibly the cheapest modern car you can possibly run.
I don't tend to get take aways any more, well very rarely it is a luxury I can ill afford. And I hardly ever eat out in restaurants. My idea of a luxury meal is a £5 burger deal in Wetherspoons.
I suppose my biggest excess I have ever bought apart from my HIFI systems is my camera, which I have spent around on £600 in total but then I won't be upgrading it for a long long time.
My car at £6600 was an expensive luxury, but it has actually saved me money in the long term. Better MPG, much cheaper insurance, not many repair bills etc.
The same with my power tools, spending £200 on a Dewalt Drill may seem excessive for a DIYer but is a joy to use and worth every penny. I would have probably burnt a cheap one out by now.
My personal phone is a luxury I will admit that, but it is a a cracking deal.
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R & S - what aspect of a computer repair business is handled by a De Walt drill? I think we should be told!
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>> R & S - what aspect of a computer repair business is handled by a
>> De Walt drill? I think we should be told!
>>
The same with my power tools, spending £200 on a Dewalt Drill may seem excessive for a DIYer but is a joy to use and worth every penny. I would have probably burnt a cheap one out by now.
My personal phone is a luxury I will admit that, but it is a a cracking deal.
I hope you claiming them both against Tax as an expense incurred in running your business:)
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I claim for my business phone, currently paying over the odds for that, but the contract is running out soon. I claim for workshop tools, such as screw drivers etc but I didn't claim the Dewalt, I think it would be too hard to justify! It is more of a personal tool anyway I use it round the house mostly, but I did use it to kit out the workshop.
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Very few. But I have done a lot of DIY projects with it. My entire workshop is kitted out by using the drill. I built the bench from wood and cost me about £50 in total, its 2.5m long and very sturdy. Then there is the shelf which also has lighting for the bench.
Then there is the alarm, although I had to use Ryboi 240v drill to drill through the bricks for the bell box but I use the Dewalt for everything else, attaching the PIRs etc.
I didn't really need to use it for the bedroom much as most of that work was just decorating and plastering, although I did use it for attaching the new light fitting and wiring in a new switch drop.
I also have a Bosch electric screw driver, which I have had for about 8 years, use it all the time and the battery is still going strong.
My Jigsaw is a fairly cheap Black and Decker, but as I don't use it that often it is more than fine.
Learnt the same about drill bits too, cheap ones are just worthless crap.
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I reckon you could justify the drill, Rattle. Sometimes it's a useful tool for decommissioning old hard drives which contained sensitive documents.
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That is true, I usually tripple zero wipe them and keep them myself or give the drives back to to the customer so they can keep it as a backup or destroy them. It is a bit late now, I've had it for quite a few years.
Once I git the lid open I usually find dropping it out of the window (making sure nobody is in the garden!!) and then smashing it with a hammer does the trick.
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"I don't spend that much on cloves"
You should - you need to spice up your life.
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One of things about this forum that is so enjoyable is its educational value. Until this thread came along I had never heard the word "converse" used in the way it has been here, and so have now googled and discovered it appears to be the tradename of some sort of coloured plimsoll. Thanks for that.
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I have a pair in a natty tartan pattern, CC. Trotted out for such high days as Scotland football and rugby matches. And the Simple Minds gig I went to last night at the Hexagon (which was excellent).
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A day of wonders. Thank goodness for Google. Now I know what Simple Minds are too.
It's all a bit too much I think. I might have to have a lie down.
Last edited by: Crankcase on Fri 26 Apr 13 at 15:34
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The gig I am going to tonight is pretty 80's too, James and Echo and the Bunnymen. And for the people feeling old by not knowing them, they have both been around since the early 80's.
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>> I have a pair in a natty tartan pattern, CC. Trotted out for such high
>> days as Scotland football and rugby matches.
I would have thought black would be a more appropriate colour for those rugby matches?
;-)
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They sort of invented that style of shoe, but now it is just a trademark of Nike, but they are good quality shoes. It seems most people under the age of 25 wear them, its a pitty I am 30 knocking on 31 but it makes me feel young. Bought some of the classic Converse boots last week, was excessive but I only wear them at weekends, so they will last years.
What was interesting is when I bought them, my dad said he had a pair exactly the same in the 1960's. It is funny how fashions come around. This is what I mean www.svsports.com/files/store/preview/1004159-1.jpg
It is funny in my teens and early to mid 20's I didn't care less about anything fashionable its only really the last couple of years I have started to get my own style, the only problem is I am getting too old to become a teenager.
Last edited by: VxFan on Fri 26 Apr 13 at 16:43
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I've always had at least one pair of Converse in my cupboard since about 1988. Currently got Tartan and black pairs.
In my student days I used to wear odd colours on each foot.
I hope that doesn't make style guru Mr d'Bout queasy.
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I wear Converse because they are incredibly comfortable, and significantly higher quality and harder wearing than the normal, cheap, unbranded plimsolls. Vans are good, too.
The fact they are fashionable is a bonus.
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That is my experience with them, I was buying the cheap undranded ones every couple of months but the Converse ones last for months and months. I could possibly almost get a year out of them which is pretty impressive as I walk a lot too.
The only problem is when driving I find the All Star badge tends to wear off as I have very big feet so back of the showes always touch the floor.
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None of you has found the ideal solution for socks.
I got fed up with throwing pairs away because of a hole in one, so now I don't. Now I just wear odd socks unless I happen to pick up a matching pair that my boon companion has happened to marry up when she puts the clean ones back in the drawer.
Nobody ever notices, though I suppose Humph would.
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I could exist for £12 a week on food but not for 52 weeks a year!
Last edited by: Meldrew on Fri 26 Apr 13 at 15:47
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As an English gentleman, I own no trainers, uggs, crocks or gladiator sandals ( or any sandals )
Mostly I wear my black lace up Riekers or brown laced Clarks. I've got two pairs of more formal blacks, one is a pair of brogues and the other a pair of Grenson oxfords. Rarely, if ever, wear them now.
I've a pair of black lace up brogues with steel toecaps...comfy but heavy ! Wellies, biking boots and a pair of old deck shoes complete the image together with my Brasher hiking boots.
A man got on the tram the other day........he had some style. From the top, woolly knitted bobble hat so tall you could carry a large loaf of bread on end in it. Cloth bomber jacket, then the fun started...jeans cut down to mid thigh over pale blue cotton combinations to just above ankle. Grey socks from there down into Jesus sandals. He was about 80, tall and thin.. Spent the journey ranting about nothing and giggling to himself.
Thought it might be one of you lot !
Ted
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>> Pairs of socks?
>>
At the moment I have an "odd" pair of socks waiting hopefully on top of the chest of drawers - one black and one grey. If I recycle them back into the wash then next time there will probably be another odd pair, but different colours.
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Odd socks are not a problem Cliff. That's what boots were invented to conceal.
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"Odd socks are not a problem Cliff. That's what boots were invented to conceal"
Rolled-up socks in the underpants, in tight jeans.
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Yes, I can see how an Englishman might feel the need that sort of cosmetic enhancement. From what I've heard anyway...
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What a vain lot you are for a bunch of rufty, tufty men:)
I own numerous pairs of jeans and T shirt, I have loads of pairs of shorts, I have one smart (skirt) suit for business meetings, one pair of heels, numerous assorted sandals, flip flops and wellies and smart trousers for work.
Cosmetic enhancement? If you don't like what you see you don't have to look!
Pat
I have noticed we've started the 'domesticated male' threads again too:(
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I know, Pat. It's like poking a crocodile with a stick - probably a bad idea but we like to watch the reaction.
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1 DJ suit, 1 M&S blue suit neither of which fit me (temporarily, as I've said for 4 or five years), two blazers, 1 V. tight, 3 smart casual trousers, (all tight), 1 raincoat - never used in the last 12 years, 1 SprayWay anorak, 2 prs jeans, two pairs light cotton trousers, lots of short-sleeved shirts, lots of cotton shorts, five cheap M & S V neck pullovers , lots of beige socks, lots of blue socks, no black shoes, three prs. brown leather shoes, two prs. trainers. Pr. grotty slippers. Some ties, somewhere.
Clothes are to keep one decent & warm and are a distress purchase.
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Last week I was in a meeting at which there were several self-made millionaires - every one of them were more shabbily dressed than me!!
I think there must be some sort of pecking order, when you are dressing to impress or dressing to what you think others might expect. I daresay when you run your own company and are successful then the element of trying to impress others goes out the window?
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Coincidentally, I have a pair of socks 'by' TV's Peter Jones, who models them on the card they came on. The picture shows him to be a millionaire who not only dresses to impress but who will put his well-shod feet on your furniture.
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I've got a pair of welly socks just like those, they impress me!
Pat
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Clothes are to keep one decent & warm and are a distress purchase.
So which of that lot do you wear when you're out spreading distress on behalf of UKIP, Roger? Please, not the shorts!
};---)
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When I'm out for UKIP I'm spreading joy & happiness! {Plus being well-received, generally.}
This last week, leafleting, it's been cotton trousers, a Maine short sleeved shirt over which there is an M & S pullover. Finally I have a sleeveless jacket with big pockets for the leaflets, with, inevitably, a small UKIP badge on the breast pocket!
To complete the outfit I have a pair of M&S beige socks and a pair of "Hotter" brand shoes.
A tip to leafletters - use a thinnish kitchen slice to push the leaflets through death trap letterboxes! My wife had her wooden, flat, stirrer-spoon grabbed by an unfriendly dog which yanked it out of her hand and into the house. The lucky householder had a bonus of a nice kitchen tool to go with his election leaflet!
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"With careful planning, an adult could spend as little as £12 per week on a healthy, balanced diet, says Tom Sanders, a professor of nutrition at Kings College London."
What about £7 per week? www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-22263706
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I always find it pretty inspiring hearing how people get by spending so little, there are usually a few good tips too.
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£12 a week??? Must be some sort of wind up, £12 a day maybe.
For breakfast I have two Oatibix, then I don’t eat anything other than fruit during the day until evening meal. Six apples in the supermarket are the best part of £2 and bananas are about the same.
For clothing I have my office smart stuff, then more casual clothes and then quite a lot of sports clothing.
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You can exist on £12 a week I suppose ........ but it would be a pretty poor existence...
ISTMR listing my wardrobe before on here and frankly it is too long to list......
.....everything from gardening jeans and tee shirts via Dockers chinos , blazers and business suits up to formal tail coat and striped trousers .... shoes range from casual deck shoes to a pair of Versace patent leather ones.
When I retire then I will get round to having a clear out ....
As for eating out , I have been known to spend £100 per head on a meal ......but am quite happy with an omelette......
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At present with lots of home grown fruit and veg, I could survive IF we killed a cow from the adjacent field for beef..They look quite tasty.. Lots of cheap bread around..
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No doubt you can eat healthily for 12 quid a week, but it would be a dreary, dreary diet. You'd end up dying for curries or hamburgers with a huge pile of chips with lots of sauces, relishes and weak American mustard.
Healthy food is one of the many banes of my life. I don't mind dal and rice provided the dal is proper, with asafoetida and very hot chillies, but if I see another courgette I will contemplate suicide. I also loathe green salad with too much oil and vinegar, described idiotically as 'dressing'.
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You can live on nothing steal what you need.Stay in prison is free.Yes I could live on twelve pound a week pocket money.
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>> Healthy food is one of the many banes of my life. I don't mind dal and rice provided the dal is proper, with asafoetida and very hot chillies, but if I see another courgette I will contemplate suicide.
That is something of an overstatement. We are fortunate in having a fig tree just outside the house in a sunny corner, producing quite a lot of fruit this year. Herself finds the ripe ones and I eat some of them. Not everyone likes fresh figs but I love them. A lot of raspberries too at the moment, the gooseberries having run out I think. All free, more or less.
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Son in law made a good job of his garden.Strawberrie plants plenty of vegetables,potatoes.He has his own beehive.Must be a Polish thing he preserves food in glass,my grandfather used to keep food that way in the cellar for the wintertime.
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>>>but if I see another courgette
We had a starter of home made Guacamole last night, followed by home made courgette quiche, salad, etc. I know that Real Men Don't Eat Quiche, but as I'm very fond of courgettes, it went down very well indeed.
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Well - we had ALDI cod, oven chips and mushy peas tonight, followed by ALDI strawberries, meringue nests and cream. Totally ALDI apart from home-made rolls, with - you've guessed it, ALDI butter on 'em.
That went down very well, too :-)
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We had ASDA smoke addict and spinach fishy cakes with salad, being we're both vegetarians.
:)
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If you include all food bought for the household... I usually spend more than that per day all in.
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>> Must be a Polish thing he preserves food in glass,my grandfather used to
>> keep food that way in the cellar for the wintertime.
>>
Still very common practice across central/eastern Europe. The stash of jars holding all sorts of preserved fruit and vegetable produce at my mother-in-law's family smallholding in Croatia is staggering. There's a whole room dedicated to the stuff at the back of the second kitchen. I absolutely love all that stuff. Same at father-in-law's village in Bosnia.
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>We are fortunate in having a fig tree just outside the house in a sunny corner, producing quite a lot of fruit this year.
Ditto AC.
The fig tree in our garden has gone barmy with fruit this year. If the weather doesn't turn cold and wet we'll have a second crop.
Last year was a disaster though.
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Can you live on £12 a week? - Meldrew
