Penny wise, pound foolish.

One of my grandmother's favourite sayings was "take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves". Another of her sayings (and said to me when I was a teenager and heading out for the evening) was "keep your hand on your ha'penny". Years later I discovered it had nothing to do with managing my savings!

Daddima you're not alone as I also justify OTT purchases by convincing myself that I've saved in lots of other ways.

My OTT purchases are early Christmas presents to myself and it could be mid July!

I have ordered my own C.......s presents to myself. A new smart phone and a new laptop. If I didn't I would not get one. Would appreciate being a friend of the OP and having £60 spent on me. My friends and I just exchange cards.

If you have the money to spend ( and bills are paid) then treat yourself.I think most of our generation try not to chuck things out and use things up, just how we were brought up.I feel twinges when we spend a lot on house improvements, but appreciate it needs doing, but never feel happy about spending ( a lot) on a holiday because it's so fleeting.

We don't do holidays any more so see nothing wrong in a treat now and then. The family will spend it fast enough when the time comes.

We are spending it now if we have it. As someone said on another thread "there are no pockets in shrouds"

However, if we hadn't just bought a new car, we would have had enough to get my hip replaced privately.

I was told by many people not to have my knee done privately, even by the surgeon who did it. He told me not to waste my money unless a private room was essential to me.

Linsco my Nan always used to tell me to keep my hand on my ha'penny, I knew what she meant

Annsixty -- I am seriously considering getting my hip replaced privately, I am in constant pain, even with meds, and cannot live as wish to. The joint is not worn enough for the NHS to do it, I'm not sure I can live like this until it gets worse. Looking at payment options.

Good luck then wb that pain is awful. For my knee I was quoted £10,700/£11,500 but didn't get a breakdown or extras. My friends friend who had hers done through insurance was not happy with the pnysio at our local private hospital. She also had a "heart episode" and was in for 11 days. I don't know what happens in that cases if you are self funding.

I had my hip replaced privately and I'm so glad I did. I wasn't bothered about a private room, in fact I actually prefer a public ward, but it was worth it to get it done quicker (within a week of my first appointment, so no time to worry overmuch!) as I was in so much pain. We don't have insurance so paid out of our savings but as someone above says, our inheritors would spend the money quickly enough. If I remember rightly it cost between £7000 and £8000.

Wobbly - you need to shop around a bit. The cost of a private op often reflects the charges the hospital makes for hire (by the surgeon) of its theatre and its rooms, as well as nursing services, food and meds, so it is not necessarily a reflection of the surgeon's skills. You can usually find CVs of the surgeons on the internet which can be reassuring.

Sorry, Daddima, I have gone way off thread.

If the surgeon you saw does not think that your hip is ready for surgery, there are many who will do it privately for the money. It should be at the stage of grade 4 on the xray, bone on bone with no synovial fluid to lubricate.

MY right hip was bone on bone, this hip is considerably more painful, yet it is not bone on bone. I was very surprised by the x-ray result.

Back to the OP, it took me a while here to get used to the fact that Belgians will happily stand at a checkout with a large queue behind them and count out their payment in small coins, including half cents.
No one bothers or gets annoyed, could be why some parts of Belguim have a high rate of savers as the taxes are some of the highest in the EU and wages are average.Less than €2000 a month for teachers, nurses etc.

Holidays maybe fleeting but memories last forever. My husband keeps offering me a new car but mine a 20 year old polo goes well and I use less than a tank if petrol a month. Technology seems to be ever changing so as long as my iPad and laptop work I am happy. A bought a smart phone 2nd hand from a family member and wish I had stayed with my simple phone as I only want it for my emergencies to phone DH and say help!

Houses have to be maintained! I hated spending a lot of money replacing fencing and removing dead trees but it had to be done. I see nothing wrong with the original bathroom but I suppose it is time to update it.

Clothes I like to buy in the sales but good quality and keep finding things in my wardrobe that I start wearing again. I wonder how much good clothing I have given away over the years. I am not a 2nd hand clothes person so that would be my extravagance.

I'm celebrating my two years free of the dreaded tobacco tomorrow! Yeah! I probably spent about £25.00 a week on the stuff so that's £2,600 I have saved, not gone up in smoke or to the Government!

Ebay here I come . . .

rubylady, well done, DH and i gave up together the night before his hip replacement 5 and a half years ago, i smoked about 20 a day but he would smoke between 60 and 80 ! it cost a fortune and on top of his 10 to 15 pints a day at £3.50 a go, when he gave that up at the sametime i felt as though we had won the pools, when he smoked like a chimney and drank like a fish he was never ill, he had a really hard physical job (scaffolder) and that kept him fit apart from his hip. His surgeon was suprised he smoked and drank so much as his body didnt show any sign s of it in his tests.

I find it fascinating to hear of peoples choices in their spending. I hate to pay full price for anything & retirement ( plus internet) gives me time to shop around. I'm also a "rate tart" when it comes to changing bank accounts, utility suppliers etc. My sister seemed a bit surprised when I produced porridge in a recent hotel - breakfast is always a rip off & this was much healthier, too. However, we treat ourselves to Business Class when flying to see our son - but then OH has two false hips and two false knees. We paid for one hip privately - well worth it. Must confess I am shocked when I see youngsters with iphones , but they probably think I am a spendthrift!

'Look after the pennies etc' and 'keep your hand on your ha'penny' both featured large in my upbringing, for differing reasons! My kitchen cupboards are full of foodstuffs, laundry and cleaning products bought on offer for when they'll come in handy! My fridge has to be regularly cleared of leftovers 'saved for later'. Thank goodness we have a waste food collection that goes to compost - at least I can tell myself it's going to be useful to someone in the future! I really should stick to my shopping list

You are certainly NOT alone we are all as daft as a brush more time than we care to admit

Bold Linsvo56, "hand on your ha'penny, was a favourite of my mother's, when my sisters were going out. She was always telling me to be careful. I thought she meant crossing the street, even tho' I was 18 or 19, or getting into fights, which were quite common in Glasgow. It was only later, I realised she meant, girls.

That's supposed to be Linsco56