This week I made a spontaneous purchase at George ! I went to do my weekly food shop and on prominent display as you enter Asda were dressing gowns in a variety of colours, there was a leopard print one which caught my eye, and at a great value price of only £18 I treated myself to one! It is not very often I buy something I do not really need, so great merchandising George! I have been looking for a new evening top I could wear for various Christmas functions I have coming up. I say a top, as I have some black evening trousers I could wear which I bought last year and by way of economy it would be cheaper to just buy a new top rather than a whole new outfit, but I would be open minded if I saw something I really like. I had a brief visit to Highcross shopping centre last night when dropping my daughter off in town and looked in Zara. I tried on half a dozen tops I liked but felt none of them did me any justice on. I also looked in Oasis and Monsoon but there was nothing. I looked at Top Shop and their garments were very retro funky, great if you are a size 8 teenager but I would look like I was wearing fancy dress !

We had a day out recently and went to Matlock Bath as a family. What an expensive day out this turned out to be! As we were in the area we decided to take a look at the John Smedley factory shop and see if there was any nice knitwear in stock. There were loads of great cardigans and jumpers and bought seven items between us. They are excellent quality and averaged at about £30 - £35 per item. In the shops these would be selling at around £150 each so did feel we had done well. This is a prime example of 'what constitutes quality'. In this instance we are primarily paying for the name. Other than this shopping I have had an economical month and avoided the clothes shops.