Spending Spree

For the past decade or so I’ve taken part in the English Longitudinal Study on Ageing.  Thousands of over fifties take part and it helps researchers ascertain what is ‘normal’ in people as we get older.  Every couple of years a nice ELSA lady visits to conduct an extensive interview, weighs me and times how long it takes me to walk 8ft. 

As a thank you for taking part I receive a £20 Love To Shop gift-card, which I use to stock up on little things just-for-me.

Last Wednesday I took myself to Wilko on Shields Road, Byker, to use the card.

In doing this I was following in the footsteps of my Northumbrian grandma and great-aunt, and no doubt other female ancestors, who would take the tram from Benton to Byker to visit Parrishes and Beavans department stores, now only memories and ghost signs on the outer walls of other shops.

As I was heading to Shields Road I took along four empty printer ink cartridges to be refilled at Superinks, saving money and plastic waste.  This was a regular trip before the recent unpleasantness and I have quite a few empties still on the shelf.  It was going to take half an hour to do the refills, plenty of time to have a good look around Wilko.

Another of my attempts to be greener is to use a solid shampoo bar rather than liquid shampoo, saving on plastic waste and transport.  When I was little Mum washed my hair with Lux soap so the idea of a using a bar is quite familiar, and comforting.  I was delighted to find Wilko had Garnier “Coconunt & Organic Aloe Vera” Ultimate Blends Shampoo Bars on offer for £4 each.  So I got five.

But of course I had to have a rake around and also bought a box of bicarbonate of soda, compressed face powder, and large tubs of Nivea Soft and Cantu Cocoa Butter moisturisers: around £15 in total.

Shields Road also has a number of charity shops, always worth a visit.

I’ve made a small personal vow that any birthday and other greetings cards I buy will be from charity shops as they now have an excellent selection at very reasonable prices.  My first stops were Marie Curie and then St Oswald's Hospice shop next door:  8 birthday cards for £7.66.

The Salvation Army didn’t have any suitable cards but there was a sunhat with my great-niece’s somewhat unusual name on, so that was £4.

By this time it was a good hour after I’d started so it was back to Superinks for the four refilled cartridges: £20.

Driving home it occurred to me that in order to use my £20 gift card I’d actually spent £46.66.