The Frugality #5 Weeks and months to tile a floor, we love to cosplay being poor

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jaymie said:
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lmao! Her garden has a collection of mini ⚰ It looks like she got rid of her proper shed in favour of these
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So since moving in they've bought a shed, a microshed and two coffin boxes for cushions? Sounds frugal to me.

Maybe Alex could start doing 'sheds Thursdays' on her stories to complement 'glasses Fridays?🤞
 
I’m a bad cook & I’m mindful of how much work & money goes into hosting people. Being frugal towards yourself is fine. But Alex suggesting cheap gifts for hosts doesn’t sit right with me. Someone goes to the effort of hosting you & you turn up with a couple of tiger candles or cheap fizz when you can well afford more (Im not suggesting anything OTT btw just a half decent bottle of wine). It reminds me of a friend of mine who would never pay enough towards taxis in uni, she’d just hop out & give a few pounds well sort of her share. Years later she told me she was getting a grant which meant she had much more money than most of us had at the time. People remember that sort of thing. If they feel taken for granted they might not be keen to have you over again.
 
We all know that Alex is tight as a ducks arse. Not getting her kids anything for their first Christmas for example - I get the thinking behind it but a couple of little keepsakes is hardly extravagant. This is the couple who go to restaurants and share a starter or take advantage of a tapas with a pint offer without buying anything else. This is also the couple who promote "frugal" hotel stays at £250 per night, but only when it's gifted. It comes as no surprise that they would think a couple of crappy candles from Top Tat at Tiger is an appropriate gift for a host. They are cheap cheap cheap.
 
I find the subterfuge odd as well. What is wrong with supermarket flowers?
The effort she puts in is all about her, ie re-wrapping the flowers to pretend she has spent more money doesn’t change the flowers. It’s under the guise of presentation but it is actually so narcissistic. I can only assume they are not genuine friendships.
 
Is every relationship in her life transactional? Honestly, if I hosted someone for dinner and they brought round tiger candles tied with string after posting on Instagram that ‘you can always count on me to be the person at a party with a brown paper carrier bag’ (I.e. she’s been shopping for herself AGAIN) I’d not be inviting them round again.

And do they host to reciprocate? Do they serve toasties with a spring onion garnish and ‘gastro’ crisps at the tiny table? 😂
 
Tiger tat said:
Is every relationship in her life transactional? Honestly, if I hosted someone for dinner and they brought round tiger candles tied with string after posting on Instagram that ‘you can always count on me to be the person at a party with a brown paper carrier bag’ (I.e. she’s been shopping for herself AGAIN) I’d not be inviting them round again.

And do they host to reciprocate? Do they serve toasties with a spring onion garnish and ‘gastro’ crisps at the tiny table? 😂
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That’s what I would find annoying. The whole her kids not getting something for Christmas is misleading anyway - her kids have a house brimming with toys including brands that are expensive second hand. She’ll part with money for herself or her kids but happily scrounge off other people. I’m probably over triggered by it as I’ve come across a couple of people like her & it’s annoying and feels that they are being grabby and disrespectful. A friend went to a cookery school & hosted a fab meal. Her hall table was overflowing with gifts. Would Alex have turned up with two tiger candles in string carrying a bag with the latest purchase for herself.
The mentality is annoying. It’s basically look after self first and see what you can get from other people whether that’s a nice meal, “free” tapas, buy me a “coffee” etc.
I’d happily take a freebie from a big company but I treat my friends with respect and don’t take advantage of their kindness & hospitality.
To add, Alex is always on about brands taking advantage, her “free” content. But she’s happy to take advantage of friends by getting a nice meal in exchange for two tiger candles (again, not suggesting she attempts to cover her plate or anything, just something decent).
 
Chocolate2008 said:
That’s what I would find annoying. The whole her kids not getting something for Christmas is misleading anyway - her kids have a house brimming with toys including brands that are expensive second hand. She’ll part with money for herself or her kids but happily scrounge off other people. I’m probably over triggered by it as I’ve come across a couple of people like her & it’s annoying and feels that they are being grabby and disrespectful. A friend went to a cookery school & hosted a fab meal. Her hall table was overflowing with gifts. Would Alex have turned up with two tiger candles in string carrying a bag with the latest purchase for herself.
The mentality is annoying. It’s basically look after self first and see what you can get from other people whether that’s a nice meal, “free” tapas, buy me a “coffee” etc.
I’d happily take a freebie from a big company but I treat my friends with respect and don’t take advantage of their kindness & hospitality.
To add, Alex is always on about brands taking advantage, her “free” content. But she’s happy to take advantage of friends by getting a nice meal in exchange for two tiger candles (again, not suggesting she attempts to cover her plate or anything, just something decent).
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Agree, I’d rather guests didn’t bring anything than brought Tiger tat dressed up as something else. Esp those ugly candles, I don’t have candlesticks for them so they’d be wasted, ‘leftover string’ or not.
 
Can you imagine being her friend and then seeing these stories boasting about how she dresses up cheap things as gifts?

Thats before you get onto the leftover string around two 50p candles- is that really the best she can come up with? Her whole work background both as employee and freelance was/is one of a creative. Surely she can do better than that?!
 
Author123 said:
Can you imagine being her friend and then seeing these stories boasting about how she dresses up cheap things as gifts?

Thats before you get onto the leftover string around two 50p candles- is that really the best she can come up with? Her whole work background both as employee and freelance was/is one of a creative. Surely she can do better than that?!
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I know! I think the flowers aren’t a bad idea but the mentality is 🤢.

At least the bar owner in Spain who she fleeces of tapas while nursing one drink doesn’t have to see the Instagram post. Alex moans about not being paid for her content but is happy to eat a meal of “free” tapas while staying in her parents apartment on a holiday from a large London house.
 
I know a lot of people on the Alex threads are middle class or higher so this might be because I'm from a working class background...
But
Am I the only one who doesnt see the need to buy gifts when I go to friend's or family's for a meal??? I'll go to theirs, and then at some point they will come to mine. If we're drinking I'll take some drinks for me and offer them one. I might take a pudding if say my sister has cooked us tea, I'll take a cake (supermarket cake I should add!) for after.

Why do you all expect gifts from your friends when they come round for a meal? I find it odd!
 
I’m from a working class family too. I’d probably draw a distinction between someone coming round for tea and hosting an evening meal. I like to give a gift to say thanks or reciprocate if someone has gone to the effort and expense of hosting me and I’m happy to spend my money doing that. My point was that Alex doesn’t seem to do either, but she’d be pleased to write on her meal planner that they’re eating ‘out’ and they don’t have to buy ingredients or cook. In that sense it feels like she’s profiting from her friendships and that feels a bit off to me.
 
BillieR said:
I know a lot of people on the Alex threads are middle class or higher so this might be because I'm from a working class background...
But
Am I the only one who doesnt see the need to buy gifts when I go to friend's or family's for a meal??? I'll go to theirs, and then at some point they will come to mine. If we're drinking I'll take some drinks for me and offer them one. I might take a pudding if say my sister has cooked us tea, I'll take a cake (supermarket cake I should add!) for after.

Why do you all expect gifts from your friends when they come round for a meal? I find it odd!
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I don’t think anyone would expect a gift for a weekday/casual sure if you’re around join us for dinner or families having eachother back & forth. I’d wager Alex attends more of a dinner party type thing. In which case most people do bring gifts as it’s a lot of expensive & effort.
 
BillieR said:
I know a lot of people on the Alex threads are middle class or higher so this might be because I'm from a working class background...
But
Am I the only one who doesnt see the need to buy gifts when I go to friend's or family's for a meal??? I'll go to theirs, and then at some point they will come to mine. If we're drinking I'll take some drinks for me and offer them one. I might take a pudding if say my sister has cooked us tea, I'll take a cake (supermarket cake I should add!) for after.

Why do you all expect gifts from your friends when they come round for a meal? I find it odd!
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If I was popping round to my mates for tea I wouldn’t take anything, maybe a shop bought cake or something for pudding at a push, same if they came to me. But if someone was making an evening of it, drinks, 3 courses etc then I’d take a nice bottle of wine and some flowers or chocolates maybe. I’m definitely not middle class though, that’s just what my parents did so I’ve just carried on
 
Tiger tat said:
I’m from a working class family too. I’d probably draw a distinction between someone coming round for tea and hosting an evening meal. I like to give a gift to say thanks or reciprocate if someone has gone to the effort and expense of hosting me and I’m happy to spend my money doing that. My point was that Alex doesn’t seem to do either, but she’d be pleased to write on her meal planner that they’re eating ‘out’ and they don’t have to buy ingredients or cook. In that sense it feels like she’s profiting from her friendships and that feels a bit off to me.
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It’s all of it, the don’t take my “free” (ad and aff link funded) for granted but I’ll go off to Spain and munch on a ton of tapas in some poor guy’s bar. It’s the idea that she’s deliberately thinking about gifts for friend in terms of how little she can spend.
 
If she’s attending a proper dinner party I’d be a bit 🧐 at someone bringing £2 worth of candles as a hostess gift, no matter how ‘chic’ the wrapping. We don’t use cheap paraffin candles (they release toxic chemicals when burnt) so they’d go in the junk drawer.

I usually always ask if we can bring dessert and if not will bring a decent bottle of cremant or red wine.
 
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