# Your annual clothing budget?



## hollydolly (May 23, 2015)

How much do you think roughly that you spend on clothing  including shoes and accessories , annually.?

I was just working out how much I spend..bearing in mind that I still go out to work and I have to be smart ...it's not too bad..probably less than £1000 a year. My biggest expenditure is on shoes and boots, I like good quality footwear because I'm on my feet for up to 12 hours a day..the next would be good jackets and underwear..! Tops, trousers and blouses I get wherever I can get a bargain..

I realise if you're retired then you're likely to spend less than you did when you were working but have you any idea how much you spend annually on clothing etc working or not.?


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## Jackie22 (May 23, 2015)

Not sure of an amount, but I shop the bargains too, also I shop the upscale resales, I spend more on good quality shoes and purses, but the rest is for casual clothes as I'm retired and do not go out very often.


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## Ameriscot (May 23, 2015)

I have absolutely no idea.  I buy most of my clothes and all of my shoes and boots on visits to the US.


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## Josiah (May 23, 2015)

$0.00 I have closets full of clothes I'll never wear and making a fashion statement is not my thing.


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## Cookie (May 23, 2015)

I'm the same as Josiah, I'm not a fashionista, and have tons already from my work days that never goes out of style, including shoes and boots, so thank goodness don't need to spend on clothes.


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## SeaBreeze (May 23, 2015)

I don't know, I just buy things as I need them.  Every day is casual and comfortable, Levi jeans, cargo pants, tee shirts, etc....so, like Josiah, not making any fashion statements.  I have a couple of old purses, and a couple of old high heel shoes if I need to wear them for something.  Never got into lots of bling, name brands or frills.


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## RadishRose (May 23, 2015)

I haven't much of a clue. I know some years I'll spend only for new underwear and a pair of shoes, other years I get caught up on some casual things. I do have a few dressy things in case.


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## AprilT (May 23, 2015)

I'm sure below $600. and I'm talking including all the little accessories, intimate apparel.   I do have a social live where parties are involved, so, I will buy a dress ever so often and I never spend much, and, I do need good walking shoes and even then, I bargain hunt big time.  I won't spend a lot on anything, but, it still needs to be of decent quality, I like my discounted stores like TJ Maxx and Ross.  What I spend now is what I spent monthly, during my years way back when working in NY/NJ.  Sickening when I think back on it now, but, I could afford it then, but, still, knowing what I know now, I wouldn't dream of it.  Unless of course, I had quite the disposable income. otherwise, I wouldn't waste money in that way.  

I don't dress to stay up with fashion, I dress for my taste which is quite simple, but, it is my taste and style nonetheless. I like simple shift dresses and none cost more than what others spend on their jeans and other attire.


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## Ameriscot (May 23, 2015)

I'm not a slave to fashion either.  But I had to buy a lot of clothes a few years ago when I lost a lot of weight.  And I buy workout clothes, underwear, etc.  Also hot weather clothes for Thailand which I rarely need in Scotland.


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## Lon (May 23, 2015)

I don't budget anything.


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## AZ Jim (May 23, 2015)

In Arizona I wear tank tops or tee shirts with shorts and sandals 90% of the time.  In our winter (very mild) I wear sweat pants and tee shirts.  I spend almost nothing on clothing.


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## Bullie76 (May 23, 2015)

I don't really have a strict budget. I never come close to spending 4% of my savings which is a general guideline for retirees as discussed in another thread. So if I see a pair of tennis shoes I like, I don't have to think about whether I'm about to blow a budget. But to answer the question.......I probably spend around $500 year on clothes. All I need are a few pair of shorts, t shirts, sandals and tennis shoes. I haven't bought a pair of dress pants since I retired 8 years ago. Fortunately, my old work pants still fit if I have to dress up for a special occasion.


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## Louis (May 23, 2015)

I'm in the same camp as those who spend very little on clothes. I usually flop around the house in some raggedy-assed old threads. Although when the need arises, I can dress spiffy enough to pass for human.


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## oakapple (May 23, 2015)

Never thought about it really, so hard to work out how much I spend.I have a lot of shoes and handbags, but most of them are a few years old, except one pair of shoes bought this year and one handbag.I also bought two new tops last month, and probably won't spend any more now until Autumn, when I may buy a new cardigan or jumper.I seem to have enough to wear for any eventuality, and will look for bargains anyway when I do need something, buy in a sale if possible.


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## Cookie (May 23, 2015)

I hear you Louis, after I retired it was such a relief to schlep around the house in favorite faded and sometimes ripped clothes - these can last for years, if you take good care of them. LOL


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## Kadee (May 23, 2015)

No idea as we are retired , however I receive a $25 voucher from NoniB ( a women's fashion store) for Mother's Day, if the y have a nice skirt or top that I like I will buy a set which normally means an outlay of about $100 on top of the voucher 
I have over 40 NoniB skirts which I wear for dancing


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## Kitties (May 23, 2015)

I really have no idea but it's a good question.

I wear scrubs to work. Have a pair of jeans that are 10+ years old. I buy clothes mostly at Ross (discount place) or thrifted. I bought a pair of shorts and a pair of sandals from the shopping channel this year. I was happy with the purchases. I hate to shop retail and don't like most department stores and the mall. Love to shop thrift stores.

I like a certain tennis shoe from Easy Spirit that they stopped making. I like them for work and have found a few new pairs off Ebay.

Total spent including shoes, socks, underclothes. I'd have to say under $300.00 a year. This is a guess though.


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## Butterfly (May 23, 2015)

I don't spend much on clothing, either.   My daily getup around home is yoga pants and a t-shirt type top.  I do have to have good supportive shoes, because I have lousy flat feet that pronate, so I have to spend a bit more on shoes.  A good pair of running shoes (New Balance or Saucony) for everyday.  Surprisingly, I have found several pairs of these (unworn) in a local thrift shop, and I snatch 'em up when I find 'em.


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## merlin (May 24, 2015)

Like most of you I have no idea really, I always bought clothes as replacements as my current ones wore out. I was often disappointed when a favourite shirt or pair of trousers wore out, and had to search for new ones.
 I was never into fashion and felt there was more pressure on women in that area, but maybe that is changing, as two of my older grandsons spend a fair amount on designer label clothes and trainers. 

I do spend more on shoes these days, as I walk a lot and feel its important to look after your feet and be comfortable, when younger I tended to buy cheap ones.


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## chic (May 24, 2015)

I love shopping and because I do, I get lots of incredible bargains at department store sales. I'm not sure how much I spend annually. Under $1,000 for sure unless I need winter coats or something really expensive.


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## Underock1 (May 24, 2015)

Josiah said:


> $0.00 I have closets full of clothes I'll never wear and making a fashion statement is not my thing.



You beat me to it, Josiah. I have a closet and drawer full of clothes that my wife helped me buy. I eat, sleep and live in my sweats all day long. When I go out to the store, its a pull over shirt and shorts or a pair of jeans. No one around to impress any more. Hoping to die before my wardrobe does.


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## Underock1 (May 24, 2015)

I'm reading all of these posts flooding in and laughing my a off. I have become that old guy they laugh at on the situation comedies, who goes out and gets his mail in his pajamas. In my case sweats. I thought I was a rarity, but looks like I have plenty of company.


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## LogicsHere (May 24, 2015)

Have never been one to spend money on tons of clothes. Just bought a few "classic pieces", not expensive but moderately priced (skirts $20, blouses $10-15, one pair of shoes, one pair of athletic shoes, one basic black leather handbag) and added inexpensive accessories. When I was working, spent about $500 in 2003 and nothing since with the exception of about $60 in summer shirts the following season.  Have never worked where I had to look like I was rolling in dough.  Never felt the need to show off or keep up with the Joneses. If not one liked what I wore, they didn't have to.  I'm secure enough in myself to not have to pretend I was Ms. Gotbucks.


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## Ameriscot (May 24, 2015)

I spend more on shoes than anything since I have foot issues. I need good trainers for walking and workouts. My shopping list for the US this summer includes some highly recommended trainers and sandals for plantar fasciitis and are about $125ish each.

I needed a nice dress for a wedding in 2012 in the US as I had lost a lot of weight. I bought a really nice dress and have so far worn it to 3 weddings and will likely wear to another wedding next summer. So it was worth the $130ish I paid for it.


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## AprilSun (May 24, 2015)

I don't have a budget. If I see something I can't "live without" and it has "my name all over it", I buy it but that hardly ever happens now. I just wear what I want to around here. I may look like something "the dogs drug in" but I don't care. If no no one likes the way I look, they don't have to look at me. They can just look the other way.


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## Underock1 (May 24, 2015)

Ah, the true joy of old age. Not to care what others think. layful:


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## Davey Jones (May 24, 2015)

Living with a 17 year old granddaughter, only time I buy clothes is when granddaughter reminds me and say  " You're not wearing that out again, are you"?


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## ndynt (May 24, 2015)

Normally, I probably spend less than a hundred.  I doubt I will live long enough to wear out the clothes I do have.  Only buy anything new...when something wears out.  Then shop and shop until I can get the best quality for the best price.  Only exception is for a very special occasion.  Will most likely go over budget this year.  A granddaughter is getting married in July.  So I shall have to buy something appropriate.  Hopefully, I shall be able to shop at  a couple upper scale consignment shops.


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## whisteria (May 24, 2015)

Hi Holly,
Like you i like good shoes the reason being they work out a lot cheaper in the long run, ie the last pair ive bought was from robinsons "an irish company" and they cost me £250, now these along with shoes i bought years ago will out last me, they're made of good leather sole's and good upper leather, you really do get what you pay when it comes to shoe's /boots

When it comes to quality and cost, have you ever used the red cross shops etc,? You'd be surprised what both good clothing is handed over for re-sale and all the money paid is used to help aid for those who really do need a help in hand.
Ive given and bought lots of items from such as the animal rescue & red cross over the years,
I do draw the line when it comes to underwear, 
I like new undies and i remember my mum would always tell me to make sure you've clean underpants on every day because you never know when your going to get run over by a bus.
If you buy quality you'll really be saving in the long run.


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## Ameriscot (May 24, 2015)

I browse through the charity shops as well.  And when I donate I rotate between Oxfam, Red Cross, and Barnardos.


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## hollydolly (May 24, 2015)

Oh yes whisteria , I often buy from Charity shops, you can get some real bargains there of new or almost new good quality clothing. I got a Hobbs coat in one last winter..still in season and being sold by John lewis for £250..I got it for £25. I also donate to several charity shops on a regular basis..far more than I buy. PDSA, Keech Hospice, Cancer research, and Isabel hospice mainly.

Gonna go look at Robinson shoes in Ireland online..not heard of them so I'm interested to have a look.. thanks for that .


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## applecruncher (May 24, 2015)

For those of us in US - 1 British pound = 1.54 US dollars.

Pound sign on MS Word = Alt 0163

£25 = about $38.50


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## hollydolly (May 24, 2015)

Thanks AC...I'm usually quite good at putting the exchange rate on so folks can understand the comparative costs


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## Butterfly (May 24, 2015)

whisteria said:


> Hi Holly,
> Like you i like good shoes the reason being they work out a lot cheaper in the long run, ie the last pair ive bought was from robinsons "an irish company" and they cost me £250, now these along with shoes i bought years ago will out last me, they're made of good leather sole's and good upper leather, you really do get what you pay when it comes to shoe's /boots
> 
> When it comes to quality and cost, have you ever used the red cross shops etc,? You'd be surprised what both good clothing is handed over for re-sale and all the money paid is used to help aid for those who really do need a help in hand.
> ...



When I was a kid, my mom was always worried about the condition of my underwear if I got in an accident.  She would be horrified if I left the house with a safety pin in a slip strap, for instance.  I always figured the condition of my undies was the least of my worries if I got hit by a bus.


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## Kadee (May 25, 2015)

Kadee46 said:


> No idea as we are retired , however I receive a $25 voucher from NoniB ( a women's fashion store) for Mother's Day, if the y have a nice skirt or top that I like I will buy a set which normally means an outlay of about $100 on top of the voucher
> I have over 40 NoniB skirts which I wear for dancing





applecruncher said:


> For those of us in US - 1 British pound = 1.54 US dollars.
> 
> Pound sign on MS Word = Alt 0163
> 
> £25 = about $38.50


I guess I could be confusing some when we are mentioning $$$$ We had pounds , shillings  and pence up untill 1966 then it changed to Dollors and cents


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## whisteria (May 25, 2015)

Hi Ameriscot,
Nice to hear you also use and donate to the charity shops,
A lot of people dont know it but the red cross invested donated funds into opening a lab that spends its time trying to regenerate old seed, these seeds are of plants etc that have been saved and forgotten about really and so we end up loosing certain varieties of food producing plants "but" the idea was to see how the seed's of both modern foods and the ones ive just taked about can be stored for years and years as a way of helping those places on this earth that cant grow their own food when the weathers wrong,
It's a lot cheaper to send tons of seeds and also the storage cost is a lot less rather than trying to ship tons of food that has a short life span, as an plus the victims of starvation are being educated how to grow their own food "hence the seeds are used to teach how to do it.

So as im sure you'll agree its nice to think everyone's a winner, the buyer gets some very good clothing and the main thing is people (humans) who have one hell of a life are being helped in so many ways, ie food, medicine, clothing, and the seeds etc to grow their own crops.

The old saying is "Give a man a fish for his supper and he'll eat for a day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  give the same man a fishing rod and he'll fish for life.

As an added good thing ref buying from such shops is the "GARDEN"
 who wants to wear their best jumper when gardening ? Roses just love to snag your woolly jumper to bits, and after a few gardening days of kneeling down your trousers have a very out of shape knee area "never to be the same again" why not spend pennies getting the charity shop buys and garden in comfort, ??? I do.

Nice talking to you Ameriscot.


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## Ameriscot (May 25, 2015)

whisteria said:


> Hi Ameriscot,
> Nice to hear you also use and donate to the charity shops,
> A lot of people dont know it but the red cross invested donated funds into opening a lab that spends its time trying to regenerate old seed, these seeds are of plants etc that have been saved and forgotten about really and so we end up loosing certain varieties of food producing plants "but" the idea was to see how the seed's of both modern foods and the ones ive just taked about can be stored for years and years as a way of helping those places on this earth that cant grow their own food when the weathers wrong,
> It's a lot cheaper to send tons of seeds and also the storage cost is a lot less rather than trying to ship tons of food that has a short life span, as an plus the victims of starvation are being educated how to grow their own food "hence the seeds are used to teach how to do it.
> ...



Didn't realize the red cross did that with the seeds!

My husband is the gardener at our house and he's got tons of ragged old clothes to work in.  He must have about 60 tshirts and maybe a third are work tshirts.


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## Ralphy1 (May 25, 2015)

If I lived in a warm climate I would just live in manties so my clothing expenses would be minimal, and so would my manties...


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## Glinda (May 25, 2015)

I've been retired for a little over a year now but one of the first things I did was dispose of most of my work clothes.  I kept 3 dresses, a couple of skirts, one pair of black heels, some dressy flats and two pairs of boots.  The rest of my wardrobe is jeans, yoga pants, tee shirts, casual tops, sweaters, and hoodies.  Flip-flops, sandals, and athletic shoes.  I have probably spent about $200 on clothing in the past year and expect that will continue to diminish as Glinda merrily skips down the yellow brick road of retirement heaven!


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## whisteria (May 25, 2015)

Hi  Ameriscot,
Yes its true the red cross has invested funds to get this Laboratory going and i think a very good investment it is,
One thing i think i should say to those people who are into gardening or are wanting to learn about any gardening subject is that a lot of these charity shops do have books donated to them on all subjects I myself over the years have built up a small library of gardening books and a lot of these have come from such as the red cross,

The good thing about the books from such charity shops is they are a lot cheaper than buying new books "But" these books once belonged to keen gardeners and for one reason or another these people have no use for the books and many of the books are old and full of information given by gardening bodies that really did have to know their subject before they could get anything published, you'll find an list of letters after their names unlike a lot of todays gardening books that all you seem to need to get published is a hit record or a place on gardeners world,
The books im talking about really do go into a subject and cover every aspect of the subject unlike a book i was looking at not so long ago that was a very thin book and it had pictures of A4 size paper of verious veg, ie a cabbage, if you need a full A4 size page to show you what a cabbage looks like then i think gardening is not your subject,
So to sum up, you really can buy a lot of good gardening books in the verious rescue shops full and i do mean full of good well written and well tried info by gardeners who have to know the subject they're writing about.


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## QuickSilver (May 25, 2015)

Right now, I'm still working full time, so I need to have lots of dress casual clothes...  Since I have my full paycheck  asw well as my Social Security and pensions..  I don't budget... I buy what I want and what I like.  I'm sure that when I retire and my income is decreased, I will worry more about cost..  but then again, I will not need the clothes I do now..


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## Ameriscot (May 25, 2015)

whisteria said:


> Hi  Ameriscot,
> Yes its true the red cross has invested funds to get this Laboratory going and i think a very good investment it is,
> One thing i think i should say to those people who are into gardening or are wanting to learn about any gardening subject is that a lot of these charity shops do have books donated to them on all subjects I myself over the years have built up a small library of gardening books and a lot of these have come from such as the red cross,
> 
> ...



Thanks Whisteria. But we don't grow veggies, just lots of flowers, shrubs, trees and hubby knows all about them as he's been a keen gardener for decades.  He has some good gardening books and watches the gardening programmes.  

We don't grow veggies as our soil is too acidic although I know we have other options.  But we go on long trips too often to worry about the timing of our veggies and having someone look after them.  Husband used to grow veggies years ago and he also grew them when we lived in Uganda.


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## charlotta (May 25, 2015)

*Blown Clothes Budget*

Upon watching too many episodes of Frankie and Grace, I became aware that I was a dinosaur in my yoga pants and faded tees.
I want to look and dress like Grace (Jane Fonda), so I went on a spending spree.  But one thing that I tried not to think about was
my Jane Fonda figure, which was only in my dreams.  Oh well, I have put restrictions on my F&G watching and am trying to get back
into reality- back to the yoga pants and workouts.


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## whisteria (May 25, 2015)

Hi quicksilver
A nice thread you've done,
You may find when you do get to retire time that you still like to look good,
I still both enjoy and feel good when im going out and away from my garden, Anyone can look like a bag of rags, but to dress and feel smart is something the individual feels
Ive always liked looking good and driving a nice car, Like you've said it's what you like that counts.


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## chic (May 26, 2015)

QuickSilver said:


> Right now, I'm still working full time, so I need to have lots of dress casual clothes... Since I have my full paycheck asw well as my Social Security and pensions.. I don't budget... I buy what I want and what I like. I'm sure that when I retire and my income is decreased, I will worry more about cost.. but then again, I will not need the clothes I do now..



The unfairness of that will be that after you're retired, you'll have so much more free time to shop!! The gods get us one way or another.


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## hollydolly (May 26, 2015)

whisteria said:


> *Hi quicksilver
> A nice thread you've done,*
> You may find when you do get to retire time that you still like to look good,
> I still both enjoy and feel good when im going out and away from my garden, Anyone can look like a bag of rags, but to dress and feel smart is something the individual feels
> Ive always liked looking good and driving a nice car, Like you've said it's what you like that counts.



Hi whisteria..actually it was me that started this thread.. ..and I agree I will still want to look smart when I retire, ...but that said I've always yearned to live in a verrry rural area far from neighbours where I can just slop around all day in baggy ill-fitting clothes and not worry what I look like most of the time..


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## AprilT (May 26, 2015)

What surprises me is people don't buy new underwear yearly, that's some undies, I buy at least three new bras and several pairs panties and socks a year, that alone will run me no less than $100. I can't imagine a $0 -$50 budget unless I were forced to.  I'd like to know some of you alls secrets.  I lose at least $10 worth of socks to washers and dryers every year.  LOL!  Oh and I have a chest that must have support, so going for cheap or going braless, won't work, I must restock.  I'm genuinely curious since the OP did say including such items.


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## hollydolly (May 26, 2015)

I buy 3 or 4  new bras'  at least every year April I have a full drawer of them from the last couple of years all in very good condition still but that said I actually bought 2 more just today. Socks I have a drawer full they are very cheap  6 pairs for £3, on average and they wash and wear well too even tho' they are so cheap  .  Knickers I buy in packs of 6 or so at about £5 a pack..and pretty frilly underwear sets I'll only buy probably one set a year  My Bra's cost around £25.00 each ...so I suspect that It costs me way less than £100 every year in total for underwear ... (  that's equivalent to approx $153 USD )


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## whisteria (May 26, 2015)

Hi Holly,
If you like to be out of the way, not see or speak to many people from the start of the week to the end (unless you go into the village) and dress as baggy as you like?
then come here to this hamlet an english lad is selling his mums tucked away house just a mile up the track from us,
you'd love it, (it's a key job)


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## AZ Jim (May 26, 2015)

Underwear?  What's that??:dunno:


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## hollydolly (May 26, 2015)

whisteria said:


> Hi Holly,
> If you like to be out of the way, not see or speak to many people from the start of the week to the end (unless you go into the village) and dress as baggy as you like?
> then come here to this hamlet an english lad is selling his mums tucked away house just a mile up the track from us,
> you'd love it, (it's a key job)



I'd love that Wisteria, sounds just up my alley...but first I'm still working as is the o/h..secondly I already have a property abroad in Southern Spain and although in a Village not rural..(it's near the coast)...and thirdly...my daughter lives in the most rural place I've ever been to in my life..a Finca at the top of the mountains in Andalucia ..no neighbours for a kilometre at least...no light pollution whatsoever, (the sky at night are a wonder to behold no need for a telescope there)...., and only the old  goatheard who comes past twice a day with a couple of hundred goats..which actually climb trees and even over the roof of her finca..LOL..so if I was able to retire I'd love to go there...but yours does sound soo very tempting too...


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## whisteria (May 26, 2015)

iT REALLY IS A NICE FRENCH HOUSE? SORRY ABOUT THE CAPITALS THE PC HAS STUCK ON THEM

THE OWNER.S MUM HAS BEEN ADDMITTED TO AN OAP HOME AND THE HOUSE IS TOBE SOLD


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