Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3 4

Original poster

to think saving things ''for best'' is slightly mad?

95 replies

OutOutLetItAllOut · 18/07/2010 12:44

for our wedding, nearly 6 yrs ago, we got bought a very nice cutlery set..from then til now it has been used at xmas, and special occasions...until now, when i have opend it all up for general use.
im beginning to think that keeping things ''for best'', is mad. arent things bought to be used??
do you have things for best?

OP posts:

melikalikimaka · 18/07/2010 14:38

If you want to look a little smarter, I don't see the harm in keeping some clothes back for best. They don't have that washed out look all the rest have. I also have crockery and cutlery for Christmas, high days and holidays. It makes it feel more special. The DC know its and occasion when they see it. Matter of choice innit?

Flisspaps · 18/07/2010 19:25

I stopped saving things for best when I read this poem

It lives on the side of my fridge as a reminder. Life's too short to keep stuff for 'best'.

Rosieeo · 18/07/2010 19:54

LOL I did this for years! Saving clothes 'for best' until they'd gone out of fashion and I'd only worn them twice and the like. I do have some decent crockery, but use it every week or so.

When I first had DD I saved a beautiful outfit she was given for best and by the time I got around to dressing her in it, she'd outgrown it.

My friend saved smellies given for xmas and birthdays for best and then had to charity shop a mountain of the stuff last year. Madness.

I made myself stop and feel much better for it.

rupert22 · 18/07/2010 19:58

I think i subscribe to the 'have nothing which is not beautiful or useful in your home' mantra. I love nice things and want to use them every day. Cutlery, glasses, clothes, you name it. Life's too short to save for some far off 'special day'

Every day is special

LadyBiscuit · 18/07/2010 19:59

I agree. Tis bonkers

MayorNaze · 18/07/2010 20:02

our wedding china is only for best

but everything else is for using

vintage · 18/07/2010 20:15

i have lovely spode plates that have a Christmas pattern on them. I start to use them the 1st of December as i feel it would be a waste to just use them for the one day . I love all my beautiful things around me

overmydeadbody · 18/07/2010 20:41

rupert I live by that too!

when I got divroced 6 yrs ago and rediscovered myself and my likes and dislikes I decided that I would only have things in my home which I thought where beautiful to me. I don't have anything "for best", but everything in my home is an item I have chosen myself and like. While none of it is very valuable to others it is all priceless to me.

pranma · 18/07/2010 21:44

I do have some plates 'for best'.When my grandparents married grandma had been in service and loged for lovely things so every year my grandad bought her one Spode plate in whatever was the latest design.he did this for 10 years then they had a bit more money and she got a 'nice' dinner service and the Spode came out at Christmas only.I inherited it when my mum died and there are 8 plates left now.I use it at Christmas only and will pass the 8 plates on to dd one day.

chitchat07 · 18/07/2010 22:48

There's nothing wrong with having something that's extra special, the problem is that people don't do special often enough. We often have a few friends over for a sit down meal and so we use one of our 'better' sets. Or every now and then my DH and I will have a quiet meal and I would set the table with our nice things. Best doesn't have to only be a few times a year.

Hasn't happened as often since DS2 though....!!!

AnyFuleKno · 18/07/2010 22:55

The only things I would save for best is things I want my dd to have when she is grown up.

My ex boyfriend's mum and dads house had a 'good' room which none of the family ever spent time in. We used to go in there to have sex when his mum and dad were in bed

BaggedandTagged · 19/07/2010 09:12

re clothes, I think inevitably you'll have some stuff that you don't wear very often as is just too formal, but that's why I would spend more on a pair of jeans or a nice pair of leather boots than on a dress for a wedding.

In terms of cost per wear, the jeans are a better investment.

People will say "I cant believe people spend £200 on jeans" but they would spend that on an outfit they might wear once.

Snobear4000 · 19/07/2010 12:11

Every day that you're still alive and in good health is the best day of your life. Save nothing! Use the best stuff all the time until it's ruined and then get more good stuff. Live for today! Be free!

(snobear4000 skips off into the fields to jauntily pick flowers and sing)

5Foot5 · 19/07/2010 13:24

We have wedding china and cutlery that we keep for best. I am glad we did really because 23 years on the nice china is intact whereas we have been through masses of everyday stuff.

When it is a special occasion or we have guests it is nice to have the good stuff that all matches and isn't chipped.

melikalikimaka · 19/07/2010 13:59

Perhaps poor people do this?

swanandduck · 19/07/2010 14:35

I don't really keep things for 'best'. I have some nice cups and wineglasses that I only use when friends call around, but I use them for any friends, not just state occasions. Same with clothes. If I buy something for a special occasion it gradually moves into my ordinary wardrobe.

ViveLaFrak · 19/07/2010 15:11

I have things we don't use everyday because we don't need to so I suppose that's for best. We also have everyday and entertaining crockery and glasses.

I'm paranoid about breakages as well though

Kathyjelly · 19/07/2010 15:23

Yes, completely barking. When my mum died we cleared her house of beautiful "for best" things that she'd never had the pleasure of using.

edwardcullensotherwoman · 19/07/2010 15:24

Hmm, 2 sides to that though. My mum bought us some lovely crystal wine glasses and tall tumblers as an engagement present. She told me to use them, not keep for best. That was 2.5 years ago, I only have 1 wine glass remaining(there were 4 of each). Whereas I have most of the glasses left from the cheap set I bought DP on our first Christmas together(this year will be our 5th)
As a general rule though, I don't really keep things for best, just appropriateness.

noteventhebestdrummer · 19/07/2010 15:30

Anyfulekno

I hope it was good sex then

notso · 19/07/2010 15:36

PMSL at Anyfulekno

The people who live nextdoor-but-one have a best front room, they only use it on Christmas day the loons.

KnitterNotTwitter · 19/07/2010 15:44

The only thing that we have a 'best' for is cutlery - although my MIL insists on using a teaspoon from the best set every time she's round... Presumialy she thinks she's a special occasion:-)

Bonsoir · 19/07/2010 15:47

Completely crazy. Why have nice things that will date before they are used up because you use them so infrequently?

WreckOfTheHesperus · 19/07/2010 15:51

don't save decent wine for special occasions; it doesn't last for ever, or even for very long at all...

MerryMarigold · 19/07/2010 15:51

We have stuff 'for best'. I didn't have a clue about family life when I made my wedding list - so our crockery set is HIGHLY impractical. But is lovely - and I love it, so I'm kind of glad the kids don't get to smash it up. The wine glasses we've used frequently but that means quite a few have broken , so I guess one of these days we'll have to splash out and buy some new glasses and wine glasses...it's just quite a lot of money.

I have shoes I save for my 'best' and they have lasted (and they were gorgeous) for 10 years, but sadly I broke them at a wedding last year.

I think keeping a few things for best is fine - if they're not going to go out of fashion, or if you can't afford to replace on a frequent basis.

Flip

1 2 3 4