Monday 21 October 2013

Magpie Monday - Hip Flask

Meet my mate Stanley.

I don't mean that in a menacing, gangland kinda way.  There's nothing remotely frightening about this hot pink fella.  But he is one of my most financially savvy second-hand buys.


I am well known in my social circle for my flask-carrying habit.  I already have a perfectly pretty and serviceable one, but it was rather on the small side.  Now the rest of my family and friends are coming round to portable hot drinks it was time for an upgrade to a larger capacity.

This beauty set me back a whole £1.99 in a charity shop, and considering these cost well over £20 brand new, I think it was a great buy.  They are guaranteed for 25 years, so I'm not really taking a gamble with a pre-used one anyway.

So, why pack a flask?  Well, the reasons are many, including:

  • You can make your drink exactly how you like it.  I am a tea fiend, but I've never yet found a takeaway that can produced a decent cuppa.
  • It's a great money-saving tool.  With the costa coffee (see what I did there?) being so extortionate, you can easily rack up a hefty bill on a day out.  Carrying your own means you can stick two fingers up to the ubiquitous Starbucks et al on every street corner.
  • It's the greener option.  No more disposable polystyrene or cardboard cups and plastic lids and crazy plastic stirrers that don't even stir.  This baby is washable and 100% reusable.
  • You can enjoy a cuppa wherever you are, anytime.  Stuck on a broken-down train with no hope of getting home in the foreseeable - whip out your flask and be the envy of all commuters.  A chilly walk in the woods with the family?  Keep them going and stave off the grumbles with a steaming cup of hot chocolate - for extra brownie points, pack a pot of marshmallows too.

Making up a flask is now part of my routine whenever we're off out anywhere- keys: check. Mobile phone: check. Stanley: check.

He comes on trips to London allowing me to breeze straight past the coffee stall and not be tempted by the waft of roasted beans.  We can head up the motorway using the service stations only for wees instead of being mugged by Costa.  He comes on family outings; keeps me company on craft stalls; and thaws the Old Man's cockles with hot soup after a winter outdoor swim.

Flasks are the future!  What say you?

Have you found any great preloved items lately?  I'd love you to grab the badge and link up. 

 

14 comments:

  1. Ooh I love it! What a find. I'm linking up some old ideas today - but the food table is my favourite - I got the painted old dresser from a friend's shop and I love the orange paint under the grey that comes through xx

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  2. I love the color! Flasks ARE the future!

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  3. I need the flask (thermos for Americans) to keep the coffee warm for these Dutch carpenters working on our remodeling at our Beltway apartment in The Netherlands. Love the color of yours! Linda@Wetcreek Blog

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  4. Great find! I don't know why more people don't take their own...x

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  5. I carry a flask too! Mr G used to laugh at me then realised how much we were saving! Fab colour, and a great find! x

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  6. Gorgeous flask and heck what a bargain. I'm so with you on the price of coffee and the lack of a decent tea. All hail the flask!

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  7. My parents were always armed with flasks when we went on family trips - I have fond hot choccy memories!

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  8. That is one beautiful flask!!

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  9. Hello lovely Liz, I'm back again. Love the flask. Is it the same company who make the knives ?

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  10. It totally feels like a treat to open up a flask/thermos of hot choc after a hike/winter day at the beach, about 3hrs into a road trip. love the colour, easy to identify!

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  11. absolutely with you on flasks and love yours! I spend so much time in the car now and always bring one, or my trusty thermos cup. Something very comforting about them x

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  12. Just came across your blog for the first time and I love it. I'm a magpie too. I get told off for buying 'things we don't need' all the time. I have flask envy. Sob. xx

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  13. that was a real steal for a couple of quids and a penny back! and as you say it saves sooo much money on takeout coffee! the marshmallow floats look yummy!

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