NB This is a sponsored post.
Black capri pants have been a firm fashion favourite of mine for many years.
I think I bought my first pair in the late nineties; I loved the way they showed off my legs (arguably my best feature!). Being black, they didn’t show grime, and they also didn’t need ironing. And let’s face it, trousers of any sort are very practical when you have little ones.
They were easy to dress up or down – when Miss 18 was tiny, I used to love pairing them with a lime green linen sleeveless shirt, or a mesh top (remember when they were all the rage?).
I wore them to death when I worked in an office.
I still have a pair of black capri pants hanging in my wardrobe; but apart from pulling them out to take this photo, I can’t remember the last time I actually wore them.
There’s a multitude of reasons. Although technically there’s nothing wrong with them, after all these years it’s time for a re-think.
Dare I say it? The style is now (sadly) a little dated. The black has faded. What you can’t see in the photo, is that I can no longer do up the top button (d’oh!). Not to mention the fact that I no longer work in an office, nor do I have small children. My life has changed enormously in the last fifteen years!
That’s not the only thing that has changed a lot. In 2000, the hubster and I took out health insurance (before the government brought in the Lifetime Health Cover Policy). We shopped around at the time and found the best policy for our needs as a family with two small children.
Fast forward to 2015 and our lives have changed enormously. The kids are now grown; we don’t need orthodontic or pregnancy cover anymore!
After all these years, it’s time for a re-think. Luckily, it doesn’t have to be a major issue – we can just head to www.healthinsurancecomparison.com.au to easily find the provider and policy that best suits our needs.
When was the last time you thought about your health insurance, and whether it’s still the right fit for you?
Linking up with Essentially Jess for IBOT.
Tonia Zemek says
Such a coincidence to see your post today – I literally just bought my FIRST pair of black capri pants. (I’m a bit late to the party). Happy to carry the baton. PS was so lovely to meet you other day.
Janet Camilleri says
Yes! Loved meeting you too! And I don’t think black capri pants are dated at all – just the style of this particular pair. I think I need some new ones!
Krystle says
Health insurance has been a bit of a dilemma in our household recently. Feels a little bit like we’re damned if we do, damned if we don’t. Our current cover never seems to cover anything we want to claim, but then there aren’t really any better offers from other providers, so we continue to pay a small fortune each month for something we never use. I should just be grateful we’re all healthy!!
Janet Camilleri says
I know how you feel Krystle. Hubster and I are reaching the age where we think it’s time to upgrade from Extra to hospital cover …
Raych aka Mystery Case says
I’ve had health insurance since I was 21. Some years I’ve forked out more than it was worth and others it has paid for itself in full. Although, these days there still seems to be a lot of out of pocket expenses. We upgraded our health insurance just over 2 years ago, knowing full well that my daughter would require jaw surgery following 2 years of braces. Hopefully, all the hospital side of things, will be covered with the surgical side of things 60% covered. If only the surgeon wasn’t insisting his services be paid in full 7 days prior.
Janet Camilleri says
We’ve only had Extras cover all these years. When I had a hysterectomy, and Miss 18 had out tonsils out, we just bit the bullet and paid for the surgeries etc. But hubster and I think we might be at the stage where hospital cover is warranted, although pre-existing conditions could be an issue … he is having some health issues at the moment ๐
Ingrid @ Fabulous and Fun Life says
I love my black pants in the office. So convenient and easy! Health insurance on the other hand never seems as easy! I’ll have to check out your link above!
Janet Camilleri says
If I still worked in an office Ingrid, I’d probably still be wearing mine all the time too! It’s funny how our lives change x
Mrs Organised says
I still have black capri pants and wear them all the time. They are so comfortable and I would really miss them if they were gone!
Janet Camilleri says
I’ve been thinking that if I had a *NEW* pair of black capri pants, it would solve my problem …
Vanessa says
I looked at getting health insurance this year, but so far no one can tell me if there’s a point. Doctors have been trying to diagnose my husband for 4 years now, so is that pre-existing if it doesn’t have a name yet? No company wants to give me a straight answer on that so I am cynically (realistically?) going with it meaning he wouldn’t be covered anyway, so there’s no point!
Janet Camilleri says
I can see your dilemma Vanessa. Hope you get some answers from the medical world, soon xxx
Sally says
Hi Vanessa, hope you don’t mind me chipping in here but in a lot of cases, ‘pre existing’ is deemed to be the case if symptoms have been present for 6 months or longer (even if a definitive diagnosis hasn’t happened) so with a lot of health funds, your husband would most probably be classed as having a pre-existing condition.
EssentiallyJess says
I’m glad we have private health. It’s helped us more than once.
As for black capri pants, I think you need the right pair. I always struggle to find some that fit me well.
Gayel says
I was a capri lover too. I had a crazy Hawaiian print pair which mean’t I was nicknamed Gidget every time I wore them. I now do the ponte pant or shirred 3/4 pants but it wasn’t all that long ago that I threw my last pair of capri pants to the charity bin. Let’s face it… they worked for over a decade!
Renee Wilson says
Ahh Janet. Keep the black capris for around the house. Think of the memories ๐ We changed our health insurance recently thanks to this very company. Very happy with it.
Kathy says
I don’t think black capris ever really go out of fashion Janet. We changed health insurance about 2 years ago (might be time to look again). Got rid of the pregnancy cover, which I’d held onto for far too long (especially considering infertility and all. Don’t think I’ll be needing it at 46!
Kylie Purtell - A Study in Contradictions says
I’ve actually been thinking about this a bit lately. We got rid of our hospital cover after Punky was born because we just couldn’t afford it. But I’ve been thinking that we could probably find some better value for the extras cover we have, and if we could save a bit on that then we might actually be able to afford hospital cover again and avoid the lifetime loading we’ll score if we don’t take it out again in the next 18 months.
#teamIBOT
Sally says
Hi Kylie! If you’re only planning to use certain Extras services, you might be able to get away with a more basic policy (although the annual limits are likely to be on the low side). Some health funds give you the opportunity to mix and match the Extras services that are most relevant to you (up to around 3-5), which can be useful if the pre-packaged options are not that important to you. If you wanted more tailored advice on how you might be able to save without compromising on the Extras you do need, feel free to give us a call (number is on the site linked to my name) – you’d be under no obligation to do anything after speaking to an advisor.
Tegan says
I have been looking into health insurance this year because at the moment I am forking out an average of $320 a month for psych sessions…but the cover offered by most health funds isn’t that great either. I also need to make sure the health fund I choose is accepted at both my psychologist and psychiatrist office. I would hate to get locked into a contract, only to find out that it’s useless.
Sally says
Hi Tegan! You might get a bit better annual limit on a broader Extras policy but probably not a huge amount (and it would obviously cost more if you go with mid to top level cover). Yes, definitely – some health funds are quite restrictive with Extras providers in general and require you to use ones that have agreements with them to be eligible to claim, while others are less strict. We’d definitely recommend shopping around to see what the options are so you don’t inadvertently choose one that won’t work well for you (or at all). Happy to help if you get confused or stuck (just give us a shout!)
Bec @ The Plumbette says
I need to look at our health insurance. We aren’t having anymore babies so that is a saving on our policy. I’ve been so busy I haven’t had the time to sit down and compare apples with apples. This post is a great reminder to look into it!
Sally says
Hi Bec, that’s a great place to look at saving some money without compromising on areas that you do need. Depending on whether your other needs have changed since you first bought the policy, you might be able to save in other areas too.