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The Thrifty Gifty Girls 'n' Guys 2009 (Organised & Money Neutral for All Occasions)
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pinkladymel
Posts: 1,707 Forumite
We started life as two seperate threads - 'Money neutral 2008' run by Jamtart6 and 'OrganizedChristmas 2008' by Pinkladymel. Both threads were hugely popular and we realised that together it would be the ultimate tool to being organised and thrifty for all occasions.
This thread has been started as the old thread reached over 1000 posts.
The thread will contain the following, which you may choose to partake or leave as you wish:
Money Neutralising (written by JamTart6)
:A FAQ's - Money Neutral for Christmas & Special Occasions :A
What is this 'money neutral' of which you speak?
Have a read of this thread, to see how I managed it this year to give you an example. Basically you do surveys to earn vouchers/points, save up loyalty points, shop through cashback websites to reduced the total amount of hard cash you spend...most of us do this anyway. We're always left with a little bit left over that we have to spend, so the idea is to get 'free' money from cashback sites, survey sites and one of the best sources for this....eBay. Throw out List your old items and make some money for new ones...then use this money to spend on your gifts throughout the year...therefore the items you have bought are technically free and you are therefore, 'money neutral'. (I saw this term in a recent magazine...I'm sure the writer of the article coined it from these very threads
).
Have a read of this thread, to see how I managed it this year to give you an example. Basically you do surveys to earn vouchers/points, save up loyalty points, shop through cashback websites to reduced the total amount of hard cash you spend...most of us do this anyway. We're always left with a little bit left over that we have to spend, so the idea is to get 'free' money from cashback sites, survey sites and one of the best sources for this....eBay. Throw out List your old items and make some money for new ones...then use this money to spend on your gifts throughout the year...therefore the items you have bought are technically free and you are therefore, 'money neutral'. (I saw this term in a recent magazine...I'm sure the writer of the article coined it from these very threads
).
Example - I want to buy a gift for my son... it costs £100....firstly (a) do I have a voucher code or gift voucher from a survey site that I can reduce this cost by? (b) Can I purchase it from a cashback website? (c) Yep..used my vouchers...the cost is still £80 of my cold hard cash...how can I get this back?? Answer: eBay or survey sites to the value of £80. If you manage that...you are 'money neutral'.
- Why a group?
We found in previous years that have other people to motivate you is really really helpful to keep the momentum going, and more people spot more good deals too 
And everyone is SOOOOOOOOOO nice!
And everyone is SOOOOOOOOOO nice!
- So is this just for Christmas or all special occasions?
That is entirely up to you! I managed to cover 90% of the costs of Christmas and Birthdays for 2008, but if you just want to join us for Christmas then feel free!!
- Look lady...enough of the chat:p...just tell me what I've gotta to do be in it!? Where do I start???
1. Make a list of everyone you need presents for in a "Gift Notebook"
2. Keep your eye out in the sales for anything that might suit that person for their birthday or Christmas - try and buy it with loyalty points/vouchers
3. Make a note of how much you spend in the book and mark if you spend vouchers, points or cash
4. Try and earn the hard cash back via eBay (I'm not encouraging you to earn it back via Quidco, but if you do have any spare quidco funds then use it to offset what you have spent.
5. Keep us posted on how you are doing with earning your points, buying your gifts, selling on eBay etc. I will probably keep my update in my signature (in very small font!)
:AWell we'd love you to join us - so feel free to post as much as you want, if you already know you will have spare points/vouchers etc for next years gift buying then keep us posted now!
We love oldies, newbies, we'll take anything to be honest...we're not the fussy type!! Come on in and let us know how you are doing 
Best of luck and hopefully this time next year, we will have all had a money neutral gift buying year!!! :A
Savings Tin For the beginning of Organized Christmas
Grab yourself a sealed, self-proof tin and save, save, save for a stress free Christmas. We will open these tins together on Saturday OCTOBER 10th
You may open your tins whenever you wish (Obviously) But I thought it would be fun to open ours as a group on the day everything kicks off (Organized Christmas starts, Boots catalogue is out etc)
Grab yourself a sealed, self-proof tin and save, save, save for a stress free Christmas. We will open these tins together on Saturday OCTOBER 10th
You may open your tins whenever you wish (Obviously) But I thought it would be fun to open ours as a group on the day everything kicks off (Organized Christmas starts, Boots catalogue is out etc)
Ideas for this include:
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Emptying your change every sunday from your purse (Coppers and silvers)
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Filling it as and when you can afford
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Making a new years resolution (Swearing or dieting for example) and putting in 50p each time you break it.
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Everytime you receive a two pounds coin put it in the tin.
Rudolph Club
On the 25th of every month I invite you to come together as a group and make the commitment to post what you have done to prepare for Christmas 09. Purchasing gifts and paper in sales, Crafting cards and gifts, Tips you have thought up.. We want to know.. so come share!
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=18060883&postcount=481
Organized Christmas
There is a reason it is spelt with a 'z' and that is not because I am American or illiterate Each October we begin the countdown to Christmas together by pledging to follow:
http://organizedchristmas.com
If you click on the main page, at the top there is a list of plans to follow ranging from being organised to completely clearing the house.
On the 25th of every month I invite you to come together as a group and make the commitment to post what you have done to prepare for Christmas 09. Purchasing gifts and paper in sales, Crafting cards and gifts, Tips you have thought up.. We want to know.. so come share!
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=18060883&postcount=481
Organized Christmas
There is a reason it is spelt with a 'z' and that is not because I am American or illiterate
Each October we begin the countdown to Christmas together by pledging to follow:http://organizedchristmas.com
If you click on the main page, at the top there is a list of plans to follow ranging from being organised to completely clearing the house.
:xmastree:Self Certified Christmas Addict:xmastree:
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Comments
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Ooooo, nice shiney new thread & here I come trampling all over it, lol,
I hope your dogs recovering today goochie.
Awwww, Mel, she looks sooooo cute - I was in tears when DS1 went in for his first day, shall be again when DS2 starts, lol.
Been bargain shopping again today picked up 6 of these M&S bags today (could only find a piccy on ebay), they were £2.99 reduced to 50p. They're really good quality, & a nice size. Planning on using them to group presents together & carry them instead of those foil patterned, cardboard ones, such as for my mom as I know she'll use it for her shopping.You cant take a step forward with both feet on the ground0 -
Thanks for the new thread PLM!
My DS2 started nursery yesterday as well. I am ashamed to say I did a little dance around the playground with my friend whose DD2 started at the same time!! It's just so nice to have a little time to myself.
So count me in for all the above - I have a notebook which I am stitting down with to fill in tonight; my tin is for collecting 1p, 2p, 5p and 20p - and I will be here on the 25th for news of you all!
I bought an A4 folder which I have covered in Christmas wrapping paper and have began filling in notes from the OC site!The great declutter 2010Money neutral and thrifty gifty for Christmas 2010 :xmassmile0 -
Ooh shiny disco balls! we have a new thread
Reposted my money neutral ways on this thread....
Cash
Profit from Boots gifts: £10.50
Quidco (Dec 08) £43.75
Onepoll £23.60
Cashbackrewards £20.99
Topcashback £17.83
eBay £0.00
Total Cashfund : £116.67
Vouchers/Loyalty Points
CD WOW 1.00
Boots points £175.52
Boots Voucher £30.00
Tesco Clubcard ?
Nectar ?
Waterstones 0.87
Toluna Points 25200.00 (about £8)
Hope that gives someone some idea of what I mean. All these can now be spent on gifts for birthdays and Christmas this coming year
:ABeing Thrifty Gifty again this year:A
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mel she looks so cute!
I love your baby scrapbook. like everything you do it is so clever and looks fantastic - you are very talented:D
i will be here too for the Rudolph club - am trying to be good and organised this year!saving for ds2's summer international scout camp - £200
£60 deposit paid :j £100 paid:j £40 paid:j0 -
How exciting onto another new thread thanks Pml I looked at your blog yesterday and left a comment!
Jammy thanks for listing your money neutral stuff and for explaining Boots. Will you tell us on here when there are special offers/deals on in Boots and guide us through the Bootster obstacle course??? PLeAsE!!!
Also for onepoll, cashbackrewards, topcashback and toluna do
you just look them up online and register with them?? Obviously I know Quidco!!
Sending you hugs Goochie I had to take our cat in the middle of the night to the emergency vet had to wake the kids up and take them in their PJ's luckily hubby was home as I couldn't have driven as I was crying so much! He ende up having further investigations and cost well over £1000 (lucily we had insurance!) He is fine now and made a good recovery but it is a rotten experience to go through hugs xxx0 -
Furrypig - yes of course. I dont always keep up to date with the Boots thread as I don't (ever!) need anything but if there is a good deal I will go for them. They do offer of the weeks every week for the 10 weeks before xmas which works out at 341 on that gift (plus all the extra points) so I personally think it is quite decent value for the items you get. I ended up splitting them with my neighbours and family if I didnt want the 3 and everyone was made up with the gifts for the price of them. At the moment they are doing "Spend £5 on anything in store and get a £5 no.7/ruby and millie voucher free" you can pick up no.7 nailvarnishes/eyeliners for about £1-£1.50 this way.
Cashbackrewards I used to use for amazon but I dont think it is on there any more
. They pay out after £25, give you £2.50 for joining etc. Topcashback I use for Boots.com and pay out the same way as Quidco but no admin fee. Both work the same way as Quidco and youc an just sign up. Onepoll is a survey company with regular surveys paying 10p-£1 for very short surveys. They pay out at £40. I got £23.60 last year and didn't keep up with the surveys so prob missed loads. Reckon you could get the £40 in a year. Hope that helps (Yes all can just be signed up for)
:ABeing Thrifty Gifty again this year:A
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Don't forget to top up in 5 pounds increments at Boots so that you get a voucher each time. You can buy Boots No7 packs of wipes for 6.00 which are lovely for hampers.:xmastree:Self Certified Christmas Addict:xmastree:0
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You can watch QVC online at www.qvcuk.com or on Cable 740 I dont know the number on Sky. It is the craft outlet now :xmastree:Self Certified Christmas Addict:xmastree:0
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Hi everyone, *hugs* to goochie, my dog scooby was taken in last week with suspected pancreatitis(sp??) he had to have a drip and an xray which cost us £300, he was covered by insurance so they will pay out £288. It was a nightmare but like you said I would do anything for my dogs! PLM you can count me in for all of the above except the sealed tin bit as I am doing that separate, although if you don't mind I will post my total in this thread as well, I put a target in my signature so hopefully I will at least reach it or (fingers crossed) exceed it I will update later tonight hopefully on works computer but if not i will use brothers..ERM that's all for now.
..xxI am only me, no pretences, no second guesses.. It's the best I can do, I'm sorry if that's not good enough for you... I'm sorry I'm not good enough for you :A0 -
It's 640 on Sky as guess what I'm doing???pinkladymel wrote: »You can watch QVC online at www.qvcuk.com or on Cable 740 I dont know the number on Sky. It is the craft outlet now
Well I nonly have the whole house to tidy n clean, washing to put on and hang out and dinner to prepare but why do that when I can surf the net at MSE whilst watching QVC!! I actually taped the craft bit from earlier and watched it and was very tempted to buy this fab boxed set it was lovely!! Let me know the items you recommend Mel!;)0
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