Santas challenge 2017

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  • Hey lovelies,

    So happy to be back on the topic of Christmas!

    We had a fab festive period, countdown is on again for 2017.

    I haven't started on Christmas shopping yet but I do have a small stockpile of Christmas cards (about 60ish).

    I have started on the birthdays for the year, I love the idea of having a spreadsheet with them all. Must add it to the one I currently have for budget, savings etc.

    January Birthdays
    Mum
    £3.50 - card
    £15.00 - dinner set (half price)

    Mums BF
    £1.50 - card
    £19.67 - tobacco (grudged paying that!)

    No more birthdays now until March!

    Dxxx
  • Katiehound
    Katiehound Posts: 7,513
    Name Dropper First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Post
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    Hello!

    Belated Happy New Year to everyone

    My first visit to MSE since my op on Dec 20th. Sitting at computer is not that easy.

    All not going well- all nearly 50 clips out (very ouch) but wound is still draining. Feel slightly off colour too, so probably more antibiotics when I go to surgery tomorrow for bi-weekly check up! (boring) At least it doesn't forecast loads of snow so should make it to physio too.

    So no Christmas and no nice sales shopping either- except some yummy Belgian biccies in Aldi........Did at least get a couple of slices of turkey when I was in hospital!!

    Then last week Voyages of Discovery went phut. I'd got 2 cruises booked with them. The deposits will be refunded but don't know when. At least I have managed to book replacement cruises... now on the 4th attempt to get to Iceland !!!!(no, not the shop) but settled for Caribbean rather than Sri Lanka / India for 2018

    Hope everyone is well and happy.
    :j
    Being polite and pleasant doesn't cost anything!
    If you found my posting helpful please hit the "Thanks" button!
    Many thanks
    -Stash busting: 337 in 2022
    Stash busting: in 2023. 120 doggy duvets, 24 shopping bags, 43 dog coats, 2 scrunchies, 10 mittens, 6 bootees, 8 glass cases, 2 A6 notebooks, 59 cards, 6 lavender bags,36 crochet angels,9 woven bones, 1 crochet knee blanket, 1 lined bag,3 owls, 88 pyramid pouches = total 420...£119.50 spent- £114.50 earned= total spend £5. Total earned for 'Dogs for Good' £546.82

    2024:23 Doggy duvets, 24 pyramid pouches, 6 hot water bottle covers, 4 knitted beanies, 1 crochet angel= 58 £61 spent!!! already
  • mum2one
    mum2one Posts: 16,279
    Xmas Saver!
    Forumite
    Katiehound wrote: »
    Hello!

    Belated Happy New Year to everyone

    My first visit to MSE since my op on Dec 20th. Sitting at computer is not that easy.

    All not going well- all nearly 50 clips out (very ouch) but wound is still draining. Feel slightly off colour too, so probably more antibiotics when I go to surgery tomorrow for bi-weekly check up! (boring) At least it doesn't forecast loads of snow so should make it to physio too.

    glad everything went ok, hope the antibitoics kick in,

    So no Christmas and no nice sales shopping either- except some yummy Belgian biccies in Aldi........Did at least get a couple of slices of turkey when I was in hospital!!

    Then last week Voyages of Discovery went phut. I'd got 2 cruises booked with them. The deposits will be refunded but don't know when. At least I have managed to book replacement cruises... now on the 4th attempt to get to Iceland !!!!(no, not the shop) but settled for Caribbean rather than Sri Lanka / India for 2018

    Hope everyone is well and happy.
    :j

    I'm glad ur get ur deposit back, hopefully wont be too long, thats good about the new cruises, 4th time lucky.... maybe Sri lanka be 2019....

    The 4th time lucky must be catching... weve had to rebook Cuba (1st time was pregnant with Miss Hoodie, 2nd time the day of the ash cloud, 3rd was meant to be this April... but with everything going on etc and still raw with dad I didnt want to be so far away) so have rescheduled to April 2018...
    xx
    xx rip dad... we had our ups and downs but we’re always be family xx
  • mum2one
    mum2one Posts: 16,279
    Xmas Saver!
    Forumite
    My Presents - checklist

    (excluding Miss Hoodie and Mum - bigger expenses...)

    Birthday
    7 birthdays - £105 - know 2 x £10 cash instead of present....

    Mothers Day
    (me to mum, Miss Hoodie to me, to nan - adopted Nan) £60

    Fathers Day
    (Miss Hoodie to Adopted Grandad) £10

    Christmas
    39 sets of presents (couple from mum, couple from Miss Hoodie) £443

    Miss Hoodie - her friends £100 (bdays / Christmas)

    xx
    xx rip dad... we had our ups and downs but we’re always be family xx
  • Mum 2 one is that checklist what you spent last year or what you need for this year?

    It's an expensive time xmas, bdays etc but I love giving the presents. I like your 50 charitable acts for this year that's making me think....
    £1000 Emergency fund challenge #225 - £1000.00.00/£1000- End of Baby Step 3 (A work in progress)
  • Katiehound
    Katiehound Posts: 7,513
    Name Dropper First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Post
    Forumite
    Things looking up!
    This morning no more antibiotics needed- suddenly wound starting to dry.
    Physio was impressed by amount of movement and said I might want to walk there in 2 weeks! (I think not- steep hills at each end!) Surgery only want to see me next week if wound not improving........

    Less than 3 weeks before I can drive. Getting cabin fever! (oh and grey days of winter don't help.)
    Being polite and pleasant doesn't cost anything!
    If you found my posting helpful please hit the "Thanks" button!
    Many thanks
    -Stash busting: 337 in 2022
    Stash busting: in 2023. 120 doggy duvets, 24 shopping bags, 43 dog coats, 2 scrunchies, 10 mittens, 6 bootees, 8 glass cases, 2 A6 notebooks, 59 cards, 6 lavender bags,36 crochet angels,9 woven bones, 1 crochet knee blanket, 1 lined bag,3 owls, 88 pyramid pouches = total 420...£119.50 spent- £114.50 earned= total spend £5. Total earned for 'Dogs for Good' £546.82

    2024:23 Doggy duvets, 24 pyramid pouches, 6 hot water bottle covers, 4 knitted beanies, 1 crochet angel= 58 £61 spent!!! already
  • mum2one
    mum2one Posts: 16,279
    Xmas Saver!
    Forumite
    foxyloxy11 wrote: »
    Mum 2 one is that checklist what you spent last year or what you need for this year?

    It's an expensive time xmas, bdays etc but I love giving the presents. I like your 50 charitable acts for this year that's making me think....

    It's this yrs - thou hope to spend lot less! Roll on boots 70% sale x
    xx rip dad... we had our ups and downs but we’re always be family xx
  • Long time lurker here, mind if I join in?
    I always have a lot of presents to buy, some from all of the family as one present that we send, I then get the money back off the family.
    My daughter, even though 18 still has a pile of stocking stuffers which I wrap as I go along.

    Some presents sent to family and friends, I've tried to change, when u factor in postage, it could become quite costly (I do the Royal Mail panel thing which helps) but this has been met with resistance.

    So I like to get a present for a friend/relative with thought, but if I can get it at a good price, even better.
    I've been really lucky like Foxyand have got lots of goodies in the sales for birthdays/Christmas.
    Everything is logged down including savings made in my little Christmas journal, I haven't added up the savings made in 2016, but still hoping to beat this figure when I've done it this year��
    Decluttering challenge 2023🏅⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
    Decluttering challenge 2024 🏅⭐️
  • basketcase
    basketcase Posts: 1,106
    First Post Name Dropper First Anniversary
    Forumite
    Hi there! May I join you?

    I'm on another dedicated Christmas planning site, but you can't have enough Christmas IMNSHO. Mind you, that one's more about planning than frugal. Also it's international so a lot of the shops/bargains/tips etc are ones I can't use... They're great people, though; and this thread sounds equally friendly. Must be something about Christmas! :snow_grin

    Christmas 2016 went a bit pear-shaped. I'd bought everything, ordered the food for delivery on the 22nd and dragged everything out of the cupboards to declutter. Wrapping paper and cards bought Jan 2016, so just had to wrap presents and write cards. Then I fell and broke my shoulder...

    So. House a bombsite, presents stuffed in Christmas bags, boxes and stockings, emails to explain why I wasn't doing cards this year and The Day was extremely quiet!

    On the upside, it turned out accidentally very MSE. I have loads of cards and wrapping paper for next year, have just finished the picky bits we weren't bothered about eating and I didn't put any weight on! :D Didn't take long to pt the decs away either, as it was all very simple.

    Happy Kitties I feel your pain re the postage. A lot of my cards etc go abroad. It can be crippling.

    What do you put in the stocking to keep costs down? My DD still likes an Advent Parcel - small items labelled 1-24. It can be reasonably cheap if you include things like toiletries/catering jams/honey/Marmite etc from hotels, the 'Fs' from BOGOFs etc
    A budget is like a speed sign - a LIMIT not a TARGET!!

    CHALLENGES
    2024 Grocery Challenge: Q1 £37.83/£660
    2024 NSDs: Jan 1/12
    2024 Decluttering 24 containers/month: Jan 10/24
    Weight Loss: 0/24lbs
    2024 Fashion on the Ration: 0/66
    24 for 2024
  • I hope the shoulder is okay now Basketcase, that must have been a nightmare, and painful :(

    I have a cousin with 5 kids under the age of 10 that likes to swap presents-these need sending. I would rather she kept the monies for the kids than send presents, I'm going to put the suggestion in again this year as she sends for my daughter and niece and they are 18 and 21 now

    I always get my daughter things like facial wipes, body shop shower gels/scrub, bras etc, all things that she uses throughout the year but saves me money in the long run as little presents for Christmas instead :j With 2016, I was really thinking of making sure I got her things that would be of use at Sept ready for the start of uni aswell.

    My mum loves those little jams from hotels, we always try to get her some and when we went to Prague for the Christmas markets, I brought back some body lotions from the hotel that are fantastic. I have autoimmune problems with a lot of allergies, everything has to be patch tested, ended up keeping the body lotions for myself, they are fab:j:j
    Decluttering challenge 2023🏅⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
    Decluttering challenge 2024 🏅⭐️
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