What it's worth being frugal about?

kboss2010 · 18 October 2015 at 10:01AM

GreyQueen wrote: »

thriftwizard, my previous home was part of a very dilapidated Victorian house, which, my Dad always joked, looked like the Munsters lived there. Although it was on a main street, it never got trick or treated.

People are going to have very individual experiences of the t or t phenomenon. Those who have delightful ones will think that anyone who hides from t & t-ers is a miserable s0d. Those who have pretty horrific experiences (and egg is a bu88er to get off windows and doors never mind cars) will feel entirely justified about wanting to avoid the confrontation.

There's an unpleasant side to t or t-ing which involves harrassment and criminal damage and it isn't made any easier to bear because the perpetrators are kids.

I live in a rough neighbourhood in the city centre. Most people don't answer their doors to people they're not expecting here, at any time.

I'm looking forward to buying heavily-reduced pumpkins shortly, to cook with the pulp and roast the seeds. Lots of good eating on a pumpkin. If you're carving them for Halloween, be sure not to waste all that tasty goodness.

Just a note to people to check that their carving pumpkin is also suitable for eating as some area grown with chemicals not suitable for human consumption. It should say on the label.

LaineyT · 18 October 2015 at 10:33AM

We live on the outskirts of the village and are the only residential house down a long gravel drive so after eight years have never had a soul brave enough to knock on our door at Samhain. That said I do like to celebrate myself so always carve a pumpkin to sit outside and have candles in the windows, as for the sweets purchased my DOH likes to have a treat :rotfl:

SmallL · 18 October 2015 at 11:50AM

We have literally 0 food wastage in our household. Meals aren't even that strictly planned but we use a tactic of buying an ample amount of fresh veg that is quite flexible in its uses (Cabbage, peppers, carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, onions) and combine with ys frozen meat and pantry goods like rice/noodles/pulses/beans.

I'm also lucky that my parents inundate me with their allotment produce! So I basically never have to buy onions/potatoes/green beans/strawberries/raspberries/courgette/tomatoes

I'm working the night on Halloween so can avoid any expense due to that!
I'm not a huge christmas person and I usually go down to my parents or OH's family for that period so our house is never decorated!

kboss2010 · 18 October 2015 at 12:04PM

Spendless wrote: »

Started reading this thread and the first thing that has shocked me is that places charge to walk round a car-boot! Really?? :eek: I'd never heard of such a thing. We have a very large car boot that runs here all year round and it's free to look around.

I've discovered a cs that has a £1 section and that has been very useful for my DD's costumes for her drama group.

Meal planning and a shopping list, substituting or omitting ingredients if you don't have them in and can get away with it on a recipe.

Making sure you have bags with you when shopping so you don't have to pay for them.

If driving, doing everything within a round robin. Our current only Aldi, which is my preferred discount supermarket is the other side of town for me, but not too far from DD drama group, so during the 90 mins she's there, I do the weekly grocery shopping.

Apparently that's a thing in Aberdeen, too. I overheard a woman tell the organisers of the nearly new sale I went to yesterday that they should have charged an entrance fee because 'all the other ones do!'.

VfM4meplse · 18 October 2015 at 2:41PM

LaineyT wrote: »

We live on the outskirts of the village and are the only residential house down a long gravel drive so after eight years have never had a soul brave enough to knock on our door at Samhain. That said I do like to celebrate myself so always carve a pumpkin to sit outside and have candles in the windows, as for the sweets purchased my DOH likes to have a treat :rotfl:

This is a green light to trick or treaters.

If I'm in I tend to leave the hall and outside light on Halloween (no other night, though!) and I'll answer the door to children and give them any sweets I have hanging around. I do this because if kids are out and about anyway, at least they know mine is a safe door to knock on, and the sucrose giveaway this does me a favour, really. I don't buy sweets esp for this purpose, they just accumulate somehow during the year

pennystretcher · 18 October 2015 at 10:42PM

I enjoy spending time in charity shops and taking my time to look for bargains. I don't buy everything from CSs, and over the years have become pickier on things I buy, although if I see something I really want (but not need) I may buy it and few months later after the initial "had to have it" feeling has gone donate it back... I rather do that than go into department stores and spend a lot more money for something I know I won't like few months down the line, just because I wanted it just then...

Best bargains from CS recently - large Le Creuset whistling tea pot - for a tenner. I had been hankering after one for a while and it was in my colour too, and a Debenhams top, brand new with labels £1. + couple of woolly tops from Next and a M&S fleece for few quids each to keep me warm 'til I give in and put the heating on this winter......

What makes it worth it? MFW in couple of years...

Towser · 19 October 2015 at 4:28PM

Christmas

What is it worth being frugal over Christmas about?

I will be getting out all the Christmas tat (ornaments, decourations, tree ect ) out - all collected from Freecycle.

Putting up any artwork, craft items Christmas related that the children have made.

Turkey and trimmings from Aldi. Last year I went in on the 24th December and most things especially the Turkey were marked down. My family are very fussy when it comes to food so Christmas to them usually means Turkey and sprouts and won't eat things such as cranberry sauce. I will make sure I have it on a meal out at least once.

Gifts from ebay. Cards and wrapping usually purchased marked down in January. When I do my chazzer buying trips leading up to Christmas I shall see what I can get.

Visit the family usually all at one persons house one day over the festive period. They claim to be atheist so why celebrate at all?

The rest of the time staying at home as much as possible watching Chistmas TV and playing games with the children.

Have I missed anything?

Made the most frugally I possibly can and definitely worth it as the kids have so much fun.

[Deleted User] · 19 October 2015 at 4:54PM

We have only three days of Christmas, we don't do the whole 2 week holiday thing just have Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day as festival days. We have an old artificial tree and decorations for it that all 'mean' something to one or the other of us including 'Chris Mouse' who was on our first tree on becoming parents and DD adores him still. We don't use artificial decorations we go out on Christmas Eve morning with the trug and secoteurs and 'bring in the green', we gather ivy, holly, evergreens, bay, pinecones, conifer, seedheads in fact anything we can use to decorate the home with. We have mistletoe on an old apple tree on the allotment and we just decorate everywhere with white candles in clear glass votives, greenery, red berries, pinecones, it always looks beautiful. We have everything finished by the time carols at Kings comes on the TV and that starts Christmas for us with a cuppa, mince pie and the candles and fire lit. We buy one good box of chocs from a local chocolatier, we're having a nice gammon joint this year, we'll have a homemade cake and nice food until the end of Boxing Day when life will be as normal again. We only get in/make what we need these days, it's so easy to buy one of everything in case someone wants it and still be working your way through things at harvest time the next year. We made reuseable cloth bags some time ago for presents to go into, we buy one big present for each other and always have a stocking, that's the fun bit but it's limited to what you can buy for £25 each in total and we love it. Christmas day begins with DD sat on the bottom of our bed and we all open stockings, we go down and have breakfast, go for a lovely walk,pop into the pub to say Merry Christmas and have a drink, have a leisurely lunch, maybe go for another walk and just enjoy being together as a family, no excesses but enough to make us happy. It used to be a chore with all the fuss but now it's a real pleasure because we've simplified everything and kept the bits that suit us, Merry Christmas has meaning again.

LaineyT · 19 October 2015 at 6:01PM

We tend to celebrate Yule at the Winter Solstice more than Christmas so on the 21st exchange a gift, we don't do "things" preferring to save our money for holidays etc but a book or some music is usually appreciated, also have a special meal for just the two of us. At Christmas itself we do a fun stocking for each other, couple of bottles of special plonk and some nice chocs but that's about it. My DM always makes my cake and also one for my DB. I would not dream of suggesting I do my own as since she lost my DD she likes to feel she still cooks for her family at Christmas but I always make some mince pies to supplement the sweet things.
Occasionally I will have a open house on Boxing Day and invite the whole family but old tensions between family members make these awkward.
My DSS always go away with their Mum for Christmas which is tough on my OH but we always try to have a special meal with them a week before they go.
Decoration wise tend to go very low-key, I have a lovely Yule log that my OH drilled holes for candles in which instead of being burnt in the traditional way has been kept year after year. This always goes on the fireplace and have loads of candles/greenery but don't go much for tinsel etc.
So guess we are quite frugal in our celebrations but as with other aspects of our lives it's all about what means the most to us.

VfM4meplse · 19 October 2015 at 8:00PM

I just cannot muster up any excitement about Christmas this year. I think my LED tree, lights and decorations will stay in the loft. Even socialising will cost less as I no longer drink.

Yep, it's gonna be frugal - albeit with the CH on

PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING

What it's worth being frugal about?

Comments

Categories

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free