Santa's Challenge 2015 - Xmas, Birthdays, a chat, a bit of everything

Anglea · 10 January 2015 at 2:48PM

Hi everyone, how are you doing?

I've made a bit of progress - so edited my list

pay new gas bill ****
Form fill in - need to call them as errors on form
2015 birthday/Christmas list, timeline bills etc
Monday - doctor pm, DS2 Thursday-Sunday, dentist Monday week
Article write
card for DS2 and wrap gift ****
Birthday collage envelope
I.F birthday card
Anniv card for Feb
put in loft Xmas decs
declutter bedroom, clothes, surfaces
filing - plus reorganise all folders, write finance to do list
find exH's birth certificate

mum2one · 10 January 2015 at 5:53PM

Hope everyone ok, ur making a good dent in the list Angela, think I will join u with a man list.

Barter and pay gas cover
Pay elec bill
Dentist - crown has been fixed again go back Feb and april for treatment
Eye specialist - [COLOR="rgb(65, 105, 225)"]Diabetic screening done, looks ok -[/COLOR]
2 x evenings at school events
Tidy and degut miss hoodies bedroom
Recycle Xmas cards into tags - [COLOR="rgb(65, 105, 225)"]done tags for us, going to do some spares[/COLOR]
Sort out Xmas cards - need to buy
Birthday cards for yr
Check spreadsheets for bday and Xmas - updated
Money plan in diary
Budget all directions
List 10 things on eBay / sellers site
Knit jumper x 2 - kids Xmas presents - [COLOR="rgb(65, 105, 225)"]1 done, 2nd started[/COLOR]
Finish dolphin latch hook kit
Start on kitchen - wash all units, new paper in, gut what don't need
My bedroom - feels like an eternity since last sorted it - looks like bomb hit it
Hospital apps dad - chemo review, oncologist, scan, eye review
Sort out open uni free courses
Sort out freezer.
Sort out my tablet
Arrange for miss hoodies tablet to go back - brought it for Xmas doesn't work - [COLOR="rgb(65, 105, 225)"]company sent me prepaid label - need to sort[/COLOR]
Find all those missing chargers
Sort and chuck 3 I e cream containers of leads etc

That should keep me out of trouble for a bit!

We had a bit of a set back this week grandad hoodie got admitted into hospital suspected pneumonia which turned out to be a chest infection - spent 7 hrs bed blocking in a&e then moved - no beds - needed a side rm due to the chemo, so they sent him home, on daily reviews with the oncology team.

mum2one · 14 January 2015 at 2:41AM

I have now done spreadsheet for this yrs bday and Xmas

Bday - 7 to buy - budget £125
Xmas - 30 to buy - budget £295

Mothers day (inc Miss Hoodie needs to buy) - £52 (4 sets presents)
me - mum £15
Miss Hoodie - Me £15, nanny Hoodie £10, nanny P £7

Fathers Day - £35
me - Dad £15
Miss Hoodie - Dad £15, grandad G - £5

Family BDays
Mum (70) - £100 from me £30 from Miss Hoodie
Dad - £50 me, £15 Miss Hoodie
Miss Hoodie - £500 (between me and parents - hoping to a big dent in from amazon - £400 for Ipad)

---
Don't know if it is any help, but it semms to be today (Wednesday 14th jan) the Boots 70% sale, I have a batch of vouchers, so hopefully can make a big dent in the list, and money neutral...

So pleased I have finished knitting the 1st xmas jumper 3/4 way through the 2nd one, - will get a pic sorted, even thou i say so myself really pleased with them. xx

jellybean08 · 14 January 2015 at 3:54PM

Mum2one I have read this thread for years and never posted but it has given me so many good tips and advice for getting ready for Christmas, so thank you. I've just subscribed to the not buying it thread as I really need to be debt free asap. My one exception is (besides the usual bills) Christmas and birthday presents for everyone. I'm hoping to do this for as little as possible. I already have £21 of stamps and £19 of points for various shops. Hoping with these and picking up bargains during the years I can come in on my very small budget.

Looking forward to properly joining in with the Santa's Challenges if you'll have me.

mum2one · 14 January 2015 at 4:12PM

A big hi Jellybean, hope your ok, drag a chair in, share the Xmas chocs and a glass of wine! Xx

I have to say a very successful shop at boots, spent the vouchers raided all my points, quite funny as I was filling a bag then dumping it with grandad hoodie when I got another.

My best bargain was the big soap and glory box, the one trip to the till the lady in front of me had brought it back and they were about to put it on the shelf, so I saved the cashiers legs and offered to buy it, at £16 it was a bargain.

All listed, got to update spreadsheet but early indications are I should get at least 75% of my list filled.

Xx

Anglea · 14 January 2015 at 7:22PM

Hi Jellybean welcome to the group

Mum2one, how is Grandad Hoodie now? He's had a set back not long ago.,

Well done on your budgeting and Boots bargains.

My progress has been hampered by appointments and errand days and now my back has been playing up I've had to move the laptop from the computer room into the bedroom so I can stand up and use it - hence a clutter landslide

Heaven knows when I'll get all this sorted and it's making me feel stressed.

January to do list

Thursday (tomorrow) DS2
Sunday give his presents and bring MIL's clothes

Form fill in - phone them first as dates inaccurate
Monday - dentist
? Article write
Birthday collage envelope for the visit afterwards
I.F birthday card
Anniv card for Feb
write bill - events - timeline

put away clutter moved at Xmas from understairs
bedroom clutter - also moved to computer room
filing - plus reorganise all folders
find exH's birth certificate

mum2one · 15 January 2015 at 1:43AM

Hi Angela - grandad hoodie gave us a fright thought it was going to be long stay hospital, he's still got the end of the cough but he's 95% better than last week, sounds daft but the blood transfusion put colour back into his cheeks.

Glad I'm not the only one who still has the Xmas stuff to move! Miss hoodie has started her bedroom as to when she finishes it is anyone's guess!!

Cookery on Friday - shes doing a crumble not sure what fruit depends what I get from Mr t.

Shouldn't laugh - but - took her to see the Steven hawking film the theory of life, (her choice of film) at the end she pipes up - oh he's not dead then.... Then on the credits says he turned down a knighthood so there's me as were leaving trying to explain that he is/was a socialist and explaining about that, this bloke behind me started laughing and said I did a good explanation. Me goes very red.....

Plan at weekend to list 10 things between eBay and local fb sellers - miss hoodie going to town and swimming sat, there not meeting to dinertime as 10am is far to early.....

Then Sunday - tissues to the ready our cinema has dolphin tale 2 on kids showing - can't wait... Xx

thefrugalflirter · 15 January 2015 at 3:14PM

Christmas 2014 is all packed up, but this thread was so useful to me last year, I'd definitely like to join in!
I'm really hoping to be able to have a 'cash neutral' Christmas and birthday presents for this year, unfortunately there are lots of birthdays in January and February I need to pay for - I better get back to the survey sites

susan42 · 23 January 2015 at 9:56AM

Hi everyone,

Feel as if I been absent forever.

I'm not suppose to be here now, we were suppose to be on holiday but had to fly back two weeks early due to problems at home.

It's great to see new faces and is old un's

Sorry not been in touch M21 but my what a eventful december / jan we've had. How did your break go? And glad to see grandad hoodie getting better

A big thank you for starting this thread, this is going to be the only one in doing this year.

Well what else can I tell you, the sale of my house goes through today...I hope

The house we moved into (smaller house) has got a ghost lol . It flushes toilet randomly. The electrics keep blowing up . Rewire needed. The roof leaking . The kitchen is being renewed. Should have been done while we're away but be back so it chaos. And the plumber here fitting out the bathroom. And a plumber here fitting boiler and radiator. ...
And son decides he'll invite friends for weekend.
Bear in mind as we wasn't suppose to be here it shouldn't have been chaos like this

Anyhow stop the moaning it doesn't help. I'm off out today . Going to ikea and out for lunch. Not to buy but use the toilets and keep warm lol

Angela - nice to see you back :-)
Moneyenny -ditto

Hi to jellybean and frugal flirter x

Katiehound · 23 January 2015 at 8:15PM

Happy new year to everyone! Greetings all.

It seems an age since Christmas, which nearly didn't happen for me! I was only 8 miles out of town on a long steep hill when the engine died! Luckily a passing motorist turned back to see if I was okay and then lent me his mobile phone as I didn't have a signal so I could phone breakdown. A passing policeman said he would phone my friend(he did.) The AA man tried valiently to fix but advised I should not drive down to Sussex and instead escorted me to my garage. They ordered the part for next day and I set off 26 hours later than planned! It was touch and go as we did not know if the new part was going to completely solve the problem- My advice is don't have a modern diesel with a particulate filter! After all that had a lovely time except the dishwasher broke as I arrived, so 'though I didn't cook I was washing up for ever.......

Since then I have also been on a cruise. Warning- not the best time of year to leave from a British port as seas are rolling and sunny weather, even in the Canaries not brill. (But the food was good)

Whilst you are thinking about saving for presents etc may I add, make sure you have a bank account which rewards you! Even if you don't have the minimum monthly payment to qualify there are ways to juggle money... such as take out money on day 1 and pay it back in on day2-as it counts as a credit!

If you are a Tesco shopper always go to www.tescoviews after your shop. You get 25 points each time you fill in the survey

Just bought wrapping paper in Wilco's for 10pence a roll! (and little notebooks @5pence for the shoeboxes.)

Santa's Challenge 2015 - Xmas, Birthdays, a chat, a bit of everything

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