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Special occasions & other celebrations

Discover and share MoneySaving ideas for presents and decorations for all kinds of festivals and special occasions.

VAT (IVA) on overseas service
My son's wedding was arranged twice in Menorca but cancelled through Covid. They have now arranged it in the UK. The photographer refused any deposit refund and agreed to come to the UK to do the photography. She is now awaiting payment of the final invoice but has added IVA to her bill for her services. Are we liable to…
Mum
I'm sure peeps will tell me to elsewhere. But I'm having some trouble thinkingg of the simplest things. My mum passed suddendly, like there and then not. I knew tht she wanted everything simple, we'd kind of joked about it as I would want the same. But I have had to move closer to my brother (not that that matters) and we…
Enquiry
Hi I’m just wondering what is good to have in children’s party bags?? Is it good to have themes or just stick to plain ones?
Nephew's Graduation
My Nephew will be Graduating so we would get him a small token of celebration. For my Nieces when they Graduated, we gave them a SPA-day voucher and a message that they deserved to relax after all the hard work. Was thinking about a Red Letter Day, or similar, voucher for my Nephew as the SPA-day won't be so well received.…
Gifts for cats a daft idea?
Morning all! I'm making some catnip pillows for the cats in our extended family (4 in total)- just simple squares stuffed with the catnip I've found here. A few people have said it's a bonkers idea and that you shouldn't get gifts for pets. What do you think? Do you give your pets gifts at Christmas?
40 gifts for a forty year old...
A friend is turning 40 in 3 weeks and I thought it would be nice given the current circumstances to get 40 gifts. Mainly small....so far I have 1. Main Present 2. Spam (inside joke) 3. Toilet paper 4. Pen 5. Jam 6. Trinket box 7. Bottle of wine 8. Milka Bar Then I realised I'm pants with gifts.....any ideas?
40th birthday - lockdown - ideas
It's my partner's 40th birthday in March, so obviously we'll still be in lockdown and not able to have a proper party or go anywhere. We had booked (optimistically) a holiday in Dorset which we had to cancel.. Lockdown began on her birthday last year! These things combined she's feeling a bit down about her birthday. She's…
Mother’s Day flowers
I ordered and paid for mother’s Day flowers from lovelyFloraworld.com two bunches because they were on sale.I ordered them both for the delivery date of Saturday the 13th of March 2021 and on Thursday 11th of March 2021 One of the bunches of flowers arrived. It was two days early but that’s okay because they still look…
Two Person Drinking Card Games
What two person drinking card games do you/have you used/would you recommend?
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* Step into Christmas * & 2020 - It's the 2020 Christmas Chatter Thread
:xmastree: Hello and welcome to the 9th Christmas Chatter Thread. It’s hard to believe that another year has gone and we are almost at the big event that we have spent so long planning and preparing for! But this thread is about so much more than Christmas but about the whole year with all the ups and downs, as well as the…
Christmas Alone - what will you be doing
Hello I am alone this Christmas and it will be my first Christmas alone. I am a single mom and since the separation then the divorce we alternate as to who will have the children. Two Christmases ago when I was to be alone for Christmas I travelled(out of the UK) to be with my Neice and nephews and I did enjoy that…
Gift ideas for female turning 40
It's not until Jan. She lives alone in her own (mortgaged) place, loves tech. Loves most tv genres. Isn't the going out type, which helped her during lockdown. Drinks most alcoholic drinks. Want something special.
christmas present for men, boyfriends, husbands
Hi everyone! have a great day! I hope I am writing in the right section, Dear ones, what are you planning to give your men for Christmases? husbands? boyfriends? ... please share your tips, you can send examples. I will be grateful, I always have a hard time finding a gift. let's help each other :)
Handmade Christmas decorations
I'd like to start a thread for ideas and pics of handmade Christmas decorations. I know it's still August, but we all know time has a nasty habit of flying by, and before we know it, it's time to put the decorations up.:eek: I bought large cinnamon sticks from the florist wholesalers a few weeks ago, hoping I could…
Fun and cheap advent calendar
This is a cheap alternative to all those expensive chocolate filled advent calendars. Great for crafters, who will enjoy making and decorating the calendar and far more fun for little children, as they make Santa's beard grow every day. Perhaps a sweet or other treat could be given for every cotton wool ball that's stuck…
What to put in homemade christmas crackers
I said to my sister my girls and me would make some christmas cracker kits in tescos,but what to put in them! my mind has gone blank :confused: we will have kids, boy/girl mix average age 10 and half a dozen adults,mixed suggestions gratefully received [purplesignup][/purplesignup]
Christmas Angel
No not the Hark The Angels Sing type rather Hark The Cash Register Sings type! A not very subtle hit has been given to me that Angel Perfume was the must have gift. I’ve seen prices in my local chemist and I know perfumes are expensive. Are there an online retailers where I might get an Angel at a discounted price
40th Birthday gift ideas for me
Will be 40 end of January. Parents have been asking me what do I want for my birthday. Have no clue. A few things about me . live alone in my own place for 11 years . Got plenty of tech . not into fashion or jewellery . TV and music are biggest things I love . Don’t do any sports or fitness- bar walking. The only things I…
Christmas tipping
Hi, hope this is ok to ask here. This year we have started using a local window cleaning service, and also having milk delivered the proper way in glass bottles from a local dairy. But now we're coming up to Christmas it's dawned on me that I have no idea about tipping, the Christmas box as my mum used to call it. Our…

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