Live on £4000 for a year - part 4 (Oct - Dec 2008)

the_cat

Dear frugal friends:beer:

Hoping that you all have a very Happy Chritstmas (and a frugal New Year!). Special thoughts to those of you who have lost a loved one this year, including Sophiesmum, MrsMc, CW and Janey, as I'm sure that Christmas brings mixed feelings.

Will be busy today cleaning, cooking and whoopsying and have family here tomorrow so will read/post again at the weekend.

Hugs to all
Cat

Frugaldom

:santa2: Good morning, festive frugallers!
I have to say that I think some of you must be even MADDER than me! :rotfl:
SkintLynne, I can't believe you were up at that time and hoping for the sales to have started - that goes far and beyond the duties of frugalisation :eek: :rotfl:

To everyone setting off for hols or Christmas visits, have safe journeys, have fun and, most of all, HAVE A GREAT CHRISTMAS! :xmassign: :xmastree: Also sending special Festive hugs to everyone who may need them and, even if you don't need them, have one anyway because they are all free and it's almost Christmas.

Isn't it exciting?! Tomorrow it's Christmas, next week it's new year and the first day of the brand new challenge! I am REALLY looking forward to doing this all over again because I'm getting better at it every year and I'll soon be able to get my chickens!
Must go start making tomorrow's trifle now, stuff work!

Marru

Hello!!!!

I have struggled to get online today as after updating my virus protection yesterday my broadband started sulking but I am back online now.

Off to do shopping soon and then just quick tidy up before getting DD from nursery and start the festives here.

So wishing you all a

FRUGALISTIC CHRISTMAS

whitewing

Silly me, I had planned to do a million items from my list today, without factoring in an over-excited 12 year old, who wants to list in great detail the 17 reasons why he is excited! I tried to ring a supplier this morning, with DS giving me a bear hug and softly singing 'I do love my mum, I do love my mum' at the same time. They were laughing on the other end of the phone but I had to say I'd ring them next week!

DH went out for his works do last night. We'd be very good and put £50 aside for it. Then some of the managers came down too, and paid for the meal and the drinks so he didn't pay a bean! Great! Thinking of Janey, so he's gone to Marks and Spencer to get food and drink for tomorrow (we have finally made a decision that we are definitely having Xmas Day at ours tomorrow, which my family are unhappy about. They'll get over it, says Scrooge here!)

We got given a beautiful aromatherapy candle (I peeked), so tonight we will be lighting that and having some quiet time to remember our loved ones no longer with us.

Have a lovely, lovely Christmas Eve. (I am sad enough to log on here tomorrow at some point, I'm afraid).

Brighton_belle

I must summon up the oomph to hop over to the new thread soon. Bit overwhelmed by how fast it's going:o .
Going to make my first ever trifle today, after realising I don't have a dish big enough I'll have to make several smaller ones.
Thanks andromache for the plces to stay info:T
Best xmas treat is I'm hoping to meet up with bails later this afternoon:j .

Wishing everyone a good christmas - and the for those that need it, the strength to get through it.

findingmyfeet

morning all- happy christmas eve to you all. Well everything ready for xmas in this household just doing a small buffet for family and MIL at tea time. Only sausage rolls to make later.

Will be off on my hols on boxing day ( waited almost a year for it) so not a bad start to the new year. I will not be back before 5th jan so dont think i've chickened out of the new challenge, I WILL BE BACK!!! Still not quite there with the entire budget but thinking of doing £4000 plus CB but not including gas/elec to ease myself in gently. Let you know when i do.

Well in case i dont get back on here over xmas


HAVE A VERY HAPPY and PEACEFUL CHRISTMAS EVERYONE. bye for now and thanks for all your help so far.

fmf xxx

cw18

not long back from sophiesmum's (via the local shops to check the Whoopsies)

the lunch time party was definitely more restrained than yesterdays, but it sounds like tonight's could craaaazy :rotfl:

My GDs and I all dressed up, which seemed to go down well with the "oldies". and my GDs had a whale of a time. They got to hand around chocolates (several times) and presents, then the elder one helped me clear the rubbish (paper plates etc) off the tables. Then they happily trotted off around the complex with sophiesmum to deliver presents to those residents who hadn't come down.

There was a chap there playing the guitar for us to all sing carols -- and when he got to Away In A Manger he insisted the first verse was to be sung by the little ones only. And they did really well with it too :T

They've already said they want to go back and "help" again next year -- but I suspect the fact they had cakes and chocolate and presents has helped encouraged that decision.

Marru

Hello!

I am back from the shops and spent an awful lot of money :eek: But considering that I got lots of whoopsies and that my freezer is full, my fridge is full, when I finish putting rest of the stuff away my cupboards will be full and I have shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, female stuff and cleaning stuff to last for fair amount of time, it is not so bad. Only thing I spent a little more was pork joint so now I need to go and figure out how I am going to cook it. It is just under 1.5 kg so should be about right size for the two of us.

Cw, sounds like you and your GDs had a wonderful time! :T SM I hope you can get to the relaxation part of the festives soon.

Bails has been naughty and got me some pressies (and left some fruit crumble for me - bless her!!!) I will go on boxing day with DD to see to the cats and then we can extend our xmas celebration for one more day. I bet DD will be soooo excited. Last time I went there with her to feed the cats she wanted to stay to wait for Bails and her OH to come back and I almost had to carry her out. :rotfl:

Anyway, still lots to do, I hope all of you have already managed to switch off the todo lists by now....

sophiesmum_2

cw18 wrote: »

not long back from sophiesmum's (via the local shops to check the Whoopsies)

the lunch time party was definitely more restrained than yesterdays, but it sounds like tonight's could craaaazy :rotfl:

My GDs and I all dressed up, which seemed to go down well with the "oldies". and my GDs had a whale of a time. They got to hand around chocolates (several times) and presents, then the elder one helped me clear the rubbish (paper plates etc) off the tables. Then they happily trotted off around the complex with sophiesmum to deliver presents to those residents who hadn't come down.

There was a chap there playing the guitar for us to all sing carols -- and when he got to Away In A Manger he insisted the first verse was to be sung by the little ones only. And they did really well with it too :T

They've already said they want to go back and "help" again next year -- but I suspect the fact they had cakes and chocolate and presents has helped encouraged that decision.

Hi frunchkins:D
cw has given you the run down more or less on this afternoon, that has saved me some time:p , I have just come up from preparing tonights meal, just got time for quick shower and then will be back down again. Will be putting my spotty xmas socks on for a bit of extra energy, jsut about running out now:rolleyes:

whitewing I am going to light a candle tonight at our meal so our loved ones will be with us, there will be lots of people there tonight who have lost someone special.I bought a lovely big one especially last week and hope it burns right through the evening:A I have a little verse to read too.

Just wanted to wish everyone a happy and peaceful christmas, enjoy being with the people you love, and make a point of telling them how much you love them.


Happy Christmas everyone:xmassign: :xmastree: :xmassign:

Cat_Addict

Lynda, I'm so glad your Nan's op was a success - my Mum has stents and she was rough post op but they're fine.

The Cat - I lost my Dad last month and Christmas really does throw up really strong emotions. I'm thinking of cw18 a lot and also the parents of Ben and Arron Peak who didn't live far from me, facing Christmas without their kids. Thanks for thinking of everyone. We really do need to focus on every little good thing in life - sorry to sound crass but it's the only thing to do.

I got a Woolies bargain today - the one thing I had neglected to do was buy a white jug for my bread sauce and I got one for £2.50!

Happy Christmas folks - so glad to be sharing Christmas with you all (in the cyber sense).
xx