The Thrifty Gifty Girls 'n' Guys 2009 (Organised & Money Neutral for All Occasions)

nickynoo08

Hiya everyone, i've only just come across this thread and would like to join you mad lot please. I'm loving it so far, just wish i'd come across it earlier. I've been very good with organising this year, like you lot i also started my organising last xmas for this xmas:D.
I've already started planning next year (inc birthdays), got a stash of presents in my wardrobe and started saving my loyalty points and vouchers/cheques from survey and cb sites.
This is what i have so far.....
6 gifts for my mum and 3 mates
Boots - £21.92
Nectar - 4733pts (£25ish)
topcashback - £12.08
shop n scan £16.50
mutual points - 1976pts (doesn't always track for me tho)
I also intend to make as many cards and gifts as poss.
Cant believe is xmas next week!!!! I'm soooooo excited:xmassmile

findingmyfeet

evening everyone,
just in from work, weather here just turned really nasty. Blowing a gale and bouncing down with rain. Dinner in the oven cooking so i thought i would pop on for a mo. Managed to get my last gift on the way home so dead chuffed with that and hopefully tonight i will get one or two wrapped. Shops were really busy and queues everywhere. Starting to feel smug with myself for getting organised. Ususally i would just be starting , now i know its relaxtion all the way after this weekend.
bye

sarahf191979

Thought I'd pop on for five min, DS2 still poorly, DS1 at Beavers Xmas Party, teas been cooked and eaten tonight instead of the usual thursday night takeaway after Beavers.

Got a few jobs left to do, but really please I can do what I want and relax now the kids have finished school, managed to pick up the stuff for making the futuristic den that the kids want to make while I was in town today, so I guess thats what we'll be doing tomorrow!!!

Right gonna go and wash up and do a few jobs round the house (Keep on top of things) then think I will have a nice long soak in the bath before bedtime.

Hope everyones ok, and having a nice festive time... missing all you regulars who seem to be AWOL at the mo, hope your all ok, and Welcome to all the Newbies

Sarah
x

paddingtondoo

Sorry have been AWol for the last couple of days went to friends for a meal last night and to deliver most of remaining pressies

List now looks like this:
[strike]Update 2009 present list[/strike]

[strike]Clean kitchen windows - tomorrow's pledge [/strike]:D
Find floor in spare room (without dumping it on the bed) will do this at weekend.

Am having tomorrow off as did my pledge, did 2 loads of washing and also hoovered right through. Had problem with hoover as it had lost its suck and found I'd sucked up 2 of DDs pencils when I did the sofa and it had trapped enough cat fur to knit a new one :eek:.
Just so I see if I've got the money neutral thing right bought DD star wars game for £14.99 paid £5 game points and rest cash - so I need to earn £9.99 in cash to make it neutral. As I have £32 sitting on topcashback I'm currently money neutral - is that right?
Finally got my toluna a/c to enough for a £10 amazon voucher :j - has taken absolutely ages

Julu

Hello hello

Back again!

I have been so good today (take note JT), have marzipanned my cake, prepped the bacon/stuffing rolls, made about 100 sausage rolls and about double that in cheese straws (all now in freezer), also bought Cava for Christmas Day cocktails (Vodka, Cava and Cranberry Juice - LUSH!). Dishwasher engineer came - need to order part from Germany, will be after Christmas BOOOOOOO! (Just as well - I've got a back up dishwasher in Utility (when we moved here DH insisted on it, and I thought he was mad).

Have never been this relaxed at this time of year before - and to think the house was upside down and inhabited by decoratord from end of October till last week, I can't believe how I feel - so a MASSIVE thanks to all you lovely ladies for your support ad encouragement, couldn't have done it without you! (If it was this easy coming in this late this year, next year should be an absolute breeze).:A

Yeah, OK, I'm waffling - all your fault - I've got all this extra time on my hands!

However, off to pick DH up from station shortly, he's happy:j - he's not back in London now till 5 Jan, I'm a little more reserved (shall we say), about him getting under my feet:eek: - I'm used to my own space now, and doing my own thing in the week - but I'm sure we'll have a lurvly time???

ONEWEEKTOGOONEWEEKTOGOONEWEEKTOGO...

Jx

Beki

omg i can't believe it's only a week to go until we'll all be slobbed on the sofas moaning about our aching tums and 'where are we gonna put ALL THESE TOYS?!?!?!" lol

me and al are reeeeeally hard up at the moment. he was thankfully taken off the agency books today and had his first day at work as proper staff they're shutting down from next thursday until 5th jan so are hiring him as a 'casual' until then, so they don't have to pay him for xmas day, boxing day and new years' day but his 'proper' permanent status starts on 5th jan (the day after we go on holiday - oops! lol)

anyway... as i was saying.. we're really hard up, and although we've paid for the holiday we've got no spending money as of this moment in time!!! we haven't got each other anything for xmas yet, and we usually spend around £75 each on each other, as long as we can afford it. this year we've budgeted £5 each

we've set each other a challenge to get the best things we can possibly get for £5. they can be bought from anywhere, and the only catch is that they have to be something that we can either use, or we really would like to have

buuuuut... i've just had a bit of a brainwave! i'm going to add another rule everything we buy has to be from a charity shop hehehe... don't think OH's gonna be very pleased as it limits him to what he can get me somewhat! lol.. oh well, will make it rather interesting, i'll never be able to guess what i've got, and it's a form of recycling! plus we'll get more for our money! yay! xxxx

scuzz

Evening ladies and gents

I, like many others, am still ill and off work. We have no heating - it's packed up again, just a week after being "fixed". Had to go over the road to the neighbour's for a shower this morning. Workmen are coming tomorrow so hopefully we will be warm again by Christmas.

Did the Christmas farm shop shop today. They didn't have any venison to hand today, so will go without until the new year.

Hoping to visit Mr T tomorrow, workmen allowing. Need to get ingredients for Christmas sweeties. Not that I plan on making them until next week.

Had an email through with some freelance work for me today, so that'll be some extra cash just before Christmas:T

Just watching Nigella for a few last minute ideas - one week to go!!!!!!!!

jamtart6

:j:j:j We have exchanged on the house:T:T:T I am SO happy my meeting has been cancelled and I dont think I realised quite how stressed I was about the house and meeting because now I feel like CHRISTMAS IS HERE!!!!!!!!!!:rotfl:

*just hear those sleigh bells ring-a-ling-ding-ding-aling-a-ling toooooooooooooooo* :A

JordanShannon

Hope everyone who's feeling ill gets better soon, i know that sounds silly but, i truly mean it scuzz i hope your heating gets fixed.
..xx

mum2one

Same here, hope everyone who is poorly or who has got family that are poorly.

Been very organised today, sorted out all the family presents, and have done dd 2 stockings, 1 small one for her room, so that if she wakes early!! she has some odds and sods, then her big stocking for outside the door. Also done stocking for mum and dad, and even had to do my own stocking!

Presents are all sorted as well, dd has all hers done in Disney Princess wrapping paper, (got mine in Sept when in Devon, cheaper there).

Down to about 3 sets of parcels to deliever, so am very plzed with that.

Arranged a girls ngt with a couple of the mums after xmas, couple bottles wine, followed by my party trick......no nothing rude.........I palm read. Cheap ngt out. x