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

mum2one

Many many thanks, to everyone here, and wishing you all the very best wishes for xmas.
DD a lot better, back to 75% of the old Karen, shes so exicted, doesnt want ot go to bed............
Looks like could be a fun ngt and an early morning......

On the money saving side, I used £9 of voucher and brought myself a bottle of Apricot Brandy..........xx

Tiara_2

Mega congrats on your engagement Jamtart :j I'm so very pleased for you

Right here is my list! Still need to ice my cake :eek: but have run out of icing sugar so need to pop over to my Mum's to borrow some :rolleyes: I am having Xmas dinner at my Gran's though, so it's not a disaster if I don't get the cake finished tonight as we won't be eating it til Boxing Day anyway!
[strike]Wrap presents[/strike] completely finished now :j even found the one I had mislaid!!
[strike]Write work Christmas cards[/strike]
[strike]Hand deliver last of the cards to neighbours etc[/strike]
[strike]Finish last 4 hampers[/strike]
[strike]Drop off hampers to 2 friends[/strike]
Ice and decorate Christmas cake
[strike]Clean kitchen[/strike]
[strike]Clean bathroom[/strike]
Tidy spare room (currently full of hampers in various stages of being finished, and random presents all over the floor and bed :eek:)
[strike]Make mince pies[/strike]
[strike]Make chocolate delights[/strike]
[strike]Take presents over to my Mum's[/strike]
[strike]Watch "Father Christmas" film[/strike]

I hope everyone is having a relaxing evevning & Merry Christmas to everyone :xmassmile:snow_laug:santa2::rudolf:

SugarSpun

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Congratulations jamtart, what a wonderful Christmas you're having!

I'm awake and showered but everyone else is still asleep, so I'm playing on the internet till it's time to get up. Booooooo. If I was a better person I'd go down and make them all breakfast. But I'm not, so I won't.

sparrer

Would love to join in this thread for 2009 please, this year I went it alone (surveys, clicky sites etc) and did quite well but there are ideas here I never even thought of! Would like to make 09 truly money neutral so I'll watch this space! Merry Christmas everyone :xmassmile

Sparrer

mum2one

Hope you all had a gd day, have to say xmas lunch was wonderful, a big thank you to Mr T, as by them accepting the vouchers, we had xmas lunch at pub, drinks, taxi each way, and change from £200.

Heres the plan from now to New Yr
Boxing Day - Im cooking, so god help everyone

Then sort out next yrs birthday and xmas list - without being tight, but we came to the agreement today, that we (me, mum, dad) are not bothered bout presents for us, but people who we buy for them and their children, didnt get dd a card for birthday or xmas, are now crossed off next yrs list. Not that I'm being mean, one way and another we all have problems, god knows I think I have had more than my fair share, but we made sure everybody still got cards and presents.


Look at what have already got and allocate as and where on paper, then hit Boots sale holding off to 75% sale and use some of the vouchers

Then start getting all figures etc ready for New Yr and new targets.

On a money neutral front, DD - have started buying odds and sods for her bday party (not to Sept), but raided Woolworths 70% sale, yes there was a few bargains, so far spent £30, and thats all been covered by the remains of this yrs coupon money.

Just to say a final thank you to one and all on this thread xx

Tigger888

Hope everyone had a fantastic day. Ours was lovely and relaxed - lots of nice food and drink and the kids loved their pressies!

Having another relaxing day today - willl be watching lots of DVDs!

And like you mum2one I am already thinking about next year. I'm going to sort out all my survey and clicking sites and write down exactly what is needed for next year - I just love planning!

On a sad note, OH's granny died on Christmas Eve but as I said before I think it is for the best. We'll just have to help his mum though all the stress ahead - funerals and house-clearing etc.

Anyway, Happy Boxing Day - have a good one.

Love
Gill
xxxx

pinkladymel

Merry Christmas Everybody!!

I had a nightmare here!! ARGH. If you have got a spare hour here is how my Christmas went..

I had to go to hospital on christmas eve, discovered I have the first stages of pneumonia which sounds scary but because I am asthmatic it is very common with a chest infection. I was allowed to go home on the condition that I rest a lot.

Came home, cooked meal for BIL and family.. brought the kids presents downstairs and had an asthma attack. Went to bed, I kept coughing all night so had to go downstairs so I didn't wake everyone else up. Sicked all of my dinner back up (Lovely).

Sat there all night coughing then got everyone up at 8. Ran into the toilet as I started heaving again. I coughed up bright red blood in the sink. Not a good start to the day and made me really upset.

Opening presents, they fall over.. topple in a domino effect towards the tree and knock it backwards. The electric went off (we're on a meter) and then the room fills with smoke. The turkey oven tray has overflowed with juice and the juice has gone all in the bottom of the oven. We have to evacuate into the street with the kids. The house is full of black smoke. Lee goes back in.. cooker on fire... wets towel and manages to put it out and comes out the house very ill from the smoke.

I now have NO oven. Turkey is cooked thank god. We sit around the table to our christmas dinner of microwaved rosti's, turkey and microwave veg with instant mash. Everything is ok though because we have bacon wrapped sausages.. except.. Oh yeh.. It isnt sausage it is CHEESE!!

I am sure I have missed ten things off but oh my word.. What a christmas.

Oh and if anyone ever asks you to put a dream cottage playhouse together.. DON'T!!

Tigger888

Oh PLM - I am so sorry all that happened to you - and through it all you still seem to have a sense of humour.

Sending my love to you and your kids - hope you are feeling better now. Make sure you rest.

Love
Gill
xxxxx

chocolate.orange_2

Hope everyone had a fantastic day

Pinkladymel ... sorry but that just made me giggle... I cant wait to see your scrapbook page for Christmas past lol

My day was good ..no major hicups... Mum told us to be there at 1.30,for dinner.We got there but mum had forgotten yorkshire puddings.So dad made some. Which put the dinner behind. So we sat down at 3.

Today H decided he was going out with his friend. Then DS and his girlfriend. So its just me and my 2 younger sons. I sat and ate Thorntons chocolates for breakfast...... lol

sparrer

Oh dear PLM, sorry you had such a rough time of it. I was fortunate enough to be invited to DD so no cooking etc, but I empathise re asthma/chest infection/pneumonia/cough..I have it too, using the neb 4xdaily atm but entirely self-inflicted as I smoked for 40+ years . Absolutely not a self-righteous ex-smoker as I wouldn't wish this legacy on anyone so if anyone reading this does still smoke please, please think of making giving up your NYR, I wouldn't want anybody to suffer this way. Get well SOON PLM :A

However the thread's not about me and my chest :rolleyes: so will just say I've made a start on 2009 as DD and I exchanged some clicky/survey sites yesterday that I/she didn't know about, and will help the £'s a little bit more. Is there a list which I could read/add to (IF i know of any that aren't listed, though I doubt it)? Sorry to ask but haven't read every single page on the forum yet .