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

pinkladymel

Savings Tin For the beginning of Organized Christmas
We will open these tins together on Saturday OCTOBER 10th
You may open your tins whenever you wish (Obviously) But I thought it would be fun to open ours as a group on the day everything kicks off (Organized Christmas starts, Boots catalogue is out etc)

Money Neutralising for 2009
This will officially begin on Monday and JamTart will be leading us all into a more thrifty new year Please see post 1 for details on what this is.

Rudolph Club
On the 25th of every month I invite you to come together as a group and make the commitment to post what you have done to prepare for Christmas 09. Purchasing gifts and paper in sales, Crafting cards and gifts, Tips you have thought up.. We want to know.. so come share!

I just wanted to say a HUGE thank you for supporting me for the past 4(:eek: ) months and for the wonderful friendships I have made. Everyone old and new is always welcome on this thread.. Here goes 2009.. Thrifty and Gifty:T

paddingtondoo

Happy New Year everyone :T.

Have been to Scotland for few days and just about back and sorted. Had to go out this morning to get DD some new shoes as she has ruined hers (also got a pair for me).

Don't think I have the willpower to join the sealed pot although I already put all my small change into a flower pot that DD made me years ago which I empty out and pay into the bank every so often - there's about £30 in there at the mo.

I've also decided to put £1 in my piggy every time I make a card so I can use it to replenish my stocks - its at -£19 at the mo as I bought some dies in the sizzix 75% off sale :rotfl:.

Got a couple of Jacqueline Wilson books in the pound shop today for birthday pressies for DD's friends and got her dad a reduced giftset in home bargains - also picked up some bits for my friends pot of pink for her birthday - not till August but no harm in starting early . They had milky bar selection boxes in so managed to spend £16.50 in the pound shop :rolleyes: thought everything was a pound :rotfl:.

I've voted for you plm as I finally managed to get on the site - couldn't vote last time - your things are gorgeous - I really need to get started on the scrapbook of my wedding photos but I've not done it before and am sadly lacking in inspiration - will have a play when I get time oh and photos - is it best to do a couple of pages at a time so they don't all look similar?

pinkladymel

I think, if you are doing a wedding album then it is best to get everything together all colour co-ordinating (paper, card stock, embellishments) so that you can complete a page whenever you feel like it and know the whole album will match.

HTH xx

paddingtondoo

pinkladymel wrote: »

I think, if you are doing a wedding album then it is best to get everything together all colour co-ordinating (paper, card stock, embellishments) so that you can complete a page whenever you feel like it and know the whole album will match.

HTH xx

Thanks plm just the excuse I need to buy some more papers My crafty friend bought me some cardstock and a storage file for xmas so will get it all together in there before I start.

shelovestobuystuff

First time on the forum this year,dont know how I managed to stay offline for so long.Using my new laptop,thanks santa!
I managed to be 90% cash neutral for christmas 2008 despite never getting round to listing my stuff on ebay.Quidco was my biggest sourse of free money last year and I hope to do the same again this year.
I bought way too many bargains last year in Jan sales so have a good start already on the adults pressies for christmas 2009(note to self-keep a gift cupboard inventory).
xmas 2008 there was still too much stuff for dd so I ended up taking a big box of high school musical stuff back upstairs on christmas eve so its all ready for dd's birthday next week instead.
This is a big year for us as we are getting married in November so as well as aiming to be money neutral for all the usual stuff I have a few thousand still to earn extra to pay for the wedding,and my sons 18th is very soon which will be a big spend occassion too.
Better get busy.

jamtart6

Hello all! Hope you had a great New Year and Christmas...but now it's time to start for 2009! Wahoo!

Your first mission should you choose to accept it is to :

1. Find a notebook
2. Write the name of each person that you buy presents for at the top of a clean page (one page per person)
3. Write 2008
4. Write down the gift you gave them last year (so you dont give them a similar thing this year)
5. Write 2009
6. Sort through your gift cupboard/drawer and see if you have any thing suitable for that persons birthday/christmas. If so write it in the book!

Example

PINKLADYMEL
2008 - Scrapbooking Kit(;))
2009 - Molton Brown Smelly Set

Chocolate.Orange
2008 - Handbag
2009 - Photo Frame??

FurryPig
2008 - Thorntons Chocolates
2009 - ??? Unsure yet

That kind of thing.....to get you thinking about what you might buy them and also to see what you have in your cupboards already, I bet you have more than you suspect. You can do this for birthdays and Christmas. It really helps me!

OK some sort of timeframe for doing this...how about the first Rudolph Club...so aim to do this by the 25th January. It really saves you money as you don't buy unecessary gifts as you have already sorted your gift cupboard out :A

Extra Tip : Shegrinch says in a post below "I have a notebook and I also have a wallet type folder with 12 pouches , they are labeled Jan to Dec. As I make each birthday and christmas card through the year I place them addressed and stamped in the folder, I simply post all that months birthday cards on the 1st of the month so I do not forget." - SUPER idea!

bunbun2

thank you jamtart. I will join this year and aim to be as money neutral as i can. my big problem is that I have all the ideas it's just sticking to them. I have already bought a few presents for 2009 (birthdays) in Boots sale using points (that's good isn't it?!). now... I am off to find my notebook!

natzini

Thanks jamtart! I have a lovely little exercise book where I'm going to jot down all my pressies, as well as an excel spreadsheet with all my financial gubbins!

she_grinch

\i would like to join please as I do make lists through the year but am always open to new ideas to streamline the process!! Christmas 2009 bring it on:xmassign:

jamtart6

welcome all bunbun2 that is exactly the spirit well done you