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

snickers0607

I am sooooo new to this - its taken me 2 days to figure out how to subscribe!

I have been reading your discussions for some time now and am so glad that I am not the only person on the planet who carries notebooks around with lists in about christmas and birthdays - most of my friends think I have some form of OCD - but its usually me who buys the presents people want and usually at half the cost.- lol.

I am not cost neutral for 2008 but am way under budget - which has made my grumpy bah humbug husband happy!

I will add in where possible but look forward to more of your ideas and links.

Excellent - keep up the good work

rainmac

Jamtart, love your scrapbook pages, so personal :T

We took the boys to see Father Christmas yesterday and have put our tree up today. I've also written and addressed all our cards this weekend so I am feeling a bit more sorted and much more Xmasy with the tree

Hopefully going to be painting the living room this week. The OH has some time off and I've said I don't care if he does it, I do it or we paint it together but we are getting it done.

The outlaws have put more work on me as they have said they want us to get presents for our boys from them and then will give us the money. I have no idea what to buy DS2 but they've specified it should be a toy/toys. He's nearly 2 and has an older brother who's 4 so our house is full to bursting with boy toys. I've got £50-60 to spend, anyone got any good ideas (other than telling them to buy their own blinking present :rolleyes:)

chocolate.orange_2

jammy your pages look fantastic,Well Done you !!! Is PLM missing today ? Do we get a prompt on Sunday ? I am missing my coffee think time browsing Well the only thing thats kept me sane over these past few days.

Thanks everyone for the thoughts and best wishes with sons car being vandalised. I am happy to report that Autoglass have replaced the windows, also his friend has pulled out the dents where the brick hit it. So i have a nearly happy son again. It has a few war wounds,where it needs respraying, but that will have to wait until its warmer.
DS (9) did still miss the football match that he had tickets for. But oldest son has promissed he will take him to their next home match So one happy 9 year old again.

I have looked in my Christmas/Gift book and i figure that if i didnt want to buy anything else for 2009. I dont think i would have too Of course that doesnt include my 3 sons,But everyone else could be covered easily. Maybe with a few bits left over for 2010 too hahaha. But i am sure that i will find something else or 12 that i NEED to buy !!

katholicos

I'm more organised this year than i think i have ever been! I sent my Christmas cards all around the world on Friday (i think there were about 12 for the U.S, some for Canada and Finland and a dozen or more for UK etc), i also wrapped the kids presents for their Christmas stockings yesterday (Saturday) and today i took son to Hobbycraft to choose the Warhammer figures he wants for Christmas and i bought him a set worth £35 and used a £5 off coupon to make it £30, then i bought him a case to contain them worth £40 which with £5 coupon reduced the price to £35, then i also used a £3 coupon to make a further purchase reduced to £16 instead of £19.

I have been saving these Hobbycraft coupons for ages and i'm so glad i got to use them today and the best bit was saving a total of £13. (we did go and buy 9 hot sugary doughnuts as we left the garden centre, with the £3 we had saved )

Yippee!

I did have to make three separate transactions to use each voucher but the staff didn't seem to mind at all and i certainly didn't!

paddingtondoo

[strike]Address xmas cards[/strike]
[strike]Make remaining xmas cards (7) and engagement card for DstepD made 4 - 4 left as miscounted[/strike]
Post all made cards
[strike]Go to Boots to check out new offers[/strike]
Write list of birthdays
Check stash and up date list
Finish knitted jacket for friends baby grandson
[strike]Find something to wear for xmas do tomorrow[/strike] :eek:
[strike]Write list for Boots - mini professional hair products are 2 for £2 - great for next years hampers[/strike]

Not done all that well from my list really .

But OH and DD put decs up today so I had to clean everywhere first .
I also finally had a go at my mouldy grotty window frames.

Bought some Toni & Guy minis on Friday and now have hamper for DDs step mother's birthday sorted and have claimed £10 boots voucher from surveys :j to use for part of OHs birthday pressie

I need to get a better hang of bootsing as spent £13 in one transaction when should have split it up to get several vouchers - lol - still got a big bag full for my money:j

sugaJen

Hello all,

Done my christmassy thing for the day, went to a park local to my mums for a carol service, it was lovely there was loads of people there and everyone was singing along, music provided by a brass band...and mince pies and mulled wine :T dont like either of those things but you HAVE to have a mince pie at christmas (cant even stand the smell of mulled wine so had coffee instead)

Trip to toys r us tomorrow......love it!! and maybe the hospital, my cousins little boy had a horse fall on him this afternoon and hes broken his leg (the femur) apparantly its a clean break and they managed to re-align the bone so fingers crossed it will be a straight forward plaster cast and home. Hes only 6 and it will be so awful if he has to be in hospital over christmas

mum2one

Getting so exicted, have never been this organised before, have brought the presents throughout yr, but usually still wrapping on xmas eve.

Plan of action this week.
Mon -
Emergency visit to Boots or Superdrug, brought false nail packs from Studio they were £1.00 a pack, (no wonder the glue had dried up.

Go to bank with dad, hes got one of those financial review meeting, I've got to go to make sure he doesnt get collared for anything. (Im locally know as the mouthpiece in our family!)

Appointment with dds headmaster, think shes being bullyed (shes only 6)

Tues
Orient Express Trip - so exicted

Wed
Docs - My poor Gp was quite worried as I was cheerful last time I saw him, who wouldnt after haveing their neighbours evicted, promised I go back for a review, just to make sure Im ok

Afternoon - DDs school christmas carol service at the local church

Thurs -
Got to get (refraise that) got to get dad to get 2 boxes of xmas presents from loft and hopefully xmas tress etc down)
DD - swimming

Fri -
Finish wrapping presents
DD Ballet

Sat-
Panto at Rhyl, train journey (free as complained about previous journey had £100 vouchers, last one)

Sun -
Panto at home, so can have Sunday dinner before we go

Somewhere in the week, have to tidy dining rm so it doesnt look like santsa grotto thats been hit by a bomb. Im sure there be 101 things to add on.

ikkle87

Well have managed to sort both bedrooms out. Now just need to get a few gift bags and maybe a gift box or two and wrap some pressies. I need to write xmas cards although my list is very short and currently contains a total of 15 cards. Some of them are home made and others are out of a box. I've made 7 hampers and only cellophaned 2 of them eek (made 2 for mum to give to her mil and smil and have cellophaned those)

phunkles

Im amazed at how organised some people are!
Far more than me - least I have a list to work off might have to have a couple of shopping jaunts thrown in as well though to keep me sane hehe
Adds to the list
- stop writing posts on peoples help for present ideas posts cause Im starting to get fed up with people having a pop at me or being snide in reply to me so Im stopping

jamtart6

phunkles wrote: »

Im amazed at how organised some people are!
Far more than me - least I have a list to work off might have to have a couple of shopping jaunts thrown in as well though to keep me sane hehe
Adds to the list
- stop writing posts on peoples help for present ideas posts cause Im starting to get fed up with people having a pop at me or being snide in reply to me so Im stopping

I have not heard the word "snide" in years. I will make it word of the week in work who is having a pop at you phunks...want me to duff 'em up for you? :rotfl:


Who was after the photomug code the other day? I have totally forgotten who it was, but there is a 33% off code as you log in to snapfish website on all photo mugs hope that helps whoeever it was

There is also a code for 20 free photocards and envelopes at snapfish...postage is £1.99...just ordered some Thank You cards so I'm organised for after xmas too