Christmas 09 Let's Get Organised!!

Claire_Bear

Halfcost have got their Christmas section up :j Set of 6 pink/red martini style cocktail glasses for £2.99, might be good for cocktail hampers?

Also got 8 nice brown mugs with 4 pink and 4 blue patterns on for £4.99, for snowman soup/ mug and choc gifts?

Hannah Montana rugs for £4.99 too.

Might be useful for gifts?

buxtonrabbitgreen

i spent yesterday going through my stash of potential christmas presents. And I only need to buy a couple more things. Plus my 2 teens just want money so I am fairly sorted out already. Though I have 5 birthdays to provide for before christmas.
I got 3 for 2 gifts in Boots today and used my 975 points to buy them. I was pleased I had taken my list so I knew who I still needed to buy presents for.
Some of the presents I bought going back as far as last November are rather dusty after all this time. So will need to dust before I wrap.
I have made tons of jam and chutney this year so a lot of relations will be getting some of that.

Rummer

I got a very cheap jar of goose fat today at a local supermarket that was closing down so I have now started my food store for xmas!

victory

Choice which is next discount store had loads of clearance bargains yesterday brand new ladies purses from next original price £7.50 now 99p, hats and scarves sets and gloves sets from £10 downwards to £2 in cream, pink, beige,, they had various sizes clothes reduced, summer clothes skirts etc reduced to next to nothing, I bought loads of purses handy for the hampers or a little xmas gift:D

victory

findingmyfeet wrote: »

victory-my sons exactly the same. at college doesnt want work and cant get EMA (we just over the limit). wants the cash and pressies for christmas. Ive told him its one or the other he has to choose. I've said £100 tops. he can have the cash or have some cash and i spend the rest in pressies. all ive had is moaning that im tight and miserable and everyone else gets huge stacks of gifts and cash. WELL TOUGH. I cant afford anymore and refuse to put myself in debt or stress about it. IF HE DONT LIKE IT HARD LUCK. Both hubby and i are in total agreement. My Dd is getting the same and has accepted it no fuss, she wants £50 cash to spend in the sales and the rest in pressies.
Dont let them wear you down .

Thank you so very much, it is great to hear that it is not just me suffering with a teenager that is more demanding that the money we have in the bank to give him:D we have been surviving on one wage for the last year until last week when I started a part time job and the credit crunch, recession, one wage has been tough, so now he is 16 I figure he can see what we have been through and contribute or at the very least get a job for himself and 'fund himself', so in view of all that I said to him that we could not give him more than £100, my 9 year old is happy with whatever you give him and never makes demands, I spend all year long buying discounted stuff, putting it away, just like this thread does so he has never been a problem to please but now the 16 year old has gone money demanding mad, thank you for the last bit of not letting him wear us down because that is what it feel like, a complete moan and we feel guilty, worn down, think he is ungrateful and it is spoiling the whole thing.
We keep telling him the bills are the paramount thing to pay especially the mortgage otherwise we will be homeless and that is what we have to do xmas or no xmas. We have never and never would go overdrawn for xmas, his mates get £500 cash he reckons:rotfl::rotfl:

I have made the pots of gold,hampers and my little one will be beside himself with excitement to get on, the 16 year old will probably turn his nose up and say 'what is that, what are you giving me that for?:rotfl::rotfl:

esmf73

Started buying bits of food for Christmas - have most of my Christmas presents. Mostly from the sales in January - and when shopping on holiday. Lidl's (and I'm sure Aldi and Netto) appear to be very good for Christmas bits and pieces. Have made and written all the Christmas cards, will start to do the envelopes this week - as it's such a long job! Then all ready to post on 1st December. (I use the ones I hope to receive as decorations, thats why I post early!)

In the meantime, have birthdays, various events to raise money for the playschool etc to get organised for.
xx

jemtom

esmf73 - your post has just reminded me, i heard (think it was on the radio) that due to stirkes ect it is best to post x-mas cards in the next 3 weeks for them to reach people by x-mas. will anyone be doing this?

^!£$&

jemtom wrote: »

esmf73 - your post has just reminded me, i heard (think it was on the radio) that due to stirkes ect it is best to post x-mas cards in the next 3 weeks for them to reach people by x-mas. will anyone be doing this?

umm no what happens if they get there really quickly you're gonna look crazy if it turns up at your rellies in october

jemtom

snowbrow wrote: »

umm no what happens if they get there really quickly you're gonna look crazy if it turns up at your rellies in october

well thats what i was thinking, but i suppose it also depends on where your sending to, i dont want to look like a x-mas freak if cards turn up within a week :rotfl:. maybe just hand deliver all the ones i can do and fingers crossed the others get there,

findingmyfeet

morning all,
had a good shopping day yesterday. Found pressies for my nephews so thats 2 off the list, just need wrapping in december. Got most of the stuff for my nieces hampers. Decided to put in pjs slipper socks bath bombs flannels crisps popcorn chocolate and a cheap dvd. so they are sort of girls night in/movie hampers. Got all the stuff for just under a tenner each and just need a cheap dvd for each so should be in my budget of £15 each.
Managed to find some cheap cards too, missed out on the january sales last year because we went on holiday, so having to source cards paper etc without breaking my budget. Im going to deliver as many cards as possible this year most are fairly local and hopefully i will get a cuppa and a mince pie for my efforts.!!

victory-im sure teenagers like ours just try to play one parent off against another. I have yet to see the evidence of my sons pals having loads more stuff than him. they all seem to have around the same amount of stuff to me. I once told mine that if his friends parents and house was so much better than ours perhaps he should move in with them....he nearly choked....Ive found you need to make your decisions whatever they are and then stick to it no matter what, no changing your mind because they are getting on your nerves. its just not worth it. take care, one day they will realise how hard it is.