best old style money saving christmas hints and tips

SammyD_2

This year we are also having a pre-Christmas saving. We are not buying any of our regular treat food for the six weeks before Christmas - ie no soft drink, icecream, coffee, fruit juice. The idea is that we save money and then can enjoy them more when we have them for Christmas. I do find that things aren't special anymore cos you tend to eat them more regularly than when I was a child.

Olliebeak

SammyD wrote: »

This year we are also having a pre-Christmas saving. We are not buying any of our regular treat food for the six weeks before Christmas - ie no soft drink, icecream, coffee, fruit juice. The idea is that we save money and then can enjoy them more when we have them for Christmas. I do find that things aren't special anymore cos you tend to eat them more regularly than when I was a child.

This is oh-so-true!

I was a child in the 50's and a teen in the 60's and so many things that I considered a treat are now commonplace items on a grocery shopping list. In fact many of the those items weren't even available at that time :rolleyes:. Same when my own brood were growing up in the 70's/80/s/90's.

Treats are only really appreciated when you don't have them often - so how can you keep Christmas Goodies special if you have them all the time!

Hope your family enjoy their Christmas treats all the more, SammyD .

Bunny200

I find the most important thing to save all year round for xmas, we have a seperate account and a standing order to transfer money on payday so that come the end of the year we have cash ready to spend. If I buy something at any time of the year that I'm going to put away for xmas I transfer the money from the xmas account abck to the current account and then I don't have to worry about budgets. Earlier this year we reduced the amount we were saving each month as we were finding things a bit tough, but because we had been saving all year it didn't matter so much.

My kids birthdays are also in Dec so I have to be very organised re presents (I come up with ideas for the rest of the family and then we divvy them up, that way I can make sure theres no duplicates or things they won't like (don't even like wasting other peoples money!)

Plan plan plan and then you know where you are. A few years ago I made a list of what we had for breakfast (big tradition in OH family, toast & coffee in mine!), dinner and tea and I just work from that each year. Everything is on there like brandy butter, sausages in bacon, red cabbagge, picked onion etc. Then I can buy the things that need buying and put them away.

I try to make as much as I can and as early as I can and get it in the freezer.

We have loads of people coming this year so I've asked my In-laws to bring savoury nibbles( peanuts, crisps etc) my dad is using his nectar points to buy booze so I don't think its going to be too bad. I've ordered a turkey from Waitrose which is probably the biggest food expense but as we've saved for it I don't mind spending it, It is xmas after all!

Presents - the kids are getting loads but then they usually do with birthday & xmas within 3 weeks! But this year its less than ever, they don't need all the stuff and its only because theres lots of family that they get loads. I do find it hard atm to come up with enough ideas for everyone that isn't just the same stuff we already have! My kids are the only kids so no-one else to worry about, adults are getting token gifts with a £10ish limit. They will also get pots of gold and lots of the presents are being done as hampers.

Really considering doing Martins unnecessary present pact as the do get rubbish from other people and I'd rather they saved the money or gave it to charity! Maybe next year!

hex2

Butterfly_Brain wrote: »

Buy ordinary sausages and cut them up and use streaky bacon to wrap them - again you can do them now and freeze.

I buy normal ones loose from the butchers and then twist them gently at the middle to make two half size sausages rather than cut them. My butchers suggested it when I asked him about little ones.

Lilmiss_2

scrimpingbadger wrote: »

Got this one out of a Cath Kidston catalogue (I never buy anything - just copy the ideas!): slice up an orange and dry in the oven on low. Thread a ribbon through them and voila, a tree dec wot smells nice.
Me and the rug rat might try that one..

Im gonna try these!!! MMM sounds yummy:T

morganlefay

So many good ideas on here - can't thank everyone separately, but THANKS ALL :beer:.
My money saving Xmas thing is to make good lists, and only buy that - I do it online so am not tempted by extra (and hideously fattening) stuff. At all costs avoid going into Mr T's - all those shelves of special cake (no one will eat) and sweeties (we'll all eat and wish we hadn't). I make cake and mincepies and we have a fine time and don't starve or feel guilty at the excess (we do have one nice box of chocs).
For extra, edible tree decorations I buy a small box of something with pretty coloured wrappers (Quality Street is my fave) and spend a boring hour attaching cotton thread to each one so I can hang them on the tree instead of very expensive little choc Santas.

(I remember years ago one of the papers had a pic of Prince William coming away from nursery school clutching a loo roll 'creation' he'd made - the newspaper was very indignant that the future King should have to play with such stuff, but it didn't kill him, or my (much older) kids. Bah humbug to too much Health and safety !!) :T

floss2

culpepper wrote: »

Buy your mincemeat early else all that is left is expensive small jars.

I buy my mincemeat when it's reduced in January....it's usually still the big jars and it keeps for another year quite happily in the back of the cupboard!

Justamum

julie_d wrote: »

Layla, toilet roll tubes are a no, no. theese days after they have been in the bathroom. then you are putting food in them. You are not allowed to use them in any crafts because of hygine. You can cut down kitchen roll inners instead.

Poppycock! It never harmed those of us who grew up in the pre-'H&S gone mad days'. They've always been in the bathroom, so what's different about them today?

cavework

I found a jumper in a charity shop that was covered in various sized artificial pearls. The jumper was in horrible condition but it was 50p.
I threaded the Pearls from largest to smallest onto short lenghts of garden wire and just hooked the bottom so they didn't fall off, ended up with about 20 tree decorations and have hung them on the Xmas tree every year since.
I also found a pretend chandelier at a jumble sale for 10p.. did the same thing but with florist wire... really pretty icicles which reflect the tree lights.
Have used these for the past 5 years and people are always asking where I bought them.
Love this thread
xx

BEAT_THE_DEBT

Last year i made list of all tyhe things i bought and did not use so i dont buy them again this year! Also we tend to have nice foodie treats spread across dec eg we open our christmas chocs first sat in Dec so we are not cramming them in before Jan!