New Thrifty Gifty - Organised for Christmas and all ocassions 2010- Santas Challenges

nickynoo08

My god i had a busy evening yesterday. I got out all my presents i bought in the sale last year, a few unwanted bits from this year plus the bits n bobs i've bought or got with points etc and i've allocated them to people.
So far i have all my females gifts sorted for birthday apart from my mums and the majority for xmas too. also well on my way with my brothers bithday and xmas stuff too. I've wrote a list of the things i need to buy to complete my hampers etc and i should be able to get my remaining bits for £50 not including gifts for ds and OH (i always leave them till last) so i'm well chuffed. Never before i have i been this organised:D

rufusdog52

Morning everyone

I have bought all my wrapping paper, ribbons and Xmas cards for next year including special ones. The card shop in our High St had 50% off everything in the shop so bought quite a few of the birthday cards too, think I have them all up to June.

Bought ExMil a top in Bon Marche for £4 for her birthday in the sale, want to see if I can find a nice thin scarf to go with it as she always wears them. Charity shop will probs do for this if I can find one the right colour.

I now have all birthday presents till the end of March bought.

I have made a start on making Xmas presents. Wanted to do something different for the girls this year so have started making bags from magazines. This is a link to show what they are like http://www.candywrapperpurse.blogspot.com/

I have done about 7 rounds at the moment but havent tried sewing them together yet. Will need to find some strong thread first.

I have 6 to make altogether so will take me a few weeks to do them all then I will just get a few bits to go inside them or with them depending how big they turn out.

Janebo12

Hi everybody!

Please could I join too?

I've been following the thread through 2009 and never got round to posting, but am prepared to try hard this year to be even more organised - unfortunately, DD's birthday party is on 10th Jan so have to wait until that is paid up before I can started on rest of 2010 gifts for birthday and xmas.

Saying that, I did but a Dairy Diary for my mum's birthday in Feb - cost £6.25, but also have pinched a large bottle of Baileys that was given to DH as a Xmas present from somebody through work which he won't drink, so will put that with mum's diary (saved me around £16 I think) - so at least I have one thing sorted out.

I am looking forward to trying the challenges - am going to try £50 on Ebay, but not sure if I will get there as we don't really have much stuff that would sell for much - still I will give it a go.

Thanks
Janebo

jtb2412

Hi everyone :beer:

I'd like to join the ranks if you'll have me?

I was quite organised for this year but would love to be even more so for '10. So far I've bought wrapping paper (two of the multipacks from Mr T for 75p each and 4 rolls for 50p each - should be enough for next year's pressies :rolleyes:), Xmas cards for next year (67p per pack), Christmas pudding for next year (reduced to 50p) and xmas crackers for £3 (down from £12). Gift wise, I managed to get some good deals on gifts from M&S a few weeks back and some of that has been put up for birthdays/xmas next year.

I've bought a book today and I'm going to sit and list all family members birthday's and a budget for each pressie (I've got about 30 family members that I have to buy for throughout the year :rolleyes:) and I'm going to pop upstairs to my pressie cupboard and see what I've got 'in stock' and allocate them .

No sale shopping for me to grab any bargains for gifts, as funds are pretty short as I've had to buy a new washing machine as mine broke just before xmas :mad: - typical ! :rolleyes:

Most family members had home-made hampers this year for Christmas (which they loved ) filled with home-grown and home-made jams, chutneys, pickles etc. I'm aiming to do the same this year so will get things made throughout the summer/autumn months as gluts of produce appear (we've got an alloment and back garden is dug up too ).

I'm hoping the sales will last until Jan payday (24th) so I can nip out and grab a few last minute bargains - fingers crossed !

Spendless

No shopping for me today other than butter and milk we needed as I checked our bank account first thing.:(_pale_:eek:. This is one of the reasons I want to join as hubby doesn't get paid early in December unlike his old job but on the usual last day of the month and though it makes jan loads better, it makes December with the extra expenditure really tight. I normally get the pressie shopping out of the way by end of Nov due to this but the extras like the grocery shop are a challenge. I intend saving seperately for Christmas in 2010.

I have to get 2 more presents too as a friend introduced buying for my kids this year.:rolleyes: and I feel really awkward about it but have decided to go along for this year and say well in advance in 2010 that we are cutting down. Thankfully I have already sorted this on my side of family so it's down to Mr S to tell them, and since he really does believe in Santa going and choosing buying wrapping and delivering pressies, then if I don't go get them the people I want to drop will be dropped automatically. I'll start with a diplomatic whinge to MIL about how tough we're currently finding it...and then it won't be too much of a surprise when Mr S gets round to saying something.

Today I've had the kids empty all their money boxes, purses, wallets and divided the cash between the 2 of them as tomorrow they are both starting to get regular pocket money. They are having £1 per year of their age paid monthly at end of month and with a raise on their birthdays. This is so they can start spending their own money instead of pestering for comics over and above what I'm prepared to buy them etc.

mary-op

Hello all :j
Everyone seems so busy with shopping and getting organised - me ? I'm pottering around doing not a lot at all Well, did create a gardening journal for ourselves (other years I always have one bought for me but not this year). Found spare A5 notebook to list presents I need to make -started with what I'd done this year and who for so I don't repeat it all.
Tidied up christmas folder I keep all the pictures and instructions in so thats sorted. So, I seem to be surrounded by notebooks of one sort of another..........journal for this year, one for next, gardening one, christmas one and one I covered yesterday that'll do as a pressie for someone.
Looking around I can see stuff that should be in the spare room (aka as Santas grotto............lol) - oh, and a lovely box that's just crying out to be covered in nice paper............wonder if I've got enough.......:rolleyes:.........oh lor.........just spotted another one !!! Think I need a to get some really nice paper ..............shopping trip into town tomorrow...........:j

rosieben

Anglea wrote: »

I don't know if you are all aware, but the Organising Christmas website that is inspiration to these threads, has an opt-in email, so you will be receiving regular emails from December onwards as well as a few earlier in the year.

At the moment they are daily e.g. today's tip is to go round your home and take photos of your decorations and write them up in a notebook so you will know what to do for next year.

I'm probably being blind, but I've looked on the site and I can't find a link to subscribe. Could you explain where to find it please?

jamtart6

Good idea Spendless - will teach the kids the value of money.

Anglea

rosieben wrote: »

I'm probably being blind, but I've looked on the site and I can't find a link to subscribe. Could you explain where to find it please?

They have changed their site some time last year from the old one.

Hope the link works if not PM me and I'll forward one of their emails.

http://www.christmasorganizing.com/

rosieben

Thanks for that Anglea, I was looking on the organizedchristmas site, so its no wonder I didnt find it :rotfl: I've signed up :j