Lots more Sneaky Ways to save the pennies

sillyvixen

We don't do Christmas cards as a rule (only for nephew & niece who as uni students appreciate money rather than stuff). I buy presents for immediate family, hubby buys a joint pressie for his sister and husband, and something small for his Dad. I was going to stop sending pressies this year to my cousin's family (as her children are all adults) but as she died in January and all her children will be at home for Christmas I will send something they can all share rather than individual presents.

With regards to Christmas veg, there are 4 of us for christmas, i can't be arsed with remembering who eats which veg! I buy loads (Christmas veg offers, and veg is cheap compared to the rest of the meal). I serve lots of veg in serving dishes, i don't want anyone to feel they have to go short on veg as there is only a bit af broccoli left and and person 4 has not had any yet. So I cook loads - my dad lives alone and apart from a portion of frozen mixed veg occasionally most of his veg comes from when he is out for food. I hate gravey but always make loads as dad will finish his Christmas dinner and then load his plate with fresh veg and more gravy rather than have pudding! There is always enough veg in the dishes to add stock and lentils and make soup to freeze for work lunches.

Siebrie

I have already started buying gifts for St Nicolas (5 December). DDs have asked if we can also celebrate Christmas with presents this year; we usually don't as we celebrate just the christian holiday, but I've agreed this year and will just split the budget between St Nicolas and christmas.

We draw names, and will just buy for that person, I'm thinking for about €25/each. For St Nicolas we add funny wrapping (digging through shrimp shells to get to your gift ); all gifts wrapped to resemble a favourite hobby, etc.) and handmade funny poems describing events in the last year or character traits.

I have a few staple gifts: a nice calendar for the kitchen (gift for the whole family), a tiny planner for my handbag, chocolate initials for everyone, a fancy tootbrush (sparkles, music, cartoon character, etc) for dds, (I'm forgetting a few).

flamingo747

That sounds fun and cute @Siebrie

Brambling

Nows the time to have that no present conversation as I've found people are often relieved you've said it as they feel the same.  I don't send so many cards as I use to the stamps are too expensive just the older relatives who still like them.  One of my sisters and I buy a day craft course of some kind and that's our present to each other,  last year it was a one day mosaic course the year before a one day acrylic pouring one and it's nice to do it together 

t14cy_t

i only buy for my grandchildren, 2 grown up children get something for them and their other half between them, also give to my brother who is single and now lives alone now our mother has died. i send 5 cards by post as postage is just too expensive. DH and i dont exchange gifts, total waste of money imho

PipneyJane

Good afternoon All

We've got a friend staying with us at the moment and she asked me why I date items, e.g. why I wrote a date on the toothpaste.   I explained that it was the date when I opened the tube and that it helped in two ways:

a) an indication of how much we were getting through, so that I knew when to stock up, if we were getting low; and
b) to give us a target, to try to beat how long we could make that item last. 

I do this for all toiletries, cleaning products, makeup and many dried goods (e.g. the jars of spices in my kitchen cupboard).  Don't know if I've ever shared this tip before.

- Pip

Gem-gem

Thank you Pip, I have thought about doing that especially with mascara and eyeliner. I don't worry about blusher. The only time I have thrown a lip gloss / lipstick away is if I have broken out in a cold sore within a few hours of using one or it has run out or it has broken. 

I read an article the other day about how the royal family are frugal. 

1. The Queen used to reuse wrapping paper and ribbon for presents at Christmas. 

2. Princess Anne was staying at a hotel in Scotland and asked to be downgraded with a room without a balcony as it was cheaper. 

3. Prince Charles will only get the chefs to prepare him a small sized dinner so that there was never any food waste. 

4. The Queen used to go round the corridors / rooms in Buckingham Palace and turn the lights out. 

cornishchick

Gem-gem said:

Thank you Pip, I have thought about doing that especially with mascara and eyeliner. I don't worry about blusher. The only time I have thrown a lip gloss / lipstick away is if I have broken out in a cold sore within a few hours of using one or it has run out or it has broken. 

I read an article the other day about how the royal family are frugal. 

1. The Queen used to reuse wrapping paper and ribbon for presents at Christmas. 

2. Princess Anne was staying at a hotel in Scotland and asked to be downgraded with a room without a balcony as it was cheaper. 

3. Prince Charles will only get the chefs to prepare him a small sized dinner so that there was never any food waste. 

4. The Queen used to go round the corridors / rooms in Buckingham Palace and turn the lights out. 

the rich stay rich by being frugal..

"The Sam Vimes "Boots" theory of socioeconomic unfairness, often called simply the boots theory, is an economic theory that people in poverty have to buy cheap and subpar products that need to be replaced repeatedly, proving more expensive in the long run than more expensive items."

 so I expect the wrapping paper to be the highest quality stuff so it didn't rip when used,
downgraded but bet it wasn't a premier inn prices lol .
 I have very well off relations, who boost about saving money by choosing the hotel that gives free items like gym visits and building up rewards from the top hotels lol 
 when I asked how much the room for the couple was over night, he said £300 for the night, !! different strokes and folks ..

kimwp

So I've always frozen overripe bananas to put in cake, pancakes etc, but with stockpiles of brown mush increasing, I was very happy to recently find that if I put them in the fridge, it stops them ripening further from when they went in and I can eat them at my preferred ripeness for at least a week. They stay at "entry condition" longer the less ripe they are I think and I've started eating them a bit green for the resistant starch benefits anyway. They have their own shelf in the fridge as I wasn't using it anyway, I don't know what the effect on other food would be. Hth

PipneyJane

kimwp said:

So I've always frozen overripe bananas to put in cake, pancakes etc, but with stockpiles of brown mush increasing, I was very happy to recently find that if I put them in the fridge, it stops them ripening further from when they went in and I can eat them at my preferred ripeness for at least a week. They stay at "entry condition" longer the less ripe they are I think and I've started eating them a bit green for the resistant starch benefits anyway. They have their own shelf in the fridge as I wasn't using it anyway, I don't know what the effect on other food would be. Hth

That makes sense, @kimwp, when you consider that bananas spend months in cold storage before they make it to the supermarket shelf.  Thank you for suggesting it!  I'd never thought of it.

- Pip