The Grabbit Christmas thread - start saving now!!

KittyKate

OK, just after Christmas loads of people buy bargains and save them for the whole year. Sadly I am yet to be this organised (and I seem to be all shopped out by January) and last year I bought all my Christmas pressies at great expense on the day before Christmas eve :rolleyes:

I have just been shopping today for my dad's birthday on Thurs and realised there are some fab bargains out there - places still getting rid of their last years xmas boxes and selling off summer gear. So let's list places to get presents midyear we can stow away for Santa!!

Just list the shop, the gift and the price

Sports Soccer
Umbro men's polo tops with stitched logo - reduced from £12.99 to £3.89
black, blue, khaki, pink, white sizes S to XXL

Poundland
Adidas aftershave, boxed and sealed £1 (is very nice) - around £6 elsewhere
Also in another thread Von Dutch hats (various colours) £1
Ipod cases and accessories

Boots
Last Christmas stock - see what your local Boots has (and the Boots thread of course) - mine had loads of Charlie, Rimmel, Yardley and Bratz gift boxes at £6.66/£5 (regular price £12/£10)
Men's FCUK t-shirt and deo £6.66 (reduced from £12ish)
Loads of fitness DVD's (Nell McAndrew etc) reduced to £5

New Look - Summer Sale
T-Shirts from £3
Handbags from £2

Let's do our Christmas shopping in August, a late start for MSE:rotfl:

davodedthomas

Check out the vouchers you can get in Tesco at the minute.

They have health and beauty vouchers that are worth 2.50 off 10.00 and 1.00 off 4.00. Use these in conjunction with each other and BOGOFFs and get lots and lots of almost free toiletries!! Perfect for Christmas presents. Make little hampers for MIL/grans/mums etc.

Full details here - http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=237370

Jorayner

WHSmith Disney book with little cinecamera which lest you project picture onto the wall £2.49

WHSmith Bible Stories big book RRp £16.99 only 99p - ideal for a christening too.

WHSmith Enid Blyton Wishing Chair and Faraway Tree books - big hardbacks 99p each

Boots Covent Garden Spa set - about 6 minatures and a mitt for £3.49

deb

The Entertainer has a great toy sale on - up to 70% off - some good bargains to be had. Also look out in the toy section in Boots as there is some good sale stuff there too - in the stores I have been to this has not been with the other sale stuff (boxed sets of toiletries etc) but has been with the other full price toys.

VeryTrying_2

And to pay for it all .....

My NatWest credit card (which is hardly ever used and on which there's no balance) has offerred me 0% interest until January 2007 on all purchases in August and September. I've been doing Christmas shopping in the last week, putting the money I've spent in a savings account, and will pull it out to pay off the cc in January!

Joto_2

Just a word of caution.
I have always bought my xmas/birthday presents in advance of the day at huge discounts, but ............on my credit card which wasn't at 0% interest.
After finding this site i have of course changed that to a 0% card, but if you are still paying any interest you need to balance any savings with the extra interest you will be paying between now and xmas.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, apart from that it is a good idea.

2baffled

'VeryTrying' and 'Joto';
[ post's 5 and 6 ].
Excellent!
That really is 'the way to do it'!

But, saying that and using your method of placing your Xmas spends on deposit till Jan.;
What's to stop u putting ALL [everying you can] of your Aug./Sept. expenditure [not just the Xmas budget] thru . the Nat. West c/c @ 0% and placing the actual cost on deposit ?
rgds.,
2b

VeryTrying_2

2baffled wrote:

What's to stop u putting ALL [everying you can] of your Aug/Sept expenditure [not just the Xmas budget] thru the NatWest c/c @ 0% and placing the actual cost on deposit?

I am actually doing that, last week all my Tesco spend went on the card ..... but if you read the Tesco R&R thread, you'd see that they gave me most of it back again! Gawd, it's hard to run up a credit card bill when you do your shopping at Tesco!

VeryTrying_2

Thought I had better post an on-topic reply .....

There are a few My Little Pony and Disney Princess things in the last of the Argos clearance sale. Absolutely perfect for little girls with no taste (but at least they are better than Bratz!).

Home Bargain - Pink Princess Castle or Blue Knight's Castle - £9.99 - pop-up indoor tent thingy, 1m diameter, 1.3m high, roof is a round turret. One of the best things about it, is that on Boxing Day it will fold down again!

Home Bargain - Fairytopia beauty set at £6.99, saw the same thing in Mothercare at £19.99 (didn't buy this thought, it was ghastly). Even though nearly everything I buy is pink or lilac, I do have SOME standards below which I will not fall.

cheekyweegit

Hiya folks,

In Tesco, I found a pink blow up car and a grey one reduced to £7.49 which are suitable as small paddling pools for the summer for young kids but the great thing was that they had bags of the balls for ball pools on BOGOF for £4.99 so a potential of two really nice gifts for separate kids / families for £20 making it £10 each which i find a reasonable amount to spend on someone especially when the original costs are much higher.

Of course it would be even better if they were mispriced and you got them for free but i have to say they were lovely for youngsters inside or outside the house or even as a baby gift let alone christmas.

Again in Tesco, I picked up 3 little girls tops aged 4-5 but there was a mixture of sizes for 50p each and a denim skirt from M&S sale for £1 for my friends little girl. Lots of boys stuff was reduced too. (Tesco, South Road, Dundee just incase anyone was wondering). Fleecy pj's for £1.50, hats and gloves for £2 a set for both sexes to name a few other bargains in Tesco.

Woolies have some great childrens cd's in their price crash for £1, nursery rhymes, party songs and lullaby’s to name a few. These are availabe online and instore. If you order online its only £1.50 p&p no matter how many cd's you order. Great little stocking fillers. Have a look at this thread for some of the bargains.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=237285

Edited to say i found this post by yellowsanta re argos RO bargains - wow is all i can say, who ever they are they deserve a stiff drink after all the effort and possibly an nail file! I'd wrap their presents for nowt as a thanks after their effort just doesnt seem enough. Read and you will see what i mean.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=241827

Mmmm just been through my christmas list for friends and family and i'm all done apart from the sweetie/pringles/swizzles side of things so off to see whats on BOGOF to stick in the box over the next few days or so to finish it off.

After that all i need to do is wrap with the paper i got for next to nowt in the January sales. Now where did i put the selotape? PS offers of help to wrap greatfully accepted and i dont mind helping others as i find it quite theraputic. Sad but true. Now there's an idea - shall we swap skills or have wrapping parties with free food and cheap wine from Tesco? Could make for an interesting time!

Merry Christmas by the way when it comes. If i say it now and forget nearer the time i won't feel so bad.

Ms-Money-Penny

Use the additions direct codes for ie £10 discount & free p & p just bought my daughter a playboy umbrella using this method and it only cost me £5.00, better used for low costs items.