Weezl and friends Phase 3 - sitting pretty with Kitty

weezl74

Hi all

I noticed on old-style that a few folk are already thinking about christmas.

If kitty/shirl are like this, it would be great if they didn't feel they had to panic about the costs.

So I'm wondering if we can do 2 things together please?

1) a general article on not letting the festive season get out of hand financially- all our top tips. Lovely pink hayley has kindly agreed to collate our tips into an article again So please pop the ideas in bold and pink as before?

2) a list of the types of things you'd like to see frugalised: mince pies, pigs in blankets etc etc

Later it would be fab if people would be willing to test the cfr crimbo dinner, as a timings guide a la delia would be sooooo useful I feel?

What do people think?

Sorry it's so early and still summer, but to do it all and the publishing and testing often takes longer than we think!

artybear

I'd like to see Chocolate yule tide log frugalised as its my fave.

NualaBuala

Thanks Allegra, I think I have heard of it too. Well I'll report back whenever I try it.

weezl74

OK so you've seen our thrifty christmas menu plan, but the costs of christmas can be much wider. Here are our tips for a frugal christmas that doesn't leave your loved ones feeling like scrooge has come to stay!

PRESENTS: Have you got a skill that family members might like as a gift? make a voucher promising to make your daughters PC run faster, to cut your mum's hair, or give your best mate a set of half hour violin lessons. Your time and skills are often a very expensive gift, but without actually denting your wallet.

Home made presents are a great way to show you've lavished time on people. How about a hamper of chutneys to go with granddad's ploughmans, or some homemade exfoliators to make your sister feel like a pampered princess?

Allegra

weezl74 wrote: »

Hi all



Later it would be fab if people would be willing to test the cfr crimbo dinner, as a timings guide a la delia would be sooooo useful I feel?

What do people think?

I'm in ! I'll give some thought to the tips and dishes to be frugalised. Just a quick tip to share at this stage though - I do both my mincemeat and Christmas pudding by following Delia's methods but using the smartprice mixed dried fruit instead of getting all the separate expensive dried fruits. Works beautifully

domesticgoddess789

weezl74 wrote: »

Hi all

I noticed on old-style that a few folk are already thinking about christmas.

If kitty/shirl are like this, it would be great if they didn't feel they had to panic about the costs.

So I'm wondering if we can do 2 things together please?

1) a general article on not letting the festive season get out of hand financially- all our top tips. Lovely pink hayley has kindly agreed to collate our tips into an article again So please pop the ideas in bold and pink as before?

2) a list of the types of things you'd like to see frugalised: mince pies, pigs in blankets etc etc

Later it would be fab if people would be willing to test the cfr crimbo dinner, as a timings guide a la delia would be sooooo useful I feel?

What do people think?

Sorry it's so early and still summer, but to do it all and the publishing and testing often takes longer than we think!

Hi everybody:wave:

I am looking forward to hearing all your fabulous frugal Christmas ideas and putting this article together so please keep the tips coming! :A

weezl74

Worried about the energy costs of cooking all that christmas food?

try planning ahead how best to fill your oven each time you have it on, and look at our christmas batch cooking guide.

Also, consider using your slo-cooker to cook your christmas pudding, and also to roast your meat. It can be on all day for the same cost a s a small lightbulb.

Some christmas ingredients can seem really pricey, but there are often cheaper ways to create them. Milling granulated sugar in your food processor turns it into icing sugar to dust your yule log, and basic brand sultanas will taste just as good in a mince pie as special mincemeat in a jar.

Christmas decorations can cost a lot of money to achieve a festive wow! in your lounge. Think about taking the family on a winter walk looking for holly and ivy growing locally and then as the song says: deck your halls!

Salt dough decorations coloured with food colouring make a cheap but stylish tree ornament. One of our testers made over 100 baubles for £1.15 and so could even give boxes away to friends.

SmlSave

Ohh a Christmas meal plan would be great!

Have already been pickling and making jam from foraging

Lesley_Gaye

weezl74 wrote: »

Worried about the energy costs of cooking all that christmas food?

try planning ahead how best to fill your oven each time you have it on, and look at our christmas batch cooking guide.

Also, consider using your slo-cooker to cook your christmas pudding, and also to roast your meat. It can be on all day for the same cost a s a small lightbulb.

Some christmas ingredients can seem really pricey, but there are often cheaper ways to create them. Milling granulated sugar in your food processor turns it into icing sugar to dust your yule log, and basic brand sultanas will taste just as good in a mince pie as special mincemeat in a jar.

Christmas decorations can cost a lot of money to achieve a festive wow! in your lounge. Think about taking the family on a winter walk looking for holly and ivy growing locally and then as the song says: deck your halls!

Salt dough decorations coloured with food colouring make a cheap but stylish tree ornament. One of our testers made over 100 baubles for £1.15 and so could even give boxes away to friends.

have made salt dough with DGD and intend to make something for decs for tree (although I have lots of lovely ones already). I know how to make decs, but baubles - how did you do that? Would love to know

auditbabe

How about aiming for the American Thanksgiving for trying out a fugalised Christmas Dinner. Just an idea as its a month before Christmas and any problems could be ironed out in time for the big day.