Its tough, it will get better and guess what its freezing brrrrr!

jackieglasgow

Lauren I think a hula hoop is a brilliant idea, thank you, I think I will buy my sister one, she will love it! (I am knitting her a scarf too;) )

BB1984

Morning all, chilly here this morning but not as frosty as it was earlier in the week, when it was freeeeeeeeezing! (yes I am a soft Southerner...!)

Working from home again today, so will hopefully have a bit more time to get some bits of housework done - normally 2 hours a day is taken up by travelling to and from work, so it's nice to be at home. Determined to keep on top of the washing pile so that we don't end up having to take a mountain to the launderette again....!

Also need to make some cakes, as we're having a cake sale at work tomorrow in aid of Children in Need. It was really fun last year, all the ladies in the office organised it, and dressed up in fluffy yellow ears etc! The cakes are all sold at 50p each, and we made loads of money last year as the blokes in my office are gannets! Going to make some flapjacks and banana loaf as they're both easy and cheap to make (and yummy, obviously).

Interesting discussion re kids xmas presents. Personally I think that £300 is too much to spend, but if you can afford it and do it without going into debt then it's your choice! I get the point about teenagers being more expensive to buy for, as if computer games etc are what they're into, then yes, they're pricey. I still think that they should be made aware of the price of them though! My in-laws have always spent a sickening amount on my SIL (she's much younger than DH, only 15 now and I've known her since she was 8). She's so spoilt, I would literally feel sick at the pile of presents she had on xmas morning - took up most of the lounge floor, and she'd tear her way through it barely acknowledging most things. Mind you, my MIL is the same person who spent £75 just on chocolate, just in one shop, last xmas.....and their family only has 5 members! :eek:

As for young kids though, I can't see the point in spending hundreds of pounds on a 3-year old. They don't know how much things cost! They won't look at what their older sibling has got and think it's not fair! I'm sure when I was three years old I'd have been happy with just a big cardboard box to jump around in....! :rotfl: I don't have kids (yet) but I can't see me spending more than ~£30 when they're very young, and gradually increase it according to what they need/want as they get older. I may well be able to afford to spend more, but it's just wasteful, IMO. I'd rather have a bit of spare cash the rest of the year to get them little treats, or extra bits they actually need.

I know that my mum never spent more than £100 on us, as teenagers, and I was always overwhelmed by how much it seemed to be - she shopped around all year to get the most for her money that she could. When we were younger, it was much less, I'm sure, as we had hardly any money back then. One year Father Christmas brought me a dolls house handmade by my Dad and Grandad (makes me well up just thinking about how thrilled I was and how much effort they must have gone to). There was always some chocolate, a colouring book or similar, and a pack of knickers! It seemed like loads to a little girl. One of my mum's favourite xmas anecdotes is the year when I declared "I know that Father Christmas is real because there's no way Mummy and Daddy could afford so many presents!" :rotfl: Bless.

Right well I've whittered on for far too long now, and am feeling all misty-eyed with nostalgia, so I'm off to make a cup of tea and get on with some work!

Have a good day

BB

flowertotmum

Hi all..not been on as i have been ill,littlies ill and trying my best to keep going..i have missed sooo much..will try to read them all later..i have got acute tonsilitis:mad:..can't eat drink properly..thank god for my soups in freezer...done a bit of christmas shopping but thats it..have done secret santa with my older daughters and their chaps..so i get the one who i don't know very well or like for my SS..he'll get bloody smellies and like it...it will save us money..got 3 small stockings for my grand children..going to fill them with little bits..got freezer stocked up and cupboards too..as for hubby work experience at poundland ..he loves it..but no chance of a job til end of january next yr..well thats what the manager told him yesterday..so we'll have to see what happens personally i don't hold out much hope but then you never know...
got to go and try to get motivated..
take care and hugs and best wishes to all of you...
sara

Margaret54

Talking about kids who get everything. One of my sons dated a girl many years ago. She was a nice girl, always dressed in the best of clothes, had great holidays and her father owned a successful business. They lived in a lovely big house. She had credit cards coming out of her ears, spent money on so much stuff, spend spend spend. Stayed in the best hotels when on holiday etc.
One day I walked out to her newest car parked outside our council house:) and I gave her and my son a hug and waved them off. They were going away for the weekend, and he said later when they split up, that she had said to him after the hug something very telling. She said I would give everything up that I have for my parents to hug me like your Mum does, and she was very sad the whole journey. She demanded my son only buy her the best of presents and the dearest hotel was the only one she would stay at. He worked hard for his wage but he did not believe in all the spending, over the top, whereas we had lived with little income for so long and our priorities were so different. I felt sad for her though. I hope she finds happiness one day, as sadly money doesn't give you love. I would rather be loved than have money thrown at me.

mama67

UnderPressure wrote: »

Hello

I agree with you completely re-reading my post I can see it could come across the wrong way I will try to elaborate.....................


The thing that has annoyed me and frequently annoys me on these boards in then the barage of people who come along after saying oh well I only spend 50 quid and thats more than enough, I dont know where these people shop but even in the cheapest of shops 50 quid buys nowt let alone any of the presents that kids today desire, it is as though it is some sort of competition and you get a ficticious prize for spending the least, .......QUOTE



It isn't always a case of "and thats more than enough" it could well be that is "all there is".

As I said in an earlier post we now actually have a chance to put some money into savings, why would we spend that on more Christmas stuff,rather than build up a safety net. When in the summer we as a family were doing car boots to have money for food the boys went through their rooms to find things so we could sell them, as they were also eating any food that we purchased, this was their choice and was not forced on them.

My DS2 wants an Ipod shuffle for Christmas, I have already purchased this online brand new with headphones for £45.

We have always (as soon as they were old enough) explained that we couldn't always do/buy things; often they got extra treats as and when DH worked overtime, living where we do we can easily spend £30 per week on petrol and that is just for me going to work 2 miles up the road and ferrying the boys to their different activities.

They have never "gone without" just didn't/don't always get it immediately.

juliethemuse

lauren_1 i thought you meant one hula hoop from a packet of the crisps very frugal! :rotfl:
i'm not spending half as much on xmas as i used to, got home made wine, and freebies i have recieved through the post for SIL's prezzie
i decided to get my son (the one who lives alone) a £50 Tesco giftcard - he cant sell it or chuck it in a cupboard, well technically he could, but i dont think he will somehow, dont know why i didnt think of it before,
very cool here today in cambs, got to try and get my washing dry somehow

lovelife_3

Finally caught up on thread..... GAILEY, sorry to hear about hubbys job, you seem to have been waiting ages for the outcome and that sort of limbo is stressful in itself...........

Feeling very down at the mo............not so much 'LoveLife' more like hanging on in there........

Suddenly...........no energy, motivation,enthusiasm, i feel like a lead weight, tired, tearful, full of self doubt and a bit of a failure really......

I can't bear the cold........ was going to write more but need to give myself a kick up the backside and get up, dressed and on with it........ sorry for being a miserable cow.........

lauren_1

juliethemuse wrote: »

lauren_1 i thought you meant one hula hoop from a packet of the crisps very frugal! :rotfl:
i'm not spending half as much on xmas as i used to, got home made wine, and freebies i have recieved through the post for SIL's prezzie
i decided to get my son (the one who lives alone) a £50 Tesco giftcard - he cant sell it or chuck it in a cupboard, well technically he could, but i dont think he will somehow, dont know why i didnt think of it before,
very cool here today in cambs, got to try and get my washing dry somehow

Hehe I will be sending her a single hula hoop in retaliation of last year.

lauren_1

mama67 wrote: »

UnderPressure wrote: »

Hello

I agree with you completely re-reading my post I can see it could come across the wrong way I will try to elaborate.....................


The thing that has annoyed me and frequently annoys me on these boards in then the barage of people who come along after saying oh well I only spend 50 quid and thats more than enough, I dont know where these people shop but even in the cheapest of shops 50 quid buys nowt let alone any of the presents that kids today desire, it is as though it is some sort of competition and you get a ficticious prize for spending the least, .......QUOTE]

Sadly some of us don't even have the luxury of going to a shop to get presents, you are right though, £50 will get you 1 or 2 presents if that. There is no prize for being the cheapest or who got the most for their money, if anything i feel guilty as hell that everything is 2nd hand

cyclura

Don't feel guilty about things being second hand Lauren, a lot of us do it but we do not broadcast the fact, children are so wasteful with toys/gifts some of the time you can find some real bargains that have hardly been used second hand.
You are saving yourself stress and money worries as well as helping the environment by reusing something that may have been thrown away and that is more important than if you can afford to keep up with the Jones' or buy new. Your kids/relatives will love it whatever it is because its from YOU.