The Ultimate Incentive to get debt free… again. Dinah & NIM go head to head!

Dinah93

tasha-debt wrote: »

I decided that it would be against my principles to buy her a TV (new or old) as I would not buy one if I had a 2 year old but felt a bit like if its what teh Mum wants then......... My Sister and I got our first TV's for our 11 birthdays. So we ordered her a dolls pram, doll and clothes instead (cost £25).

Sometimes I think I might have some old fashioned views on bringing children up, I hate them watching loads of TV/playing computer games, children should spend more time playing, going outside, playing board games, jigsaws etc. Would not buy my child a dsi etc. I also hate the way little girls dress sometimes, saw a 3-4 year old on Saturday dressed like an 18 year old going clubbing. They should be children for as long as possible if you ask me.

Lol I didn't get a tv until I was 15, and tbh I would maybe get one for the playroom before then, but not bedroom ones much before.

Birdie85 wrote: »

My Christmas shopping has been a little hit-and-miss so far! Got some of OH's cheap 'filler' presents but not the main stuff yet. Got half of SIL's hamper sorted. Got ideas for brother's hamper but nothing bought yet! I know what my Mum wants (£30 budget... in true Mum Form she's asked for £45's worth of presents!), yet to buy it. My dad is a total mystery. OH's brother's secret santa present is half done. Out of 24 presents to go in OH's advent calendar I've got...6! Nothing fits in the stupidly small buckets, which I still haven't finished decorating and numbering! God, I really need to get a crack on! I don't even want to think about the Christmas cards that I haven't started to make! Argh, getting Christmas Stress! :eek:

I've just remembered it's OH's theory test tomorrow and he keeps 'forgetting' to revise and do practice tests. If he doesn't pass he's not getting anything more for Christmas!

Calm down pet. Christmas is to be enjoyed, shouldn't be stressful. Are you trying to get proper presents for each bucket or just a choccie bar or something? Some of them can just be sweets/a bar surely, cut down on costs and fill a few in all at once. If the Christmas cards don't get done, don't worry about it, it'd be nice to make them but no one is going to think less of you if you buy them.

Proud of myself today, went to Sainsbury's to get NIMs work coffee, some yoghurt, onions, mushrooms, oranges etc and pick up a few bits for my colleages, and I discovered how to pay with nectar points so I saved £15 off the bill making it under £2 for 3 bags of groceries.

NIM is at football tonight, so I am planning to spend the evening doing the last of the tidying in the study and craft room, get the master bedroom a lot more in order (or the ironing room as its becoming now we've moved into the guest room!) and hopefully find these blasted Tesco vouchers. If I don't find them tonight then I'm not about to which I'll be gutted about.

Dad threw into the mix yesterday he wants to do a little suprise party for mum on Monday (her 50th), just for her 2 best friends and their husbands and adult children, her parents and maybe some of the teachers from her school. So about 20 people in all. And he's asked me to cater it. Which is fine, I know what she likes and she'll like it more than shop bought, but I hope he understands what food costs and doesn't try giving me a tenner to cover the costs! Already have 3 puds and the cake planned out, a spiced hot cider and a cocktail because she loves cocktails so a special one for her birthday would be nice, but I need to decide on some mains now. I don't think I can afford/have time for decorations.

wendz86

I am going to try and do as CMD said. I do want my kids to fit in but also think they can't spend all their time on computers etc.

I think i got a tv in my room when i was about 11 or 12 but don't think i spent that much time in my room watching it.

My christmas shopping is coming along OK ish, OH and i bought a new tv for each others pressie so just need to get him something small. I have done half his 4 sisters hampers. Need to sort out his nieces and my friends kids and the parents and my sister and his brother...so maybe not doing that well haha.

Dinah - maybe do some rough costings for your dad so he doesn't get a big surprise as to how much it will all cost.

Has everyone seen the royal wedding is on the 29th and will be a holiday. I am worried now will have the baby that day and OH will have to work as is in police! He seems to think he will be OK though hehe.

Birdie85

Dinah93 wrote: »

Calm down pet. Christmas is to be enjoyed, shouldn't be stressful. Are you trying to get proper presents for each bucket or just a choccie bar or something? Some of them can just be sweets/a bar surely, cut down on costs and fill a few in all at once. If the Christmas cards don't get done, don't worry about it, it'd be nice to make them but no one is going to think less of you if you buy them.

I'm trying to get a mix of sweets and presents. The buckets are just too darn tiny! A Kinder egg just fits in. A bag of chocolate coins is enough to fill 2 buckets so I'm going to get a couple of variations and spread them out. Might do little parcels of jelly beans and other sweets and I'll get a couple of Christmas scratchcards to pop in some of them. I thought it'd be really easy to get 24 presents but it isn't! I should do my own advent house, I could fill that no problem!

Dinah93 wrote: »

Dad threw into the mix yesterday he wants to do a little suprise party for mum on Monday (her 50th), just for her 2 best friends and their husbands and adult children, her parents and maybe some of the teachers from her school. So about 20 people in all. And he's asked me to cater it. Which is fine, I know what she likes and she'll like it more than shop bought, but I hope he understands what food costs and doesn't try giving me a tenner to cover the costs! Already have 3 puds and the cake planned out, a spiced hot cider and a cocktail because she loves cocktails so a special one for her birthday would be nice, but I need to decide on some mains now. I don't think I can afford/have time for decorations.

Good luck with the party! Maybe ask your Dad what his food budget is to nudge him into offering more than a tenner! Having catered a couple of our own 'simple' parties I know how expensive it gets!

Well done on the Nectar savings too! Last year I used my points to buy my Wii Fit, I got about £30 off it and it was already reduced so I was quite pleased! A couple of weeks ago I realised I was back up to about £15 worth of points so OH begged me to let him use them so he could get a new game and I gave in, hope he remembers that the points are for spending on me next time!

Birdie85

wendz86 wrote: »

Has everyone seen the royal wedding is on the 29th and will be a holiday. I am worried now will have the baby that day and OH will have to work as is in police! He seems to think he will be OK though hehe.

LOL! I hope he's right!

OH is very excited about the wedding, already planning his day off, although I have a feeling that our work will try to make us come in because they're horrid! He'll go mad if they do, he wants to watch the wedding bless him!

Dinah93

Sugary goodness coming up. This is the cake I'm planning to make for mums 50th. Thought it was a bit special.

ETA: Just found out she's already invited all her friends around for cake on the night of her birthday! I've told them to come an hour earlier but you just can't do a good suprise for some people!

clearmydebts

Dinah93 wrote: »

Sugary goodness coming up. This is the cake I'm planning to make for mums 50th. Thought it was a bit special.

ETA: Just found out she's already invited all her friends around for cake on the night of her birthday! I've told them to come an hour earlier but you just can't do a good suprise for some people!

Love it!!!

Dinah93

Poolie! I found my student loan stuff. My most recent statement is 31/03/2009. The brought forward balance was 9196.10, I credited £1146.00, and got £326.89 interest, meaning on 31/03/2009 I owed £8376.99. Is that everything you need to work out what I owe now/how many decades it would take to be paid off?!

InaPickle

That's a genius idea for a cake, Dinah...have bookmarked it for later use.

Dinah93

Yey found the Virgin vouchers from Tesco. As they're in my mums name I need to find out if they'll change them to my name (same address), I know they do with OU tokens.

poddle911

OMG, that cake is immense and utterly fabulous! I look forward to hearing how it goes