Ask any MSEer and they'll recommend cancelling Xmas...

Generali

amcluesent wrote: »

Anyone looking at the household budget will have to conclude that Yuletide jollity must be cancelled this year as an austerity measure.

Lets look at the facts -

1) Petrol, gas and lecky going up and up, loads of peeps coming off fixed rate deals getting clobbered
2) Clothing will be going up next year after the cotton harvest failure
3) Food shooting up in price
4) Train prices up by 6% on 1st Jan for commuters, more for off-peak
5) Mortgages bound to go up in 2011 as base rate comes off 0.5%
6) Wage freezes, overtime bans still in place
7) Tax changes already announced hit on 6th April
8) Pensions only going up by CPI not RPI
9) £ has collapsed, so European breaks cost a bundle even before the hike in Ryanair tickets
10) PLUS, of course, VAT up 2.5% on 1st Jan

10 reasons why we will all be poorer in 2011 and, regrettably, the children will have to be told that Santa has died.

That's a gloomy post even by your standards!

I can see four probable scenarios for 2011. One is the Keynsians are right and cutting Government spending => a slump. Two is that the mainstream view is correct and a weak recovery will continue through 2011. The third is that the gold bug gers are right and all this [STRIKE]money printing[/STRIKE] QE is going to lead to rising inflation (not hyperinflation note). The forth is that the money supply will continue being weak and so deflation happens (still possible).

If #3 happens, interest rates may rise extremely quickly.

ceridwen

PasturesNew wrote: »

Xmas is just a big Sunday dinner (extra veggies), tin of sweets and a few gifts... £100 tops.

Yep...thats about my level of "celebrating Christmas" anyway. Reasonable level presents for a few, Christmas cards for everyone on the list, a group meal or two out with friends. I estimate it costs me about £100-£150 normally - so it will be exactly the same as normal this year.

Bah humbug....:rotfl:

Davesnave

PasturesNew wrote: »

I actually dislike Xmas... it's not Xmas itself, it's the company one's forced to keep .....

I do wish I was an orphan sometimes.

Believe me, one day it will be as if you are an orphan.

I wouldn't mind having the Olds back for a day or two, once a year.

treliac

dopester wrote: »

So we're going to have our "Christmasy" main restaurant meal out on either Christmas Eve, or Boxing Day, as we've done before, because many places aren't fully booked then and have regular menus of good food but no big Christmas Day premium. £98 per head probably doesn't shock many people for places down south but I've not paid that sort of money before. We've always had a meal at home on Christmas Day, so I'm no expert on Christmas Day pricing.

Same here. Christmas Day at home with one side of the family. Boxing Day at a hotel and being waited on. Can't exactly remember the price (booked by my sister) and paid for it some time ago but it seemed quite reasonable.

Generali

Loughton_Monkey wrote: »

Try Kempton Park.

They do racing on Boxing day, and advertise a "Value Package" in the Panoramic Restaurant. £49.95 per head (2 courses) up to £100 for 4 course plus Bubbly and Wine.

Just the thing for your's truly and Mrs Loughton Monkey so I was on the phone like a shot, just making sure they had a table and that it includes entrance to the course.

Was told for Boxing day, it's £275 per head!

Bastrads

Kempton Park is absolutely the place to be on Boxing Day afternoon.

Don't tell anyone though.

lostinrates

treliac wrote: »

Same here. Christmas Day at home with one side of the family. Boxing Day at a hotel and being waited on. Can't exactly remember the price (booked by my sister) and paid for it some time ago but it seemed quite reasonable.

Cooking is part of it for me. I'd never roast a turkey or goose through the year, (occasionally we ''do'' thanksgiving but not often) and so it feels special. Thinking about making my family happy in advance when making the pudding/cakes etc....its prt of the rhythm of the year.

We often share Christmas with friends too, people who have no family r place to go, but this year I think its just family.

My family never went mad on chocolates and junk food though home baking definitely increases and so does special food. we get some things, like marron glaces or marzipan fruits, and have mince pies and mulled wine and egg nog, but I find the approach of eating so much sugar and junk that your head hurts not pleasurable. DH's non christian family, otoh, celebrate with all the chocolate gubbings and junk, so I buy DH a chocolate orange for his stocking and he does sometimes do a last minute junk run which I find quite endearing.

The main thing christmas day is different is I don't do housework (bar cooking and washing up and making the bed. I'll even skimp on the outside chores, preparing a day in advance to make stuff easier on the day.

lostinrates

Generali wrote: »

Kempton Park is absolutely the place to be on Boxing Day afternoon.

Don't tell anyone though.

Last racing I went to seriously was a boxing day at Kempton where I lead out a winner the yard wasn't expecting.

Generali

lostinrates wrote: »

Cooking is part of it for me. I'd never roast a turkey or goose through the year, (occasionally we ''do'' thanksgiving but not often) and so it feels special. Thinking about making my family happy in advance when making the pudding/cakes etc....its prt of the rhythm of the year.

We often share Christmas with friends too, people who have no family r place to go, but this year I think its just family.

My family never went mad on chocolates and junk food though home baking definitely increases and so does special food. we get some things, like marron glaces or marzipan fruits, and have mince pies and mulled wine and egg nog, but I find the approach of eating so much sugar and junk that your head hurts not pleasurable. DH's non christian family, otoh, celebrate with all the chocolate gubbings and junk, so I buy DH a chocolate orange for his stocking and he does sometimes do a last minute junk run which I find quite endearing.

The main thing christmas day is different is I don't do housework (bar cooking and washing up and making the bed. I'll even skimp on the outside chores, preparing a day in advance to make stuff easier on the day.

I won't be doing a roast over here again on Christmas day. The first year I said I'd do roast beef, lamb and pork (traditional in Aus) with all the trimmings. The kids went outside, the grownups went to sleep and left me to it.

It was about 38C (100F) and it got a bit warm with the oven on so I put the reverse cycle aircon (heats and cools, depending on what you ask for) on. Only trouble is, I put it on heat. I ended up looking like biltong!

Barbie and off to the beach I think this year.

JonnyBravo

I've never eaten out on Christmas or Boxing Day. Always have Christmas Day at the olds and then Boxing Day at ours.
Usually the Boxing Day lunch has to be fitted around the rugby though.
Wouldn't mind the racing but then I'd miss the rugby. Grrrr. No can do.

lostinrates

Generali wrote: »

I won't be doing a roast over here again on Christmas day. The first year I said I'd do roast beef, lamb and pork (traditional in Aus) with all the trimmings. The kids went outside, the grownups went to sleep and left me to it.

It was about 38C (100F) and it got a bit warm with the oven on so I put the reverse cycle aircon (heats and cools, depending on what you ask for) on. Only trouble is, I put it on heat. I ended up looking like biltong!

Barbie and off to the beach I think this year.

yeah, my mother used to persist in cooking roasts in the heat and we always failed to eat them. The times we had bbq on the beach and chrsitmas pudding icecream instead were more sensible...I still make the icecream routinely. Its one of our traditions.:D