Trying to win all of my presents this year!!

ehallett

Hi everyone - time for an update:

Mum (main and tree present)
Sister (main and tree present)
Boyfriend (Got 1 present - a CD with a CD WOW voucher I won)
Brother-in-law (main [STRIKE]and tree present[/STRIKE])
Gran ([STRIKE]main and [/STRIKE]tree present)
Uncle x 2 (main and tree present for one and main present for other)
Auntie (main present)
Oldest male cousin (17 years old - main present only)
Oldest female cousin (14 years old - main present only)
[STRIKE]Youngest female cousin (6 years old - main present only)[/STRIKE]
Youngest male cousin (4 years old - main present only)
3 x best friends (main presents only)
Boyfriend's parents (main present only)

So......I've got

the England glass for my brother-in-law
the Tracy Beaker doll set for my little cousin
the CD for my boyfriend (but I need to get some more pressies for him)
£20 Marks & Spencers vouchers for my Gran (got these from doing a Kia test drive. I haven't received them yet but I did the test drive today so hopefully they should get here soon).

The necklace that I won wasn't really suitable for anyone so I'm going to try and swap or sell it for something that I can give someone.

I have been really taken with the Christmas hampers that everyone is doing on this forum so I have decided to make some for my mum, sister, brother-in-law, boyfriend and boyfriend's parents.

I've got an empty basket from a hamper that I won a little while ago that I will use for my sister. So far in her hamper, I have got: a contact lens travel case (£4.99 from Ebay), a mini hairbrush (free from competition) and a little cross stitch kit (£3.05 from Ebay).

I also won a hamper today with loads of wine and stuff in. I'm going to use the empty basket for my mum's hamper as it's quite big. I haven't got anything to put in there just yet though.

I bought a basket for my brother-in-law which cost £1.99 from Wilkinsons. Nothing to put in there yet though.

I also bought another basket for my boyfriend's parents which cost £2.99 from Wilkinsons. I've got some chocolates and some wine from the hamper I won today to put in there.

I've seen a lovely basket in Wilkinsons that I can use for my boyfriend's hamper. It's a dark brown and has got metal handles. It's more blokey than any others that I've seen so I think he'll be able to use it afterwards too. It's £4.00 so I will get that tomorrow. Again, nothing to put it in yet though.

My Christmas vouchers have arrived though so I can use them to get some hamper stuff. Hopefully I might win some more to add to them.

Emily

toozie_2

Wow that lot sounds good.

It would be an idea to add up what you do actually spend, like the baskets etc. Bet it only adds up to pennies, and you've had the thrill of the wins too.

Its great waiting for the post, isn't it?

plattinum

That really is money saving. What a great idea, lots of luck,

ehallett

Woohoo - received another prize today of a £20 gift voucher for Next. :T

My brother-in-law loves next stuff so I'm going to make this his main present. This means that I won't need to do a hamper for him as he's got an England glass as his tree present so that is him finished!!

I'm going to a Virgin Vie party tonight but I know that their stuff is really expensive so I don't think I'll find much there!!

I've got all weekend to myself as my boyfriend is off to London so I'm going to be comping like mad all weekend

ehallett

I've had a really good day today with getting people crossed off my list. This is how my Christmas shopping list now looks:

Mum (main and tree present)
Sister (main and tree present)
Boyfriend (main present - more than one)
[STRIKE]Brother-in-law (main and tree present)[/STRIKE] - won an England glass for the tree present and a £20 Next voucher for his main present.
[STRIKE]Gran (main present)[/STRIKE] - Got £20 worth of Marks for test driving a Kia (not received yet though).
[STRIKE]Uncle (main present)[/STRIKE] - Won a CD WOW voucher for a free CD so got my Uncle a CD
Uncle (main present)
Auntie (main present)
Oldest male cousin (17 years old - main present only)
Oldest female cousin (14 years old - main present only)
[STRIKE]Youngest female cousin (6 years old - main present only)[/STRIKE] - Won a Tracy Beaker doll set
Youngest male cousin (4 years old - main present only)
[STRIKE]3 x best friends (main presents only)[/STRIKE] - I purchased 3 sets from Boots today on their 3 for 2 offer. This cost me £20 which I paid for with my Christmas vouchers.
Boyfriend's parents (main present only)

We have abolished the tree presents that we get for my Gran and one of my Uncles so they are done and dusted. I decided to use the CD Wow voucher for my Uncle instead of my boyfriend to get him finished.

I am making hampers for 4 people. So far I have got:

My boyfriend's parents - Spent £2.99 on the basket and £1.98 on some shiny shredded paper to add to the bottom of it. So far I have got a box of chocolates and 2 bottles of wine in the hamper. I won the chocolates and wine in a competition so they cost nothing. I need something else to pad it out a bit so will see what I can do. Cost so far: £4.97.

My boyfriend - Spent £4 on the basket and used some shredded stuff that I already had. So far I have put in there a Gillette Fusion gift set which cost £9.99 from Boots, some Virgin Vie lip balm for men which cost £4.50 and a bottle of leather cleaner which I got free from Empire (with the £5 free code - he loves cleaning his shoes :rolleyes: ). Cost so far: £18.49.

My sister - I've used a basket from a hamper that I won and also used the original shredded stuff that came with it. So far I have put in there a pink tire pressure checker which cost £5 from Boots, a contact lens travel case which cost £4.99 from Ebay, a small cross stitch kit which cost £3.05 from Ebay and a mini hair brush which I won. Cost so far: £13.04.

My mum - Used a basket from a hamper that I won and spent £1.98 on shiny shredded stuff to put at the bottom. So far I have got a teddy with chocolates which I got free from Boots (on a 3 for 2) and also a Cherished Teddies ornament called Iris (my mum's name) which cost me £4 from Ebay. Cost so far: £5.98.

I'm really pleased that I'm getting there with all my presents - I've never been so organised in my life!!

I'm going to get wrapping later

Emily x

MissMot

ehallett wrote:

I'm going to a Virgin Vie party tonight but I know that their stuff is really expensive so I don't think I'll find much there!!

Hi,

This is my first post.. having browsed the site for a few days I decided I would make the effort and join in!

I am a Virgin Vie consultant and I agree the products are expensive but how about holding your own party? You should get a thankyou gift from the consultant - worth up to £25 (make sure you ask if she doesn't mention it before officially booking - some consultants like to save it for themselves to be thrifty!;) ) Also you will get 15% commission on any sales made to spend in the catalogue and you don't have to purchase anything at all yourself.

Just an idea anyway! - Not trying to do a sales pitch!

xxx