New, New Thirfty Gifty for Christmas and All Ocassions 2011..Santas Challenge...

candie_gill

Thankyou everyone, some great ideas and i have give myself a little more credit for what i have actually achieved. I have tonight found even more presents then what i thought i had, so going to write them all out now as advised then i will know roughly where i am with things.

I also have a big box with all different cards that get sent out throughout the year, and i have bought my stamps for xmas and stored them away in the card box- i know it sounds silly but last year i procrascinated sending the cards and some never nearly made it due to weather etc. So this year all xmas cards are going out first week of December, I have a stamp from Vistaprint that i got free last year so i can use that on the less personal cards. Other half can go post them, its the least he can do considering i completely sort everything at xmas (i love it really)!

Mary-Op I dont usually make anything myself till September, this year im only making two hampers, my Little ones and my other halfs. Last year i made four! I also plan on doing lots of baking and possibly trying some pots of gold and snowman soups.

How does everyone save during the year for things like xmas food, December heating bills etc? I have herd of a sealed pot idea which sounds really good to me, but i think i will do an Asda Xmas Savings card with £25 a month on for the food. That way i cant open the pot, slaps handies!

rufusdog52

candie_gill wrote: »

Thankyou everyone, some great ideas and i have give myself a little more credit for what i have actually achieved. I have tonight found even more presents then what i thought i had, so going to write them all out now as advised then i will know roughly where i am with things.

I also have a big box with all different cards that get sent out throughout the year, and i have bought my stamps for xmas and stored them away in the card box- i know it sounds silly but last year i procrascinated sending the cards and some never nearly made it due to weather etc. So this year all xmas cards are going out first week of December, I have a stamp from Vistaprint that i got free last year so i can use that on the less personal cards. Other half can go post them, its the least he can do considering i completely sort everything at xmas (i love it really)!

Mary-Op I dont usually make anything myself till September, this year im only making two hampers, my Little ones and my other halfs. Last year i made four! I also plan on doing lots of baking and possibly trying some pots of gold and snowman soups.

How does everyone save during the year for things like xmas food, December heating bills etc? I have herd of a sealed pot idea which sounds really good to me, but i think i will do an Asda Xmas Savings card with £25 a month on for the food. That way i cant open the pot, slaps handies!

Have a look at our sister thread ***New*** Thrifty Gifty Money Making for Christmas and all occasions 2011***

its not a link but you cant miss it if you look down the special occaisions list of threads. We have lots of ideas on there how to save and make money throughout the year. Most of us end up at the end of the year being able to pay for all our gifts and most of everything else just by what we have saved or made throughout the year. Read the first post to get you started xx

rufusdog52

I have finished off the three outfits I was making for GDD for her birthday, thats her presents finished now. I have a pic of the last set on my blog.

Cant wait till tonight, going to the fabric shop with SIL, will be able to get the rest of the fabric for my Dad's quilt.

My leg feels a lot better today, actually managed to get up stairs without it hurting just now. Was quite bad yesterday though as was on it a lot as was upstairs cutting out bits in the morning then we went up town in the afternoon. Didnt get very far though as leg was too bad still.

mary-op

Hello all :j

rufus - glad your leg is a bit better.........take care:)

candie_gill - I'm running out of ideas of stuff to make...........I normally cover shoe boxes with paper and fill them with all sorts of odds and ends I've done.......lot of them have to be posted and shoe boxes are easier but this year I think I'll struggle. I can't find anything cheap and cheerful that I haven't already done for folk and don't want to repeat myself.
On the 'saving money' -not easy if there's not much coming in, which there isn't at the minute, but I try and save my lose change in a pot..........surprising how it mounts up.:)

Sugarspun - you are having s stressful time..........try and keep positive. It does help though not always the easiest thing to do:)

Not a bad day today, despite being £200 lighter as a result of opticians visit. I know specsavers are cheaper but I can't get there easily and the local opticians are really helpful. Picked out some new frames I liked, especially after young girl who was there said they looked better than the ones I'd got.......too much like ''old ladys ones'' she said................lol
Chappie doing some building work next door when and fetched garden table and chairs I'd ordered so thats sorted........only wanted couple of beers for doing it and tomorrow he's coming round to suss out our back room off the kitchen (the 'indoor shed') I want it all plastered out properly, old door taken out -its a big heavy sliding door thats stuck"!) and a window putting in then I'll be all set to get a downstairs loo put in.(hopefully):)
OH still suffering but don't think he's quite as bad........hard to say as he's not very descriptive of how he feels. Still, he slept better last night which is something.:)

Hope you're all ok:)

candie_gill

mary-op The shoe boxes sound great, im sure lots of new ideas to make will pop up on here in the run up to christmas. Its funny you should mention loose change in a pot, i found £20 i had stored away ages ago for a driving lesson earlier today- was pleased!

Rufus The outfits look fab, i wouldnt know where to even begin! I did make a sock monkey for my little boy last year, hand stitched it over two nights- now its pinned up swinging from his shelve in his room. Never again unless i some how inherit a sewing machine!

I tried doing the spreadsheet, it looks ok and i can understand it but i couldnt total the colums so had to use a calculator. Worked out i have saved £160 so far, i also went through the Disney DVDS i bought for my little one, took all the magic codes out of them for the Disney movie rewards and had enough for another disney film. When that comes i will use the code inside and have a few more codes left over to get him another one.

Got my driving test looming this friday, third to be precise! 2nd i would of passed if i had looked over my shoulder one time so was really mad with myself!

Going to go check out the money making sister page, i did do dooyoo twice and both times reviews where locked, i happily msged the team and said tell me which ones to redo and i will do them- i did them and emailed back to say so, was paid the same day. Felt good to earn the money for my little ones birthday presents. I managed to get a thomas the tank engine Desk and chair for i think it was £17 reduced from £75 in the amazon sale. Its made from wood and got little sections for all his crayons and pencils, might save it for xmas though as its for his age range by then.

stepmum

santas challenge -

Freezer
I was all cocky about this one as my freezer was lovely and needed nothing doing. Then after a tipsy visit to the freezer for ice-cream I didn't shut the door properly and now it is very frosty :mad:


Easter Eggs
After having the Easter chat I only had my two and my goddaughter to buy for. Jack and Erin have a bucket with small chocs in that I got a few weeks ago plus new umbrellas. My Goddaughter has a peppa pig placemat with her name on and I have a new book to get her from a local author.



Spring Cleaning
I have written out my spring cleaning list already so rather than just look at it I guess this is the kick up the bum I need to actually start it:rotfl:

Gardening
I have decided to plant my own seeds this year so have been doing that and just started planting into the garden. Will see how they survive (not hopeful with twins and 3 cats sharing the garden). If all goes wrong will buy established plants when local booty starts at Easter.


Mony saving bauty treatment
Hmm will have a think on this one, not good on relaxing and keeping still so may be something quick!!


Organisation for bdays

Have just had some more birthday presents delivered from Amazon so that my credit doesn't disappear when dh goes on to buy. Need to add them to my list and check where I am.


Thanks for the challenges, great as usual mumtoone. Well done everyone and welcome to any newbies.

Take care
Jayne xxx

rufusdog52

Morning all

Went to the fabric shop yesterday evening, was packed in there, you could hardly walk around. Picked out 4 fat quarters I need for my Dad's quilt then found another fabric that would go with it so got the woman to cut me 1 and half metres, then went down in the basement and found a lot of fabrics down there been reduced to £5 a metre, was a bit gutted lol, had one down there I could have got instead. Still never mind, I found a pack of fabric scraps down there, weighs half a pound and some lovely fabrics included in it. Got to till and my lovely SIL said her and my brother were paying for my birthday treat so came out a happy bunny with big bag of goodies.

I now have some money left over and OH is taking me to the other fabric shop I like tomorrow so I can get some more bits, may be to make myself some more tops.

susan42

Rufus - well done on your purchase, you have some lovely things on your blog, how do you find the time?

Mary - oouch, glasses are so expensive these days

stepmum - wow you`re efficient with those challenges

candigirl - hi welcome, it a bit slow on here at the moment but as christmas gets nearer, it picks up

elysia - if i didnt smile , i`d crack up DD is playing up and I`ve given up for now....see how things pan out, she must have a new friend as his is how she goes, she starts calling them mum so thats who got the mothers day card i expect...:rotfl::rotfl:, she`ll grow up one day

mary-op

Hello all :j

OH went to hospital for his xray today.......sent a minibus type ambulance so he could go in a wheelchair and he was the only passenger.......there and back in no time. Now he's in even more pain after being shifted about on xray table...........poor soul, I do sympathise with him. Still, at least once we get results we just might know what he's done.
Gardener chap been up and put more paint on, cut back some shrubs plus got some shopping for us.
Garden still a bit of a heap to say the least but long as the weather stays good for a bit we'll get there -I think/hope.............lol:)

Hope you're all ok..........:)

susan42

Mary - I do sympathise with OH, if your backs hurting hospitals make it worse....bend here stretch there and ambulances, you can feel every bump.

Well I made a card yesterday so I`ve blogged that. Really have to get back into it.

I`m off to make some more so TTFN