Boarding the Bus of Positivity (for 24 months of travels!)

yukkibear

Sorry to hear you've all been ill. Look forward to a new year and a fresh start x

debtfreesomeday

Exactly YB, I can't wait for the New Year and a new start. As I have the next couple of months off work, I am itching to get going with a bit of sorting and decluttering in both the garden and the house, as well as trying to improve my health. Bring on 2012! (but please let it be a much happier year for us all)!

debtfreesomeday

I've just ordered two fleeces as birthday gifts from the craghopper sale, one for my Mum and one for my Sister, a bargain at £12 reduced from £30, plus a 15% off code more or less cancels the postage out.

I've also found some bits in the Greenfingers sale for my Dad's birthday in April (who is notoriously difficult to buy presents for), as well as picking up some fruit and veg growing bags, gardening gloves etc for our own garden at half price. This year I want to plan our growing of fruit and veg better. We grew quite a bit of produce this past year, but either had way too much of one thing so that some went to waste, or left some too late to be of use. I need to look at growing throughout the year rather than a glut of stuff coming to fruition in the summer only.

debtfreesomeday

Had a lovely day today, out shopping, spending some of my Christmas gift cards :0) I bought lots of (much needed!) underwear, 3 lovely tops, a pair of gloves, a warm wooly hat, a cardigan/cover up and a photo frame and still have nearly £100 left on two gift cards!

We also banked the Christmas money we were given and also put Ds's money in his p.o. account. Unfortunately the money we had earmarked for new carpet now has to go towards a new pushchairs for Ds. We'll start saving for the carpet again ASAP.

Another loan payment has come out of the account, so I need to update the signature soon.

Chocforever

Hi DFSD

What a nightmare you had at Christmas . Glad to hear you are all on the mend now.

Happy New Year! I am looking forward to this year too. Last year was pretty rubbish for me and I didn't feel like I made any progress at all. Dare I say, things were starting to look up at the end of last year so I am very hopeful for a more enjoyable and positive 2012.

How nice to treat yourself to some new clothes. And still have money for a second trip!

I hope you have a lovely time over your extended leave. I notice you mentioned your own health and I think that it can be easier to address these things when there is some time and space to do so. You have so much on and stresses with other peoples' health that it must put a strain on you.

Happy decluttering! And gardening? In this weather? You must be hardier than me

debtfreesomeday

Happy new year chocs! X I do hope 2012 brings you everything you wish for and sees you finding your next dream home very soon.

Did you have a good Christmas?

Gardening - it's wishful thinking at the moment! I did pick up some very posh gardening tools in the cath kidston sale today, (reduced to £4 and exchanged for a couple of gifts that weren't suitable), so it's a step in the right direction I guess! Now all we need is the weather to be nice to us...

I have been shopping again today! I must not get used to this as I am still spending on gift cards, so it's not technically costing me anything, but when they run out, it will!

As mentioned above, I exchanged a couple of gifts I'd, very generously, received from the cath kidston shop. Such a shock when I discovered I had £98 to spend in exchange!!! I picked up a new mummy-type 'carry everything' bag to replace my battered old one (£45), a purse (£20) which I've since realised my mum would adore so I shall be giving it to her for Mother's day; a tablecloth (£20), napkins (£7.50); garden tools (£4) and a lovely little bag reduced to £1.50 which I'll probably use as a gift. Not a bad haul for our money, considering I returned a pair of pj's (too small) and a slightly impractical bag.

I also bought 3 more tops from debenhams and still have money left on the gift card, mainly thanks to a lovely sales advisor who offered to check and see if any of my items were reduced further whilst I was waiting in the queue. I thought that was a lovely gesture.

Still credit left on the monsoon card, will try and get some shoes for the two weddings we are going to this spring.

We did splash out and buy lunch today, but printed a 2 for 1 voucher before we left, so got a good deal. :0)

Ah, if only I could go shopping every day without spending any money!

sugarcube84

i think we all need something to cheer us up from time to time, i've been struggling lately and feeling like we have made loads of cutbacks and nothing to show for it. Things look a bit brighter now thanks to christmas money and vouchers that we got.

Sorry to hear Christmas wasnt great, heres to a great 2012.

debtfreesomeday

Hope you enjoy spending your money and vouchers too sugarcube. It has definitely cheered me up, but the bank account isn't looking very good presently.

Chocforever

Shopping and new clothes are always a tonic . That's usually the reason for at least a third of my credit card spend :rotfl: You seemed to have got a lot for your money .

I've not really shopped in the sales this year. I would love to say it is from restraint when I have plenty of clothes already but the horrible weather has probably been the main thing keeping me away from the shops!

That said, I have seen a lovely pair of boots on an internet-only shop where the boots are semi-made to measure (semi because they only take certain measurements of the leg and foot). They are a lot of money and I haven't quite psyched myself up to spend so much on a pair of boots which I can't try on. However, I have real trouble getting shoes and have never had a pair of knee length boots (and I dread to think how many I have tried on ) so I expect I will order them at some point and hope for the best! It takes a while for them to be made so I may wait until the summer so they aren't cluttering the house for six months.

I feel guilty saying this when you had an awful time, but I had a lovely Christmas, thanks. I hadn't been "home" since the summer and it was really nice to be there for the best part of 2 weeks and catch up with friends and family. I have been back a few days now and have settled into the usual routine.

Have a great week x

debtfreesomeday

Glad you had a lovely Christmas chocs, don't feel guilty for saying so! I wouldn't want anyone else to have the virus we all picked up, it was horrid. Sounds like you made a good decision about the boots too. Maybe they will be cheaper in the summer months too, if we get good weather that is...