Thrify Gifty Santas Challenge 2012

mum2one

weeclick wrote: »

Started off the sales really well today!! £230 worth of items only cost me £30 cash thanks to sales discounts, vouchers, christmas money, advantage points etc Very happy right now

Wow, it sounds like u got some mega bargains, u put my spends to shame!! £6 from M+S, - 3 books, ready for bday presents.

Unfortunalty a very quiet day, picked up a touch of food poisoning, - I feel like I should be down to a size 8, ok I can dream!!

Plans 2mor is sort out next yrs list - done well only got 4 presents to regift, and we have a 50th bday (so that be bottle cava and a braclet £20 spend), and the ladys daughter is 21 nxt yr.... so we're doing a 21 box and then a bottle cava as well.

There 2 people we don't normally buy for, but special ocassions need be. I have saved £70 of Boots vouchers, got £40 on boots card - holding fire for 75% sale, haven't got energy to hit sales at mo xx

rufusdog52

Well we havent been out to the sales at all, I want to go up and have a look but what with Christmas being postponed means I am busy now up till Saturday so just hoping they have something left by then. I will mainly be after wrapping paper and personalised Christmas cards plus I want a pair of brown jeans and may be a pair of blue ones too.

Kitchenbunny

Morning and Merry Christmas! I've been lurking on this thread for a while so am hoping to take part in the 2013 challenge, if that's OK (whenever it starts - no rush)

KB xx

mum2one

Hi KB - a very big hi, and welcome to the thread,

Hope everyone having a gd day,

Rufus hope your enjoying ur xmas day, I've just had my boxing day dinner!! hoping to have a peek at the sales 2mor, thou intend to be gd, (bank balance won't allow anything else!!) xx

OLDBILL_2

Hi everyone, I have been lurking on this and many other threads for a while.. .I have gone totally MSE this year, overhauling our finances and part of this was max spend agreements with family and not buying for everyone we've ever met.

What would you do if your family completely ignored the agreement and spent a fortune on you regardless???

I do not want to appear ungrateful but I just feel horrendously guilty to the point that I just want to cry.

We have decided to live simple lives and do not rate material possessions... we'd rather spend less in order to work less and have more time with the children.... but family seem to pity us and buy us things all the time. I don't like to receive if I cant return the favour.

What would you do??

SugarSpun

I would send some sincere thank you cards and enjoy the gifts - you can't control how other people spend their money, only how you spend yours. And if you don't want the stuff and no one will be offended not to see it at your house, donate it or put it on ebay.

Kitchenbunny

Right, I'm making a start on getting organised for next year. The cards are already earmarked for making tags out of, which is good as I've run out completely this year. There are a couple of presents which we were unable to hand out and if they don't get delivered I'm not sure what to do with them - we'll have to see. I have a spreadsheet set up for Christmas and Birthday spends of 2013 and am determined to save money every way I can. At the moment I'm going through my loyalty cards and seeing how many points at various stores I have left and also investigating the best ways to boost them. I will need wrapping paper so will keep my eyes open in the sales.

KB xx

mum2one

Just thinking did we all come in on budget for the year...
All my figures exclude, mum, dad and Miss Hoodie (won't go there!!)

Birthdays
Est budget - £305
Total spend - £125.20
Presents worth - £492.00

Christmas
Est Budget - £347
Spent - £152.05 (where got 5p from don't know!!)
Presents worth - £822

---
For 2013 I have culled the bday and xmas lists my new budget is..........

Birthday - £190 (have had to add £60 into the budget as got a 21st and a 50th next yr)

Christmas - £320 - did try to cull but we have some relatives who are expecting so new babies to buy for.

So as always the challenge is on to get the best presents possible xx

(PS - we're start the new thread on 1st Jan, Miss Hoodie is getting her cleaning challenges ready!! (help!!) xx

mum2one

OLDBILL wrote: »

Hi everyone, I have been lurking on this and many other threads for a while.. .I have gone totally MSE this year, overhauling our finances and part of this was max spend agreements with family and not buying for everyone we've ever met.

What would you do if your family completely ignored the agreement and spent a fortune on you regardless???

I do not want to appear ungrateful but I just feel horrendously guilty to the point that I just want to cry.

We have decided to live simple lives and do not rate material possessions... we'd rather spend less in order to work less and have more time with the children.... but family seem to pity us and buy us things all the time. I don't like to receive if I cant return the favour.

What would you do??

I can only back up what sugarspun has said, i would say again throughout the yr during a general chat ababout how good life feels without having to rely on credit cards etc to see you through bdays and xmas prezzies, - although as you say you have specified a budget it might take an xmas to sink in, as we've been brought up with a material approach, chuck it on the credit card, we're worry after xmas, - in the nicest of ways you've had your lightbulb moment but they have to have their own.


xx

mum2one

I am so pround of myself - went to the sales and was really good.

Brought myself a pair of jeans reduced from £35 to £5 and 2 bras (very pratical) reduced from £30 to £15.
Looked at the rest of sale rack and wasn't impressed.

Got a few bits in the sale for bday and xmas,

Homebargains - Have some beautiful notelet sets 20 in box - a4 size - rrp £3.99, ony 99p, they look more expensive, I got one with vintage designs, there going off Miss Hoodie

Few bits from Wilkos. - under £10 I got 3 sets of presents

Holding out for Boots 75% sale....

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Finally got round to opening my Xmas presents, - thought mum and dad had been really generous as there was a big bag of stuff, both Miss Hoodie and I had a tablet as main prezzie, - we were given £50 budget for other stuff. Had my soap and glory set and then we went halves on a CD system for my room. Knew there a couple of bits of Miss Hoodie.

Opening the presents - thinking they look famaliar.... she'd only gone and wrapped up the stuff been buying myself in Boots offer of week and a couple DVDs, I even ended up with a Lynx set belonging to Dad...

Got to give her 10/10 for trying!!

Her excuse - there was a bag at the end of your bed by the present bag... no mother as I left notes in all the bags and boxes - whose was whats, not getting back to Sunday I left her to wrap the families, at least Miss Hoodie didn't end up with the tool kit of dads....