Spill the beans... on Christmas 2012 preparations

inkki

I saved on Christmas Cards last year (and saved time writing them too) by getting a Christmas Greetings poster from a local charity. Placed in the canteen at work, everyone wrote their greeting and gave a small amount to charity - saved time and money and raised money for a great cause too!

building_with_lego

DeborahDoodle wrote: »

Hi building with lego(love the name)

Im really intrigued by the freebie idea but im always scared to sign up to thinks online...can you tell me more about how you did it. I love making hampers and last year made one each for the kids plus a movie one for hubbie. I have also made hampers for my little cousins and they have always gone down well, I just wish I could get things a bit cheaper although i do look out for deals etc. So some hints and tips from you would be a great help. xx

Hi Deborah! :wave:
The key thing to avoiding spam is to set yourself up with another email account- try hotmail or gmail- then use that address to apply for the freebies. I do this with them all except the facebook ones, as fb uses my main email. If you don't have facebook then sign up; you don't have to use it as social networking if you don't want to but they do offer an awful lot of freebies on there. Keep your eyes on the freebies no spend and freebies low spend boards on here as sometimes there are coupons in newspapers or cover gifts on magazines etc, and things like the BirdsEye polar bear or Cravendale Kermit backpack to apply for.

Give it a whirl, aim low and keep your eyes open. If it's a no- spend freebie think of it as a possibility rather than a certainty that you'll get it, as some of them don't come through. Everything that drops onto your doormat is a bonus with that frame of mind . Enjoy!

building_with_lego

kb51 wrote: »

Like Building With Lego, I also keep a spreadsheet of what I buy, and have done for a number of years - it really is worth doing and helps to make sure I don't end up buying people the same thing again and is great for keeping tabs on your total spend so you can watch the budget. I have one sheet for wider family & friends, one for the kids / grandchildren plus one for the Christmas food shop.

I've added a separate column into DS's birthday party spreadsheet, for the saving off full price... . It's so very nice to see *that* total that I may add it into the main spreadsheet too

Basil1234

one thing i do each and every year now is buy champagne you have a few half price offers through out the year and the £30 down to £15 quid a bottle on three bottles makes a good saving. at least makes christmas very special as don't have much of the way of treats through the year so christmas reckon the family deserve it.

CraftySmith_2

My children's birthdays are either side of Christmas so I save up my Sainsburys points and use them in the half price toy sale every October. Last year I had £75 worth of points which got me £150 of toys for free! I also buy all year round in the sales and keep everything in the loft. Last year I bought too much and will be giving it out this year. I also add bits and pieces to my grocery shop every week from September.

carlamarie_2

i also buy all year around.

i have a notebook dedicated especially to christmasses (and birthdays)
everyone has there own page for xmas where i write what i have bought, how much it cost full price and how much i paid (same again for bday). you cant beat the thrill of adding up your savings

with my own kids they each have 4 pages dedicated to them as obviously i buy them more! then a seperate pages for their stocking and xmas eve hampers.

from october time i will start to buy food items that can be kept, ie tins of biscuits etc.

i save my tesco points until the double up nearer xmas and buy toys with these.

boots points are also saved for the 3 for 2 promotion at xmas time. and if i am making any big purchases (buggies, highchair etc) i will buy them on the 1000 points for every £50 spent event.

i have only started to collect nectar points this year and dont think i will have much this year, so will save until next year towards foody items.

babe6776

I have always been brought up to shop throughout the year for xmas pressies and other items, using all the sales and offers to save money. I have found it over the years to be most rewarding when I set myself a budget and then sometimes better it, leaving some money for the extra special bits at christmas.

In the past few years I have also taken to planning all the days in december as the run up to christmas can be hectic. I have some great christmas cookery books and magazines and I use these to sort all my menu and schedule well in advance.

I must say planning has made my life a whole lot easier and I recommend it to anyone else....:)

SugarSpun

I also have a lovely spreadsheet - it has sheets from 2010 in it (so I don't repeat gifts), plus one for people who need Christmas cards sent out. I keep track of it with colours - no fill for people who I don't have ideas for yet, pink for ideas, orange for ordered but not here yet and green for here and in the cupboard.

I realised yesterday that I also don't have a gift from my daughter to her dad. Last year she (she! like she does the shopping!) got him a telescope so they could look at the stars together. I'm not sure what it'll be this year but I want it to be something they can share.

Another Christmas cookbook/ideas book may have arrived in the post this week. I suspect I may be obsessed. Maybe.

icemice

SugarSpun wrote: »

I also have a lovely spreadsheet - it has sheets from 2010 in it (so I don't repeat gifts), plus one for people who need Christmas cards sent out. I keep track of it with colours - no fill for people who I don't have ideas for yet, pink for ideas, orange for ordered but not here yet and green for here and in the cupboard.

I realised yesterday that I also don't have a gift from my daughter to her dad. Last year she (she! like she does the shopping!) got him a telescope so they could look at the stars together. I'm not sure what it'll be this year but I want it to be something they can share.

Another Christmas cookbook/ideas book may have arrived in the post this week. I suspect I may be obsessed. Maybe.

Same thing here -colour coded for ideas / ordered / bought / wrapped / delivered so that I can keep track. I can't relax until everything is in that last box!

lol - I also buy presents for my son to to give, including for his half-sister (his dad remarried after we split), but the new wife always says 'I suppose that your mum bought this' and scowls. Makes me wonder why we even bother So ungrateful.

And for the record - we're all obsessed - that's why we're here :rotfl:

Nanamia

I wonder if you would be willing to share your spreadsheet templates with me? I'd love to do that and then I'd have all my info at my fingertips. I hope you do not think me tooooo cheeky:)