Spill the beans... on Christmas 2012 preparations

SugarSpun

There are a few available here:

http://suite101.com/article/holiday-budget-templates-and-tools-a37125

babymoo

Another christmas mad one here! I haven't bought anything yet, I have just moved into our first house so I'm well behind schedule!

I did however buy a LOT of xmas decorations last year, I worked as a xmas temp at a particular store with orange logo. They reduced all of their xmas decorations to a penny each on new years day, so I spent £1.50 and have more than enough to decorate the whole of my house and tree! I knew that I would be moving and figured why not and I am sooo glad I did! I have mum's old tree as she bought a new one last year to go with her new decor so that has also saved me some money.

I am very good usually with buying in the sales and getting freebies and winning stuff to make hampers. Last year I wasn't on form at all but this year I am going to be all over it. Me and DP have a big immediate family between us, 15 adults and 1 child. I have just dug my spreadsheet out and I am going to write ideas and then have a look on here for the next few months for bargains. I have my £1 tin that I fill for 6 months that has never failed to pay for xmas yet, usually has around £150 in it.

I now have my own kitchen and would love to cook/bake xmas presents this year so if anyone has any ideas they would be gratefully received.

icemice

Some bargains at Argos in the toy sale (some 75% off) so if there is anything that you can find which is age appropriate to put away, go for it but limited stock so order / reserve early. I've just reserved a Furreal cubbies bear for £7.50 and Chad Valley farm for £7.49 - both originally £29.99.

Happy shopping! :xmastree:

highhopes19

I'm nearly done Xmas shopping started boxing day. All I've got left to buy for is my mum and sister. My daughters presents are done for birthday and Xmas, but I'm terrible when it comes to presents for her I just keep buying and buying., must stop!

pinknfluffy28

I have been out today and done most of christmas shopping! all i have left to get now is wrapping paper and cards, something for my hubby, and kids stocking fillers (which i buy in december, its just one last shopping trip which allows me to soak up the atmosphere of late night shopping!). I too have a notebbok just for christmas, I have been buying bits throughout the year, and so far my best buys this year are the lego sets i got for youngest dd back in January. Amazon had upto 75% off the rrp!!
In december, we have elves come to visit, we have lots of cosy evenings together, I take 2 weeks off work over xmas to allow us to truly spend it as a family, we do little outings, craft activities and baking. And my favourite night of the whole year (alongside xmas eve of course!!) is always the first saturday in December. DH takes the girls to the cinema, for pizzas, and then to our local family friendly watering hole for an hour. He makes sure I have at least 5 hours to myself, i pop on my christmas cd and wrap wrap wrap! then i pour a nice glass of wine and take a nice long soak in the tub..... hurry up december! :rudolf:

karren

Im not alone then I love christmas!!!, ive sorted all homemade cards,( well i cheated, i made one of my little one dressed as angel last year, then photocopied it and jazzed up with glitter)

Ive saved money every month all year, and ive picked up bits as ive gone, until recently id been buying for 22 children, but last year i wrote lovely text to all and said can we concentrate on birthdays, no negative feedback as saved them headaches too,

token presents to friends ie i make batches of twinks home made hobnobs with branberries and ginger and ive had lots of nice feedback so ill do that again.

my daughter is nine and id love to do the christmas elf this year, and im makeing a christmas eve hamper
(primark pyjamas in sale,
christmas dvd,
reindeer food, (i make it for pta, brownies and fetes, so always tons here, and she loves making it)
night before christmas book
hot chocolate and marshmallows

so looking forward to planning a special christmas as worked last year so touch wood off this year x

C_J

It's so nice to be in a place where I can admit to shopping for Christmas all year long - you should see the look of horror I get from people I work with if I mention this! They think I'm some kind of freak.

I have an A4 file in which I have kept all my Christmas planning, ideas, present lists and budgets since my first Christmas after getting married (26 years, eek) and it's lovely to look back on it for reminiscences and inspiration (though a bit sad too when you realise people have dropped off the Christmas card lists for one reason or another over the years).

I take advantage of the Boots Christmas shopping weekends to get extra points to spend in their post-Christmas 75% off sale - that always starts the following year off with a good number of gifts.

I'm a fan of eBay, car boot sales and charity shops too - I don't mind if the packaging is shabby as I will often re-jig things (for instance last weekend bought two different golfing gift packs for 99p each, containing a number of golf tees, golf balls, course guide etc etc but the boxes looked tatty. I've opened them up and put the contents into a home made golfing hamper, along with a personalised golf towel - it's amazing how you can make something look fabulous (and expensive!) with a little time and imagination.

For small gifts to give friends and colleagues, I have grown coffee plants from seed and have been nurturing them all year - they're about 8" tall now, and it cost me around £5 for about 20 plants. I've been scouring car boot sales for pretty coffee cups to plant them in - they should look lovely wrapped in a cellophane bag with some Christmassy ribbon.

I love all this stuff - for me, much of the pleasure and excitement is planning what to give people, and then being able to do it inexpensively because there's plenty of time to faff about! I can't imagine leaving everything until the last minute - it must be horrendously expensive for those that do.

wik

Well I have started with my Christmas preperations...
I made 9 pot of gold pressies today...
And then made about 50 Card toppers, and didnt spend anything on them! I didnt make any homemade cards last year, my mum had passed away last spring, and she and I had always made cards together, so had built up a huge stash of bits and bobs.
Well today I got the card making things out to make a card for my nieces birthday, and then got carried away!! Dinner was almost burnt..lol
wik x