Apparently I am a "sad specimen"!!

TravellingAbuela

I think my original post has been misinterpreted by some! Nowhere did I say I bought Boots gift sets - they do sell other things, even in the sale! Once Christmas is over I make a new gift list out (I have an awful lot of people to buy for by the way) and if I see a nice item in the sale then I look at my list and ask myself if anybody on my list might appreciate it. Among the things I have bought so far are some very pretty Victorian picture frames and matching paperweights (I liked them so much I bought one for myself!!), a couple of blingy chunky bracelet, a couple of gorgeous M & S jewellery mannequins and some good quality nightware. So, yes, some thought does go into my gift buying, I just happen to be buying it half price and getting better gifts for my money!

toozie_2

I already have my cards & paper for next Christmas, bought at 75% off this week.

Found two bespoke beautiful scarfs, 70% off in an independent shop for £3 each, which have been carefully put away for 2 friends-will wrap in tissue paper next December, then quality (70% off) Xmas paper with a curly ribbon (made myself). I know they'll love the scarves!

Have also bought daughters cookery books which of interest to their style of cooking, reduced to £1.50 (large hardback)

As usual through the year I will think carefully when I see reduced items, and buy according to my Xmas / birthday list. By November I'll have everything, apart from maybe my elderly mother who is a nightmare to buy for!!
I then relax in December, working, socialising & entertaining without any stress.

I don't buy smellies from Boots or anywhere else, because I don't actually like giving or receiving sets, handy they may be-apart from the body lotions!!

When I was a young teenager, I was always inwardly (silently) disappointed when opening smellies, I would rather have had an annual, or book or gloves, small game etc.

Think it's each to their own, everyone has their ways, I bought quite a lot more on line for this Xmas through the year-usually with the heads up from some kind person on the Grabbit board :beer: Like the Yankee candle oil burner I got for £5 with a Yankee tart-my friend who loves smells burning in her house was over the moon.

blossomhill_2

I find BHS, M&S and Boits ranges date terribly so I have in the past bought them intending to gift then found when the time came I couldn't make myself and have given them to a stall, so false economy for me
This year I have decided to value space in my home a bit more so have mainly resisted the sales, and had an embargo on storing Xmas wrap for 11 months of the year, agree about independent shops though

My MIL was always so enthusiatic about things she was given, then we learnt she took it all to the CS come January or regifted it, (she got in a muddle one year and gave people things they'd given her, cos her labels system had fallen down) so we started buying things that would give the best return in the CS - I'd really have liked her to treat herself to a bubble bath or a special tea or use a NT membership but she obviously had no need or want

TravellingAbuela

toozie wrote: »

Like the Yankee candle oil burner I got for £5 with a Yankee tart-my friend who loves smells burning in her house was over the moon.

Oooh I missed the heads-up on those and I am an avid Grabbit watcher! Well done! My DD loves anything Yankee and I usually head for the Boundary Mill sale for candles. Last January I got some Wax Lyrical ones for a pittance (discontinued fragrance apparently).

DawnW

I actually rather like 'gift sets' though as I think someone mentioned earlier, the body lotions tend to accumulate a bit. I would rather have items to use up rather than 'stuff' for the house, or clothing that I don't need and (probably) won't fit /be to my taste.

Am I alone in this?

And how on earth would you know if it was last year's packaging anyway?? I had no idea it changed every year.

TravellingAbuela

I too quite like getting toiletry gift sets but I am another who wishes they would stop putting in the body lotion! And anyway, at my age, a packet of Polyfiller would be more useful! I very rarely need to buy shower gels, bubble bath, shampoo etc as I have plenty in reserve from the gift sets I get given. They are a moneysaver to me and I pop the accumulated body lotions into a little basket of coloured tissue paper, top with film and give to a cs. Somebody may appreciate them!

pleasedelete

DawnW wrote: »

And how on earth would you know if it was last year's packaging anyway?? I had no idea it changed every year.

Some of the Boots sets but also sometimes Nivea/dove type have money off coupons inside sometimes that woud be expired. the packaging of Boots stuff changes every year - they do sets on a theme but different.

Butterfly_Brain

katieowl wrote: »

I don't think you are a sad specimen. I think you are a very sensible and wise person I bought some of this years gifts in the TKMaxx sale after Xmas last year....a DKNY scarf which cost me £4 and was marked as original price £97 and a pair of gorgeous cashmere mittens for £3 (originally £30) Both the recipients were made up with them, although I confess I was a tiny bit embarassed at the low cost of both of them!!! (only a tiny bit you understand :rotfl:)

Lets remember the DM ran a story a couple of days back where some woman said that to keep her son in private school she was (shock horror) shopping in Ald! and L!dl. The SHAME :rotfl: stupid mare!


Kate

Katie I am a saddo too then, I bought a lot of good quality things that were in the TK Maxx sale as well as a lot of presents from the Sports Direct sale.So I now have all the birthday presents and most of the Christmas presents. We have decided not to buy Easter Eggs this year, because they are a rip off so I have bought gifts instead. I have also bought my crackers and cards in Wilkinsons sale, Paper and bags in Card Factory sale a £4.99 Christmas Pud with a date code to June 14 for £1, 20p jars of mincemeat that I bought in Sept fom Tesco for 20p are still in date to 2014. I use my sistercas fund to buy in the sales and I also have a list of who I buy for.
This year is going to get harder for many of us with the benefit cuts, PIP and universal !!!! up in October so at least we will be able to have a Christmas without worrying.
I read about the silly mare in the Daily Fail and laughed so much the tears were trickling down my legs :rotfl::rotfl:
I have heard lots of people moaning in Aldi about the likes of her and her kind thinking that they can run roughshod over the commoners and give the staff hell because they can't wait in a queue like the rest of us plebs. The amount of Jags, Mercs and BMWs in our Aldi car park is an eye opener.

pinkypig

Fellow saddo here although I prefer sensible and organised!

I don't just randomly buy (although I have in the past), in fact this year I had a list (which possibly is a bit sad:o).

I took my daughter with me to spend her Christmas money and we used Tesco vouchers to have a nice lunch at Pizza Express and made a nice girlie day of it.

I got my sisters lovely pjs, slippers and a dressing gown for less than i would have paid for the dressing gown if I'd got them in December and i know they'll be chuffed with them. Also got some for the kids to open on Chrsitmas eve along with a couple of nice fleece blankets for £1.50:money: Other bargains were Per Una jewelry sets for Mum and MIL and nice winter jumpers for Dad and FIL. Also got a nice stock of scented candles and bubble bath .

These will all be wraped up in 18p for 5m wrapping paper and made beautiful with 25p packs of gift ribbon.

Proud to be sad!

PPxx

Amba_Gambla

But what does it 'cost' you to store things for 11 months of the year? What value is the space in your house?
How do you know that the same item won't be half the price you paid by August?

Not worth saving a couple of quid now to have things (that might not be appropriate, useful or wanted) kicking under your feet for 11 months.