Thrifty Gifty Santas Challenge 2014

tibawo

Can't believe it is less than three months to go!!

I got the sewing machine down last night whilst dds were out. I don't work Fridays no more so decided to hit the sewing tub. Pair of dungarees mended. Dress altered for dd1. Then I found some material I got for making tubes to put plastic bags in so thought I'll make them and sell (well hopefully) when I do my Xmas stall. My stall is full of things that I jazz up. I only allow myself to use money that I got from clicks.

Also instead of giving an Xmas donation I make ten pounds worth of small stocking filler gifts. I get a free stall and then all the money goes to church.

The money I make goes towards a treat week end for us to mark the coming of Xmas and we get back to put up the tree. It used to be to pay for the Santa train but now cinema etc. we all get a set amount from the stall to spend on what we want without me saying no!

How is this thrifty? Well I wouldn't do it without the stall and tips from here!

Getting excited now.

DundeeDoll

A defo autumnal feeling in the air. The hedgerows are laden with berries, there's piles of leaves to scuffle through and conker season is upon us. Oh and pay day tomorrow whoop whoop.
Freezer looking pretty good so will instead do cupboards cos they are a bit of a pickle. (Freezer very small so cant let it get out of order) hmmm wonder if last year's surplus chestnuts are still edible!
4 things for october?
1) go to the cinema on my own (did it for the first time ever when became a singlie 2 years ago after 28 years. Must do it again!)
2) go through clothes - not a joy but will be once done
3) tidy up the garden for the winter
4) take a bus i havent been on before just for fun
Will let you know how i get on and where i end up!

mum2one

Hope everyone ok. We had a really nice weekend away for miss hoodies birthday she is over the moon with her iPhone -joint present from me, mum, dad and miss hoodie put some towards it... Thou she used a months data allowance in 1/2 day as she didn't realise downloading apps was so gb eating..... So she now has to wait to home to get her free wifi...

Been bargain hunting today - went into Claire's I went to get a phone case in sale 10quid reduced to £3 - got to the till and the lady said just got there at right time as they've just started a 5 items for £5. Did I need an excuse to shop.... No.... Between me and miss hoodie got 25 items - £25, the sale tags price was £90 the proper price was £287. Put them up for presents, some be miss hoodies off the dog, some for me off the dog, 2 of her school friends and 3 sets of added extras for friends.

Hospital tomorrow with dad got check up for his stoMa bag, then police station, got to give a statement re ex, he's crawled out of the woodwork again with bells on it, then got opticians, dentist, doctors, and hospital so keep me out of trouble and no spending money! Xxxx

luckystarr

Hi all

I am very new to this thread but it look great

I have been looking at what i have and have made a good start.

Wanting to keep to the budget this year so making some jams and chutneys to give as gifts.

I LOVE yankee candles can anyone tell me if there is a sale on them and where ?? (will give some as gifts promise )

What sort of gifts are people giving this year ?? any ideas greatly appreciated

Thank you
Luckystarr

mum2one

luckystarr wrote: »

Hi all

I am very new to this thread but it look great

I have been looking at what i have and have made a good start.

Wanting to keep to the budget this year so making some jams and chutneys to give as gifts.

I LOVE yankee candles can anyone tell me if there is a sale on them and where ?? (will give some as gifts promise )

What sort of gifts are people giving this year ?? any ideas greatly appreciated

Thank you
Luckystarr

Hi Luckystarr, - sounds like your doing well with xmas prezzies, your have to let us know what jams and chutneys your making, - make marmalade, but havent ventured to chutney yet, any easy recipes going,

Yankee candles - i just got some sampler size from Clintons, the fragrance of the month (2 flavours) they were £1.35 each instead of £1.90

my present list ranges
age wise 2 mths old baby to 83 yr uncle
a mix of family, friends, neighbours, token presents, dds friends at school.

Uncle (83 yr old), 2 x war books (£2)
aunty - noteboo and pen set, handcream (£3)
Joint - homemade marmalade

Nice neighbour - Oneies, phone case and ear buds - little pamper hamper - £12 (proper price £50)

About half the xmas presents have come from Boots when they had the 70% sale, then using skills, knitting scarves, make some jam and marmalade and make some food hampers up xx

supersaver1000

DundeeDoll wrote: »

1) go to the cinema on my own (did it for the first time ever when became a singlie 2 years ago after 28 years. Must do it again!)
2) go through clothes - not a joy but will be once done
3) tidy up the garden for the winter
4) take a bus i havent been on before just for fun
Will let you know how i get on and where i end up!

Sorry for butting in, but I just had to delurk. DD I love it. A trip to the cinema alone, why not. I'm going to do that next tone I have some time and a wish to get away from the housework. Shame the Tesco cinema voucher now ended. And taking a bus for the adventure, great. Sadly I'm still restricted by the school run but in 3 years time, I'm with you. (Did you listen th the radio programme about the ladies who travelled the country on their bus passes - fab!). :T

Katiehound

I've been off here so long daren't see how many pages I have missed- a combination of being away on cruise (ill) ,then ill at home, then away again and that's Aug & Sept gone.

Whilst in Ireland picked up cheapie fleece gloves in Mr T now reduced to 58cents (about 50 pence a pair) so bought them for next year's boxes!!
In Dealz (Poundland chain but a bit dearer) got a lovely BBC "Adventures in architecture" book (went with a TV series I imagine)- £20 for £1.25!! that's for a friend who enjoys travelling- she also has a very nice new Edinburgh woolshop T shirt (£8) from Cancer research- @ £1 so I am well within the £5 challenge!!!

My charity shoeboxes are packed!!
I fully intended pricing up the contents to just see what they had cost me (out of interest as much as anything), but in the end nearly went spare trying to work out what went where. Wish they had had elastic sides!! I did 6 in the end: 3 x family and 3 x OAP. I am delivering them to the local co-ordinator tomorrow as I shall be away from Sat onwards and miss the deadline otherwise. Today at a carboot sale bought 2 large delightful soft toys, one hand knitted , for 25 pence each. Stuffed them in the carrier bags which already have toys and toddler clothes I was given... so they will also be going to eastern europe. I now have no qualms telling people I am posting zero, zilch cards as I have sent goodies to people who literally have nothing.
Mr T and Wilcos contributed greatly to the contents!!!! It was amazing what I got for 50 pence or £1
Hope you are all well and happy....and not going under now that seasonal goodies are already in the shops

susan42

Hi lucky star welcome to the thread

DD I love your list, I've been to cinema on my own, it's not so bad these days. Years ago I think everyone expected couples or friends but these daystheres quite a few do it

Mum2one - some fab presents there, well done

Katie hound - hope you've fully recovered from your illness, nothing worse than being ill on your holidays. Well done on finishing fishing your boxes for the appeal

Angela - hope your ok

Rufusdog - hi hope your ok too

Tibawo - good luck with your makes

Sorry I been MIA , all my time has been consumed by the planning of my Christmas village. I have made the ocean. (Piec err of board) painted blue, modelling paste waves , then covered in clear acrylic to reflect light. I have made the harbour, out of miniature bricks 20mm x
10mm , I made those out of clay ( nightmare)
The frame is up ( I know it's early but didn't expect it to take this long)
And it's nowhere near finished.

I also been crafting away for Xmas craft fair for the church

And for some reason cluttering house.

So my time on internet has been very limited which is not really a bad thing

But I also been neglecting the my blog

Anyhow I hope to pop in more , take care everyone

mum2one

Better see how I'm getting on with this months challenge....

Christmas Card Action
Raided my local posh card shop and kindly reduced some of there excess stock from last yr, pd 50p a card (some were priced at £4), so have all the named cards.

Also raided a market stall and got some posh clintons cards for 3 boxes for £1.... but as I helped the stall holder, gave me a box to search throu, so I put some stuff out for him, so got 3 boxes free...

Making Cards
Would love to make some cards but think time will evade me, thou cheat slightly and get some that I just put the photo in, as some of the relatives like photos of Miss Hoodie.

Birthdays
had Miss hoodies bday end of Sept, she is very happy as she has an iphone (3 way split - between me, mum and Miss Hoodie).
Got 2 birthdays (Oct and Dec) one of them is a 30th... all sorted, main present is an angel winged necklace, and 30 little items,
Still have 2 sets of presents to deliever from summer... that be Xmas run out.



Flu Jabs
Family outing booked for next week, forgot to ask about shingles, but have docs appointment 2mor for Grandad Hoodie, (nowt wrong, just to touch base with the GP) so will ask tomorrow. As for pneumonia - all jabbed for that.

Money, money, money
That magic thing that makes the world go round, - again nearly 100 days to xmas, -the idea being have a last minute push, whether that is cash back, surveys, clicks, reviews, ebay, car boot, craft fayres, - some cashback may not be ready for this year, but would make a good start for 2015...

Touch wood, most of xmas sorted just Miss Hoodie, mum and dad...plans are
Miss Hoodie - main present tablet (£100), then £100 for clothes, £50 for odds and sods,
Mum - £30 voucher for clothes shop and £20 on bits and dabs
Dad - £30 clothes £20 bits and dabs

Then main £50... no idea yet

Give Miss Hoodie £50, she spends on mum and dad.

(Have to confess will be raiding my voucher supply towards this, plan be use them for shopping etc then replace with cash. The tablet come from Amazon (got £15 coming so far), need to get pushing....


Ebay - there is the 20 free items per month, after that starts at 12p, aim to put 20 items on before the next challenge.

Listed 12 items, and sold 3, - profit £43 relisted the others - free to relist so far one item been sold.. £5 but hope for some more.

Got some more items ready to list, - then few bits ready for local selling group, list them the following weekend...

Even if it is £10 or £100 you aim for, its some extra spends for Christmas.

Going to aim for £150 extra money between the challenge and end of Nov, (ebay, selling, and miracles....

Miss Hoodies corner - the freezer
....ah.. work in progress - kinda over filled it with bread, so have to wait a week or so...
But... I did swop the freezer for 1 very dingy cupboard, a very nice 1960s metal cupboard that sits in the shed and is grandad hoodies terrioty... I was brave and gutted it... I had a dustbin bag full, bottle of something with a best before date of oct 2003.. why he needs 6 x paint trays I will never know. I also tidyed the toilettries cupbaord... shampoo (15 bottles), shower gel (21 bottle of dove - it was 50p each), deodrant - you get the picture

Christmas Cake
All fruit is soaking lovely (got 4 x icecream containers worth, bottle brandy, bottle sherry), batch 1 of cakes are planned for Friday, there be the give away cakes, then hopefully the following week be batch 2, (ours) and nice big tin - going to put that aside for mums 70th birthday next yr.
.

To Do list[/COLOR
This is a nice to do list, - pick 4 things for yourself, whether that is a long soak in the bath, half an hr reading a book, going for a walk, choose 4 things, and aim to do 1 a week.

Even thou I say so myself, i like this one.
1. Take time to read, - 3/4 way book "walk with angels, - Tony Stockwell, its brilliant, aim finish that this week, then alternate between kindle and books.

2. Visit my fav market... if anyone goes to Towyn, brillaint market at Tir Prince, £2 parking, over 100 stalls there and big car boot. (Been once, two more visits planned, weather permitting)

3. this may sound really daft, but grabbed a chippie tea and went and eat in on the beach with Miss Hoodie (sat in the car - but was still so nice).

4. Going to the cinema.. (hopefully aim for next week)

Medicine
prescriptions - self review

---

Work in progress, - so far have spreadsheet set up with all the mediciations and doses

Mediciations - part 2 - others in house
thats on next weeks to do list...


Keep a copy
Done - there is a copy in the purses and dads wallet, then a set in each of the medicine boxes, also got a copy printed off from the doctors, left at pharmacy, ready for when I do the "family we need,,,"

First aid kit
Even if it is stored in a lunch box, look at putting a few items ready in case there needed.
Paracetamol
ibuofen
Plasters
Sickness and runs tablets
scissors
alcohol wipes
sticky squares (use them for burns - buy them in Boots single packet)
micropause tape
cough sweets
rehydration sachets

Split my I need list between next shopping day, so get best offers, - now need to get a super duper thermometer, for dad,

Last but not least - Where am I??/
[COLOR="rgb(0, 191, 255)"]The weather is getting colder on us, soo be time for the central heating to cut in, change the quilts for the winter ones, and the kettle on standby for the hot water bottles.

Quilts now changed to Winter ones, summer ones squashed down, hot water bottles are already been used, central heating clock been put on winter, - heating cuts in at 16.5C (BG did set it to cut in at 21C) still money saving...

These are just a few thoughts
Fuse box - (yes)
Torch (yes(put wind up one by the fusebox, need to find a bigger one))
stop !!!! - yes safe and sound, even checked where the outside one is
batteries for the remote control...(need some more)
phone chargers (they grow legs - need to get a spare usb plug)
insurance papers - all papers safe in file, and have checked renew dates 2nd jan...

mum2one

Susan - that village sounds amazing, cant wait to see the photos.

Hope everyone ok its 78 days to Christmas...

we have a little bit of good news, Grandad Hoodie is a suitable candiate for Chemo, we had meeting Monday with the cancer man, and got the go ahead, next week hes got a 3 hrs meeting, from what gather is a general talk, tour of facilities, hopefully (if his body can tolerate it), he will be on tablets, 2 weeks on 1 week off, that be 9 courses.
No news as to what were exactly fighting, he's been referred for CT scan, but that wont be for a few weeks, touch wood all going in the right direction.

I've just set myself a massive to-do list, should take me to xmas... xx