Planning for Cxxxxxmas.

FrugalWorker

I've started making presents - one hand warmer down Not what you'd call huge progress, but starting now should mean I won't be under pressure!

Tend not to buy food stuff - only two of us. We'll probably join family. I think the more c£@p around the house, the more I'll eat. I'd rather have some home made healthyish treats made closer to the time. I prefer to make my own cranberry sauce, brandy butter, etc... But it does have me thinking.

lostinrates

We've pared the meal right down for the last couple of years. Cutting out the 'must have' family traditional side dishes and having them as other meals over the break. For example, pigs in blankets are an ample and delightful protein with some vegetables.

Keeps costs lower than over provision and over indulgence , the meals over the season are filled with memories of 'my mother's tomato dish' or 'his mothers favourite way to eat beetroot'. and no indigestion of greed on the main days of gluttony, because its beautiful but simpler.

xJOJOx_2

I tend to buy presents throughout the year, but haven't done so far as yet though. This year not going to be spending as much, always spend too much on my girls, so going to try and rein it in a little while there young.

Don't have much room to store any extras really, but possible put away £3ish away on a supermarket card?

Just separated from husband and awaiting on finding a home. So once things are settled, I will have to work it into my budget somewhere. I won't be spending that much extra really but I'm sure it will help

DigForVictory

I've finally got a Direct debit set up to funnel the lads' traditional money into their account as a trickle rather than one hairraising lump!
Taken me almost a decade, gawd-elp-us, but should make December less financially fraught.
Trying not to buy stuff as lost-in-storage is one of my specialist areas. Or when I do buy, handing it to fearsome-organised son (OCD?part squirrel? Either way - immensely useful last year!) for safe stowage. Not sporting to stash sweeties though.

calicocat

I don't have any major panics about xmas anymore, but that's easy for me to say as don't cook for many now.

I always have a choice of a few different joints in the freezer throughout the year as a standby drawer, and never have to buy one for xmas, plus buy them when on offer.

Stocking fillers I collected all round the year, step it up from october maybe, but have drawers and drawers of stocking fillers from overspending for decades so don't really ever have much to buy now.....i suppose that has been money saving to an extent.

We don't tend to do the huge meals of years gone by (thank god), and I don't go completely overboard with presents now other than family and a few special friends.


I miss wrapping thousands of pressies though, my favourite part is the wrapping.

jlhmd666

Thanks for starting this thread

I have book-marked and will be back to read it later :j

jlhmd666

meritaten wrote: »

um - for us its only one meal - but OH insists on buying sweeties every week from November - he says its for the 'family', but, who ends up eating it all? he does!

Sounds like my OH :rotfl::rotfl:

[Deleted User]

I'm just sad enough to start planning next christmas as the January sales start by buying in any cards, wrapping paper, replacement decorations etc. when they are at reduced prices. I also save up any supermarket vouchers and quiz night wins be that cash or goods and that usually gives me enough to cover the food costs at christmas without having to raid the bank account. I'll start putting together a box of nice foods as I go through the summer and when I find offers or reductions on things we like I'll buy one and store it away. My girls are all grown up and have homes of thier own now so not the present frenzy there used to be when they were little but, this year we have a new little grandson so some of the magic will be coming back into the season and I suspect we'll enjoy it more than ever!!!

lushlifesaver

I usually buy extra/s here and there to tuck away for the season but now the spare room is a nursery there's no space to stash!

We aren't 100% sure what we will be doing food wise for Christmas this year yet, the past two years we've done a little snacky buffet on Christmas Eve/New Year's Eve then ate Christmas dinner at bf's parent's the first year and my parent's last year. This year will be wonder bairn's first so I'd quite like to do it at ours although we don't have enough seats for everyone (and we don't have a dining table!) but I'd like both sides to gather...not really sure how we will work it.

I shop between Tesco and Iceland so plan to start (from Thursday as that's next pay day) putting any spare money from the grocery budget each week/month on to the Iceland bonus card as we always buy the buffet/nibbles from there anyway and I think they are good value for meats etc during the season.

Once I have more space under bairn's cot (full of boxes of innertubes at the moment!) or find somewhere else I will start to think about starting a stash for presents - luckily I am going back to work in September so plan on using the extra from my wages (as I'll be used to 60% or less income from this time on maternity leave) to get plenty of the presents sorted early and then we usually take a trip over to the Trafford centre for a few treats/extras.

All that said I start lists for Christmas on Boxing day every year! I already have my mincemeat (6 jars at 6-10p a jar) and some other bits from the sales:)

parsniphead

I started my Christmas shopping a couple of months ago with one bar of fancy soap. Not much but it's a start.

I have loads of cards stashed in my organiser bag but need to get some more wrapping paper.

I'm definately going to start picking up some stocking fillers for DS. Plus a few things need to be made. Thankfully I only have to buy for a few people so it's not to bad.

I'm really looking forward to this Christmas though as the little one will be 3 so he will understand a little more.