NOT BUYING IT! 2015 - A consumer holiday

emslovesmickey

I took everyone's advice and decided to use the christmas money as a treat for me. So today I spent £24.99 on a Disney Traditions figure, down from £50. I have been looking at this particular one for months, so I don't feel guilty about getting it for myself.

So now I have £15.01 christmas money in my purse.

miss_emmajane

DawnW I do hope that is true, thank you - I hadn't thought of it like that before! I have a dress for a very posh wedding next weekend which cost me the grand total of £3 and I can't wait to wear it... shame drinks will be four times as much

emslovesmickey, that is a nice treat! I am currently thinking of a worth while treat to use my Christmas money on!

It was really nice to sit down with a cup of tea and read through the past few pages this afternoon - welcome to those new and congratulations to those pregnant, what a lovely Christmas present!

Today I woke up early and headed into my hometown (about 15 mins from the village we now live in) to go to my parents house and also nip to the building society and put my Christmas present money in. My Mum has given us money as the main present for OH and I to pay towards our trip to New York next year and also got some other cards with money in which I am going to put towards a nice treat for OH and I sooner, just not sure what yet! We had a nice cup of tea and chat before I came home and my MIL and BIL came round, we were treated to a lovely pub lunch by MIL which was very nice. Now we're home and OH is testing the pasta maker we received as a present, so far he has made noodles and they were really good - was quite surprised although Im not sure why! We already use our bread maker instead of buying bread and cook most meals from scratch so can see this being a new fun addition - OH has the patience for making pasta etc but I'd rather be pottering around the house cleaning and organising so in that respect we're definitely a good match.

When do people pack up the Christmas decorations? I have seen a few people doing it already but I must be honest I will resent taking down the tree this year, it is our second Christmas in this house and I got the decorations right this year as I was't rushing after moving in so really enjoying having them up. I wish all the pretty house lights and decorations stayed up through January, it might brighten up a cold and dull month if they were!

[Deleted User]

Hi again :-)

Good day today and managed not to spend a penny, except petrol to travel 20 miles. Family gathering today too, but a couple of non-alcoholic drinks were bought for me and the car park barrier wasn't working so I saved £6 for the 3 hours parking!

Using up food in the freezer for tea tonight - sausages and other bits and pieces, plus leftover xmas pud or chocolate log for pudding. Wrapped up warm and took the dog out for a walk when we got back earlier and really appreciated the fresh air and exercise - really clears the mind!

Got back and read a status on facebook by a 'friend' (not seen or spoken to in years) complaining that she received a £50 cinema voucher from her sister as a family gift, but as there are 6 of them (2 adults and 4 kids) then her sister had ONLY spent £8 on each of them and was calling her every name under the sun!!! Needless to say that really angered me and I felt like writing something including the word 'ungrateful' underneath, but instead just unfriended her. This to me really is the ultimate ungrateful consumer who not only wants everything for their children, but who demands their family does the same. Is a token gesture not enough? £50 is more than enough. Do people really expect too much these days??? For goodness sake it was her sister. Anyway, rant over. I can do without people like that in my life.

Tonight I am finishing off watching Downton and the tomorrow will be a mixture of taking our dog out for a walk, using up leftovers, cleaning and putting away bits and pieces. I also plan on re-writing my budget for next month and seeing if I can tweak out any more pennies from anywhere else! The kids have written thank-you notes to people and we have a few things to drop into the charity shop on monday morning too.
Hope everyone has a nice weekend :-)

DawnW

miss_emmajane wrote: »

When do people pack up the Christmas decorations? I have seen a few people doing it already but I must be honest I will resent taking down the tree this year, it is our second Christmas in this house and I got the decorations right this year as I was't rushing after moving in so really enjoying having them up. I wish all the pretty house lights and decorations stayed up through January, it might brighten up a cold and dull month if they were!

I leave most of mine up till Twelfth Night (6 January), which is the traditional day for taking them down It isn't the law though - you can do it whenever you like! I may have to take my tree down earlier, as it is a living one, growing in a pot, and it doesn't like it much inside. It is dropping small bits of foliage, wanting to go back outside in the garden. It looks so pretty, but I don't want it to die

[Deleted User]

I must recommend a slow cooker soup that we have just eaten, it was absolutely gorgeous and from a manual from an andrew james appliance, page 22
https://andrewjamesworldwide.com/Manuals/Sous_Vide_Slow_Cooker/SousVide_Slow_Cooker_English.pdf

It has to be one of the nicest soups, very filling and nutritious after the christmas excess

I am on a use-it-up mission and so tomorrow I have already prepared for a slow cooker root casserole to enjoy with massive organic faggots from the freezer. Dh`s eyes lit up when he saw the faggots come out. I am using a whole celeriac, carrots, parsnips, sweet potato and potatoes with some herbs and bay leaf

Re decorations miss-e, I usually get fed up with them and they come down early but not this year, after getting rid of some last year, it has made all the difference and they are welcoming and comforting so will stay up until after new year. Several of the best are made by me from bucilla kits, tree skirt, tree ornaments, wall ornaments etc, all from my qvc addictive days. I bought 3 bucilla children`s stockings last week on amazon, which I will make up for the grandchildren next year, at very good prices at the moment. I love what I made, including the giant felt santa hanging from a door

csh_2

On the laptop now so I can do a longer post.
From whats been covered already I will add that I would really love to have some chicken and we do have the room for them, but I got a kitten last year who is a proper killer and regularly catches and eats birds, field mice and anything else he can get a hold off so I wouldn't have chickens incase he got into them (which I'm sure he would find a way!)

I decided this year to really cut down on what I get the 3 kids for christmas as they don't need anything so was getting to be a bit buying for the sake of it. I would previously have bought a lot of wee bits and pieces like toiletries, sweets, socks etc to bulk the piles out but didn't this year. Can't say anyone noticed although the youngest has been very ill over Christmas so the house wasn't as enthusiastic as usual which may also have had an effect.
Shes had a really bad throat & chest infection and I ended up taking her to the emergency docs yesterday...shes perked up a bit today with anti-bs and actually managed to open some presents.

I think overall we can be quite frugal, I do meal plan and batch cook and cook most thinks from fresh. Our weekly budget is £100 which covers school lunches and play group fees so I prob spend about £70 on food for 5 plus dog and cat. I only really shop in aldi and don't buy any brands.
My real problem is I suffer from a mental health condition which can make me spend with abandon at times without really realising. I can be organised with food budget and not buy wee daft bits that I don't need and be really good then end up making a rash large purchase that I don't need without thinking it through, like a car. Have done this 3 times now. Or I can just have sprees on internet shopping and buys loads of tat that I think I want/ need.
To stop the online buying I have delinked all my bankcards from amazon and the like and have closed my paypal account so if theres anything I really 'need' I'll ask DH to order it for me in the hope that involving him in the purchase will make me think it through!

Lastly, I have room for a veggy patch, but lack time, patience or green fingers so will probably not bother with that

csh_2

PS
Just read back and my christmas trees are now both down. Christmas has finished, I always take them down Boxing Day but they got an extra day this year as was too busy with ill child yesterday

GreyQueen

missemma_jane, my family keep the tradition of putting the tree and decs up on Christmas Eve and taking them down on Twelth Night. I've always been surprised when some people have the decs up on or before Dec 1st then down on Boxing Day, but each to their own.

Have partaken of the YS salmon bought on Xmas eve and froszen, finished the bottle of Xmas day wine up and the recycling bin is getting full. It's normally emptied every fortnight and is three-quarters full then, but it'll be a longer gap and a fuller bin this time. Very little non-recyclable/ compostable rubbish is being produced, as per normal.

Mum has commenced a new knitting project, using yarn from the stash in the loft and a pattern from the pattern folder. I'm turning a pulled-out sweater and some remnants of unused yarn to add some splashes of colour. Better go and supervise the dishwashing to make sure that they're doing it right.

DawnW

7_week_wonder wrote: »

Oh wow - I think you are married to my OH's long lost twin brother! I'm no expert, but the only things I've found that help are: leading by example; letting him have one room where he can have junk and clutter everywhere (ok - two rooms if you count the garage!) and infinite patience

My OH has a drawer in the living room, a 'den' in the house (the smaller spare bedroom)and his workshop at the bottom of the garden. Apart from things like the books he is currently reading, all his carp is relegated (by me if necessary) to one of those places I don't interfere, or try to tidy 'his' places at all though (if I don't open the doors, I can't even see the junk ). Oddly enough, he does tidy his spaces sometimes, possibly because he wouldn't be able to get in there if he didn't :rotfl:

Gigervamp

Re chickens and cats, we've found the two cohabit quite amicably. Chickens soon put a cat in its place if it gets a bit too frisky. The cats around here are all skilled hunters, but often go for a snooze in the garden with the chickens.

If anything, we've found that the cats aren't too keen on the chickens getting too close and will leave the garden if that happens.