NOT BUYING IT! 2015 - A consumer holiday

[Deleted User]

Well survived this month using up lots of bits and pieces from the freezer, and will attempt to do the same next month.Have over £16 odd to go into the holiday fund,ok not a fortune but every little helps and when there are 8 of us to feed for two weeks in August its well worth making the extra effort.
NSD today and I didn't even have to cook as I was at Dds tonight for dinner and will be there tomorrow night as well.
Youngest DGS Mikey (11)went trick or treating with his Mum and the little dog for company and came home very happy with a little bag of goodies, he looked pretty good all dressed up.His next brother up Henry at 14 said he was far too old to do such childish things (but Mikey shared some of his loot with him anyway ):):):)
The next brother up Jack has gone to a party with his pals, he's 16 in February and far too 'cool' for such frivolities (but it was fancy dress and he has gone suitably dressed as a Nerdy Zombie !!!

We had several little witches knocking at the door,most of them wanted to stroke old Ollie the dog as he is a very friendly old dog and loves children .My DD is quite worried as she knows that at 15 she may not have him around for much longer,he was a rescue dog and all her five children have grown up with him.Every one locally knows Ollie as he is such a gentle dog and even nervous children seem to take to him.
He is very soppy and daft and loves a hug. it will be a sad day when he goes, and I'm not that much of an animal person either

tomorrow will be baking and ironing in the morning with a bit of knitting in the afternoon then off to Dds around fiveish for dinner.
Less than 8 weeks to christmas and I haven't a clue yet what to buy, I may sit and do a list tomorrow after I have done the weeks menus'
Have a good weekend chums
JackieO xxx

eandjsmum

Morning all

The Christmas list is started. I have already made mincemeat and the Christmas cake. i will attempt the puds next I have found a recipe in my slow-cooker cookbook. I have brought Dhs prezzie but nothing else.

Yesterday Dh and I went to see an art exhibition in one of our local towns , yours truly is exhibiting there after that we had tea and cake out, he paid.

Last Wednesday I went to see dd up north. I booked my train tics in advance so made substantial savings.I had a lovely day treating dd and then had to catch the train home. There was a major problem at Crewe so my train showed up as delayed. I was put on a train to Wigan and the caught the train back to London arriving back in Euston at 1am too late to catch my onward connection. The train staff were fantastic and arranged for taxis to gel all the passengers to our destinations plus we were given the delay- repay forms to fill in. My taxi fare must of cost the train company more than I had paid in fares.

Lynplatinum

Hiya All

Pm2326 - soooo glad that you too enjoyed going to the cinema on your own as well as me!!! Onward us 'happy and confident to do stuff on our own' folks :T I too want to see the new bond - it might be a treat once the house decorating is done!!

House is a complete tip - wall paper that doesn't want to come off walls and when it does there are holes to fill and plaster from the 1886 which crumbles away!!

Again Pm2326 - do change your supplier - I have saved £300 year one and £180 the next year by doing so!! This current lot - First Utility - seem to be good customer service - Scottish Power were terrible. :mad:

eandjsmum - wow so organised for Christmas already - I am all over the place ATM. Must get on it though - I have been invited to my DS2's soon to be in laws for Xmas. But they are filthy rich - and i mean filthy rich (millionaires) - so have realised that I cannot buy an appropriate present - a home meade one would be cleverer/cheaper/more impressive. Now my skills are limited to cooking and embroidery or small sewing (I can't knit or crochet and admire those that can!) Any suggestions folks as to what to do for them???

re the ditching the hyper consumerism debate - I agree with GQ that once upon a time we all bought well made things that could be repaired - my sons and I long for that time to return as we all have skills in those areas. As our earth's resources run out and the cheap plastic tat is recognised for the pollutant that it is us artisans (including many folk on here :A) will become the valued members of society!! I try to do my little bit in this regard and if we all do a little perhaps we can change things - if slowly :rotfl: ?????
Nite all

pm2326

Lynplatinum wrote: »

Hiya All


eandjsmum - wow so organised for Christmas already - I am all over the place ATM. Must get on it though - I have been invited to my DS2's soon to be in laws for Xmas. But they are filthy rich - and i mean filthy rich (millionaires) - so have realised that I cannot buy an appropriate present - a home meade one would be cleverer/cheaper/more impressive. Now my skills are limited to cooking and embroidery or small sewing (I can't knit or crochet and admire those that can!) Any suggestions folks as to what to do for them???


Nite all

Not sure how easy/costly this would be but would a small selection of HM preserves/chutneys be appreciated? you could make a few different types in small jars and put some Xmas type labels on

nursemaggie

Lynplatinum The other thing you could make are sweets either plain or chocolate covered. The trick is how to decorate them to make them look very expensive. You can also make your own boxes. I suggest £ shops, B & M and Wilkos for sweet decorations and youtube for instructions on how to make boxes.

If you can make the decorations even better. If they are perfect they will look mass produced so your get out if they do not come out looking all the same. What ever you make make them look different from anything they can buy in the shops.

[Deleted User]

Try to find out their likes/dislikes/hobbies or interests. My DGS Ben's lovely G/F comes from a far wealthier family than I am, but It makes not a scrap of difference to either of us. I have already thought of a present for her.She writes a daily journal (apparently she always has since she was small (now 21) and I have decided on a nice moleskin type covered book for her that I have spotted that's around £12 odd. I know its just the sort of thing that she will enjoy and use, and it won't break the bank.

I try to buy stuff that will be used if possible.To me just something that will be thanked and put in the cupboard is a waste.

I have a rather 'posh' friend who loves a home made rich fruit cake, so its not a problem to make her one and wrap it in nice silver paper adorned with decorations last year I found some tiny silver bell decorations in a pound shop that went on her parcel and she loved them.

It's not always about the cost, but what thought has gone into buying.Maybe a decent bottle of port/wine for the Dad, or some really nice soap for Mum.

I rarely buy perfume, as what I like, not every one would like.

My youngest DD's favourite is actually Isis fro M&S, whereas her sister prefers Opium. Perhaps if the mum has a favourite perfume you could match the stuff with a talc or soap. Just a thought. It is hard at this time of the year to get stuff that won't break the bank and would be appreciated .possibly a pair of tickets to a local event. They may be thinking
"Oh dear what can we buy for Lynn that won't make her feel uncomfortable"

eandjsmum

I agree a nice basket filled with HM preserves, chutneys ect. One of my work colleagues sisters bakes and decorates gorgeous cakes.

117pauline

Apologies for being missing overboard!!

I am into my third week of doing a low FODMAP diet which the dietitian has recommended for my stomach issues and it's going well so far although I do seem to be Buying It rather than the opposite.

Basically it is wheat, gluten, lactose free diet as well as banning onions, mushrooms, peas and various other fruit and veg. I was dreading it but the worst part has been avoiding onions and mushrooms as all my winter recipes include them.

Thankfully it seems to be working apart from yesterday when I must have eaten something off the banned list and I was really poorly!!

I have also been in Wilkos selling poppies etc. I have been overwhelmed with the generosity of people and the number of children who know all about the British Legion and its work. But on the downside, I have seen so much tat being bought for Halloween. It concerns me that so much stuff is bought and binned every year. When did we become a nation of people who buy new decorations for each holiday every year?

Kim_13

Had £25 of Sainsbury's clothing evouchers because of a delayed order, one was £5 and one was £20. Annoyingly it made me place two separate orders and I've spent an extra £20 on top

Might return an item or two, feels like a fail. If I'm lucky the store might stock some of the items and I can pick them up in the upcoming double up instead.

Lynplatinum

Evening all

Many thanks for all of your suggestions - somewhat along the lines I had thought of but far more focused!! Bless you:A

BTW does anyone know of a good online shop for 'baskets'??? (I can make my own boxes and chocolate truffles.) How long do HM shortbread biscuits last if not in a tin?

117 Pauline - hope your excluding diet manages to sort out your digestive troubles!

Jackie O - yes, I must admit, I had not looked at it that way round!!!

Am NBI this week in terms of the fact that I had a really good YS session at Morr!sons tonight and have developed this habit and now rarely pay full price for bread or cheese!! Also, despite stopping for a coffee @ Cos!as I did not have a cake as I have HM ones at home that look better! (sorry to boast but, as much I would like to I cannot share cake over the internet :rotfl: )

Anyway - when we stop being covered in plaster dust (DS2 is taking plaster off walls and re plastering for me) I will decide what to do and let you know ow it goes with the pressy making!
Nite all