NOT BUYING IT! 2015 - A consumer holiday

mirry

Oh my, what has this thread done to me .
I spoke to someone I know yesterday who is a lovely girl but a spendaholic, always buying designer goods and living well beyond her means. She was telling me to hurry down to debenhams to buy a nail product reduced to £15 that you paint on your nails and it makes them look cleaner. I felt a bit awkward as I listened to her enthusiasm about such an expensive product. I don't know what's happened to me since reading this thread but My eyes are more wide open than ever before :T

Back to hair dye: I know dark hair colours are more chemically harmful than light hair colours. So I've gone from using a dark brown to a dark blonde and in the new year I'm moving onto a medium blonde which might look strange with my brown eyes .

This Xmas I've been very thrifty, I asked my friends if we should stop getting each other presents and the relief on their faces was a picture. Then for the men in the family I picked them up second hand books on their fav subject that originally cost £25 - £29 for only a £1.
For our parents I made Xmas hampers with half price offers (and using coupons). For the girls, I made jewellery/rings.

And for the elderly I visit (some alone for Xmas) I got a bulk of cupcake boxes cheap of amazon that hold 4 homemade cupcakes, which I decorate with Xmas sprinkles. I also use these boxes for birthday presents though the year. People seems to appreciate homemade presents.

Then once Xmas is done I keep all the lovely sheets of wrap paper (iron them if needed)and cut all the cards into gift tags for future presents.

WARNING, if you buy vintage Xmas baubles/decorations beware of the ones that have sprinkled snow on them as they may contain asbestos :eek: (was in the news this week).

thefrugalflirter

What a lot to catch up on this thread!

I've had a very thrifty day today - homemade mince pies, homemade Christmas cards and homemade Christmas tree decorations, I'm shattered! Feel like I've achieved a lot though.

Definitely agree with you all that you don't have to follow what the advertisers tell you Christmas should be about - I remember a few years ago, mum turned round to the rest of my family and asked them if they wanted Turkey for Christmas dinner - they all said no, it turns out none of them liked turkey and had just been eating it because it was 'tradition' - nowadays it's chicken for them and Quorn fillet for me - it may not be 'traditional' but everyone is happy!

I'm off tonight traveling, so I'm not sure I'll get chance to log on again before the New Year - hopefully I wont miss too much, so wishing you all a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS! And here's to a fab & frugal 2015!! :T

CAFCGirl

fairy3 wrote: »

What kind do you need CAFCGirl, how much and what colours? I have a stash thats just sitting here - let me know and would be happy to post. I was given it by a neighbour so woud just be passing it on.
We have a Yorkshire Trading Company - bit like woollies used to be and the Original Factory Shop for generic stuff. CS do not seem to know what to charge if they have any IMO and can be expensive and an actual wool shop is so expensive.

Oh you are so very sweet.
I found £5 in coinage so went off to town. Charity shop was a rip off (in my mind so only bought one ball) and then found dinky haberdashery type with a basket outside. she took pity on me and sold me two balls for £2.50 instead of 2.70. I honest to God thought I had a 50p coin in my pocket, turned out to be a 2p LOL :A
So 3 balls of wool purchased.

I had a stash of plain cotton shopping bags that I bought nigh on 4 years ago, they were 'seconds' and I've rifled through and found the cleanest two. Im just printing off a 'design' of sorts and I'm going to use my trusty sharpie to put the design onto the bag. Printed off two free knitting patterns to put in plastic wallets with a ball or two of wool for each person.

If I can figure out how to do it, I will post a photo.....
So not exactly free but Im hoping since they are both knitters they will appreciate them...

icontinuetodream

I celebrate Solstice so the 'gifts' are the feasting - it's about celebrating the 'return of the sun' - namely; food, fires and family!!

I give the kids (adults but living at home) plus their partners a token amount of money to 'gift' prosperity for the forthcoming year, but mainly we just eat, drink, chat and relax together

We don't have a traditional 'roast' dinner - although we do have a variety of meats but this year we will serve them with roasted tomatoes (homegrown and roasted during the summer then frozen); slices of homegrown butternut squash (picked in the autumn but first one never eaten until Solstice to allow the sugars to develop); and Mediterranean potatoes with herbs from the garden. Our evening buffet will probably be more traditional - a selection of the cold meats, baked camembert, olives, marinated artichokes and sweet peppers, along with lots of home-grown and home-made chutneys, breads, pickles and salads.

The kids do a traditional Christmas with their respective partners' families and we just enjoy the break from work (although this is the second year running I have been out of work through choice - perhaps its a trend for me!! )

I do spend a ridiculous amount on food at this time of year, but mainly it's a case of stocking my freezer because you tend to get good offers on meat for the holidays! I also cook a lot of meat for Solstice day, but we split the left overs between eating over the next couple of days in a variety of different forms and also make things and freeze for later use - so it's more like batch-cooking really!! I am hoping to spend no more than £50 between Solstice and the end of January and with the amount I have in stock, I am confident I can make it longer than that with a lot of thought

I am going to go through all my toiletries soon - I don't wear make-up or dye my hair, but I do tend to acquire creams from my dd - generally things that she has been given and doesn't like or can't use I also have quite a few travel size things which I used to use when I worked away from home so I will start to use all of those up before I buy anything else....

Part of my mission for this forthcoming year is to get healthy for free - by walking my dogs, using the wi-fit and devoting lots of time to growing my own food - I have a feeling that those creams may finally come in handy with all of the outdoor activity I have coming my way!!

One more shopping trip needed before the end of the year though - I need to get some threads for the sewing machine I have been given on long-term loan....then I can start putting it to good use and getting some draught excluders and curtain linings made!!

I like not buying it!! :T

Bathory

Had to go out today so picked around 9.30 am to do a small shop at our local Tesco and it was already packed. Got tutted at for getting in someones way for a just a split second, demanding kids shouting 'I want' at their parents and parts of the store looked like it had been ransacked. I came away feeling quite down with it all. The place is only shut for one day but so many were in full panic mode.

On an upside I've realised I've spend none of my Boots Advantage Card coupons which must be a first for me, and I doubt very much they will get used, especially since I could open my own Boots with the stuff I have yet to use up.

Butterfly_Brain

I really hate this month, we went out today, hit a pothole and it took the tyre out, and when DH went to replace the tyre he found that the spare needed pumping up so we have to go and buy 2 new tyres tomorrow, bye bye another £100 :mad:
The bathroom and kitchen have got to be done after the pipe burst as well, I just want to cry

nursemaggie

If this thread keeps on growing at the present rate we will see you around 10th January thefrugalflirter as it will probably take that long to read it.

I must say I look forward to the long read everyday on this thread.

CAFCGirl as an avid knitter I would be delighted with your present. Well done.

I have to admit I am skint to so this thread is a necessity. My son and I have been living on a single persons pension since October when he was sanctioned for not keeping an appointment at the job centre due to being on a full time course they sent him on. We are still battling against it.

This will be our most laid back Christmas ever. I decided back in June to knit everyone a present. I started knitting in August and finished around 20th November. No relatives living near by so all posted off. Everyone gets a scarf and next year they will get hats and gloves to match.

The treats we get this year will be the sort of things we have previously had weekly. All the more appreciated because we have had to do without.
Going out shortly to purchase half a dozen of our favourite chocolate bars. I have managed to save £60 worth of Mr S vouchers from doing surveys. List written it should more than cover our Christmas food.

Without all the hype and madness I am really looking forward to Christmas just the two of us. This thread has stopped me worrying about it.

VJsmum

CAFCGirl wrote: »

I had a stash of plain cotton shopping bags that I bought nigh on 4 years ago, they were 'seconds' and I've rifled through and found the cleanest two. Im just printing off a 'design' of sorts and I'm going to use my trusty sharpie to put the design onto the bag. Printed off two free knitting patterns to put in plastic wallets with a ball or two of wool for each person.

If I can figure out how to do it, I will post a photo.....
So not exactly free but Im hoping since they are both knitters they will appreciate them...

I would love that as a gift - bag and wool. A thoughtful gift - well done. Loving this thread.

OH and I are currently on the train to the lakes for a freebie weekend he won :T. Left the kids at home to fend for themselves.

We have taken advantage of our free rail travel - OH works for the railways- which means we can't do loads while we are there - a day of walking is in store tomorrow. Free and one of our favourite things to do.

Broomstick

CAFCGirl, well done on getting it sorted - sounds good.

This has given me a potentially good thought about an on the spur of the moment present for someone who is (or might be) happy cooking from scratch (or keen to upgrade their repertoire) which is to put together a 'main meal box' for one or more people with all the individual ingredients labelled, weighed and measured, raiding one's own stocks where possible plus the ingredients list and easy 'how to cook it' recipe printed out. Fresh food would obviously have to be fresh and in chill bags if needed. Containers for decanted ingredients like, herbs, spices, pastes etc would have to be mega clean and suitable for food. Commercial versions of this idea exist but are pretty expensive.

I think my young adult sons and their student friends would really go for a complete box of bits where you cooked a different veggie curry or pasta dish or something really posh from scratch where they couldn't be bothered to get the ingredients together themselves.

A different take on this might be to offer to teach someone how to cook your 'signature dish' (is that what it's called?) or food of yours that they've enjoyed but not cooked before. You provide the ingredients, tuition and company. They get to eat it as well. Again, I think this might be a really good student-aged present or for someone who's recently been bereaved where their partner was the cook in the family.

B x

purpleshoes_2

Well today I have. Put my new with tags zumbawear on ebay. Cleared out my food cupboard and found a bag of rice (think 5kgs) which was obviously an approved food buy, I dont eat much rice these days but my mum does so it will go to her. Boiled up some macaroni and egg noodles and put some out for the birds as I had no cheap bread to give them today, usually I go and get YS bread from one of the supermarkets once a week and I can get a weeks worth of bread or more for the birds for about £2, got 5kgs of macaroni for a fiver ages ago from approved foods and what I didnt cook of the macaroni, again my mum is getting it. I tend to go to home bargains instead of buying from approved foods these days but it was a godsend to me over the last couple of years and it saves the food going to landfill.

Cancelled my subscriptions to magazines, I subscribe to a few health and fitness magazines and as good as they are they arent essential. I got them from a thread on here so am sure they were a bargain to begin with so I dont need them, will just use my library card next year instead.

Sorted out another bag for the hospice shop, put together a bag of stuff for my mum, shes a keen knitter and crafter and I bought her a knitting book from aldi for her birthday, a few craft books I got from there but forgot to lift that one and so has she anytime she has been here, plus a few scarves I found on my travels, I dont wear them but she does so she can have them.