NOT BUYING IT! 2015 - A consumer holiday

seriouslyfrugal

so sad about the events in Glasgow today - my thoughts are with everyone in the city tonight
there were some really angry stressed people in the supermarket today I just don't get it they are closed for one day these days

catch up soon

Ches

seriouslyfrugal wrote: »

so sad about the events in Glasgow today - my thoughts are with everyone in the city tonight

I second that. Two incidents in France not dissimilar.

I forgot to say congratulations to JackieO.

Nothing spent today as everything in. Spent the day catching up with the housework, washing and ironing. Pooped.

kboss2010

I agree completely I'm getting to the point where I begrudge having to buy new clothes because even expensive ones don't last more than a year. I live in jeans and good ones are so hard to find these days.

Planning, planning planning is the key. All of the money I've wasted this year has been because of lack of planning (full-price cinema tickets because we didn't check the restrictions on our 50% gym membership discount! takeaways because we didn't think to buy in food for when we were travelling/getting home very late, spending extra on forgotten last minute gifts etc.)

This year, I aim to make 80% of my Xmas presents with a sewing machine and Pinterest as my inspiration and they will be finished by the end of August. No excuses. Anything shop-bought will be at least 60% off and no more than £10 per person. Xmas cards and wrapping paper/gift bags will be bought in the Jan sales (as they were this year).

I shall continue my trend of buying no non-food items at full price but will give myself time to find bigger discounts.

I will also be supporting my local shops more, particularly charity shops.

greenbee

kboss - for jeans, try RM Williams. It's an Australian brand and I find they wear well. Obviously it depends whether their fit works for you. The others I currently buy are Amazing Woman (think they are made by French Connection). Neither is cheap but both fit me well and quality is good (particularly the rm Williams)

Minimalist

GreyQueen wrote: »

Ahoy, shipmates, have something to share with you, been following this woman's blog for some time and really like her take on life. This is a brand-new posting freshly-caught yesterday.

http://annienygma.com/

Thanks for the link, GQ - some interesting reading for the holidays!

Minimalist

I’ve been enjoying catching up with the thread and hearing everyone’s OS preparations and frugal festive tips - some great ideas for enjoying the season in our own way!!

My family is fairly low-key about Christmas, so we normally don’t buy a lot - but I’ve still managed to end up rushing about this year AGAIN. Just about got everything done, but one of my resolutions for 2015 is to be more organised about Christmas, with a view to having less stress and more enjoyment.

Part of the problem is that I hate thinking about Christmas too early (festive lights going on in November, Xmas music in shops etc :mad:). So I always put off starting anything until a fairly late stage…which is counter-productive, as I end up doing things at the busiest times, or stressing out about online deliveries arriving on time etc.

So for 2015 I'm starting early...like now.

What planning ahead tips would you recommend for Christmas ostriches like me?

edwink

Minimalist wrote: »

So for 2015 I'm starting early...like now.

What planning ahead tips would you recommend for Christmas ostriches like me?

I would say that buying your Christmas cards and wrapping paper in the January sales would be a good start and normally they are really cheap then. Saves getting them later in the year and would save a lot of money too!!


Any help???


Edwink

girlinayellowdress

purpleshoes_2

I use and reuse gift bags. I'm terrible at wrapping so I can't remember the last time I wrapped a present, this year I'm using a drawstring bag with a Christmas pattern to put presents in, two for a quid in poundland.

GreyQueen

Minimalist wrote: »

So for 2015 I'm starting early...like now.

What planning ahead tips would you recommend for Christmas ostriches like me?

I spotted my first Christmas cards and calendars in July and my first mince pies in September. Fer crying' out loud, I like time off with family, big dinners and fairy lights as much as the next person, but the enormous lead-in to the festivities is beyond ridiculous and is spoiling it. And if I hear the bliddy McCartney Xmas song one more time I may do something colourful....!

To avoid hassle when planning anything, I work backwards from the delivery date. OK, destination harbour is 25.12.2015, mission is avoidance of hasslement.

Jan; top-up supplies of cards and giftwrap as necessary on discount.

Jan-November; carry a gift list for your intendeds and shop as and when you see something. Keep ears peeled in social interactions for likely hobbies/ pastimes/ new fave consumables. Perhaps have 'the conversation' early in the year about limiting gift exchanges, or limiting them to the children of the family. Review card lists; would it be a relief to all/ some of the recipients if you just dropped the habit?

Sept-Oct; start running down any freezer space with view to stocking with seasonal foodstuffs.

Oct-November If you home-cook, can you cook and freeze ahead? If you buy in, can you get good prices? Work out a menu and actually rethink some trad foods. Does anyone like bread sauce, f'rinstance?

Autumn check list; sellotape, antacid tabs, cards delivered ahead of time by 'family post' if possible. Gift-wrapping can be done ahead of time. It's probably an idea to do Autumn Cleaning rather than Spring Cleaning, to save the lovely weather for tiptoeing through the tulips and to get your home company-ready. Deep cleaning must not take place past the end of November (light dusting only is permissable in December) because you need to save your strength.

If possible, arrange family visits for before or after Xmas week, to avoid flinging yourself across country in a scrimmage of other frazzled travellers. Or plan to fly long-haul on New Year's Day; a pal got a very good price to India one year.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is not to do this horror called Christmas Shopping at all. You will aim not to venture into the shops at all in December, unless for perishable foodstuffs which you have run out of. Keep the Crimble decs off until 24th to keep Xmas in its place on the calendar. Skip over TV adverts and Xmas editions of the women-mags.

If anyone brackets the words christmas and perfect together they should be consigned to the outer reaches of society immediately. They are not good people, RL is imperfect by definition, and it's dishonest to pretend otherwise.

This year, we shall be eating some Big Dinners and hoping nothing bad happens to my 91-year old Nan. We may dust the mantle before putting up the boughs of (plastic) holly, but we may be rebellious and decorate over the dust, depends on the mood of the Chief Decorative Officer (me - went to art school, y'know ).