Sat/Sun 12th/13th December - What small DFW things will you do this weekend?

Baileys_Babe

determined_new_ms wrote: »

ha ha ha! I worked out I have spent less than £200 on xmas including food! Our food will be our usual £40pw and I have saved £40 for extra bits. Decorations zilch. Card zilch still have some left from previous years and dgd made ones for family

I wish ours was so low cost. We do have family staying for nearly a week (for a few days 8 extra) so our food spends for the week will be lots more but it will be meal planned, budgeted and enjoyed, my parents bless them has also sent us a financial contribution and they will also bring HM goddies. Like wise decorations will be those we already have plus those we make, cards again left from previous years or made by the children.

foxgloves

Interesting discussion about ridiculous levels of spending on children's gifts. I used to work with someone who had a young son. He already owned a Playstation & an X-box and Grandma insisted on buying him a Wii for Christmas. What child needs 3 different gaming consoles? YorkshireLass, you are right. Our 'big' presents weren't huge but they seemed big because we weren't getting stuff all year. I always thought all the tiny little gifts under the tree & books & craft stuff were just as exciting. Warning - Soapbox being mounted now - Some people mark Christmas as the Christian festival celebrating the birth of Jesus, others (including mr f & I) celebrate the older midwinter pagan festival of Yuletide. Many people want just to enjoy some much needed time off work with friends & family. All very fine & lovely. What Christmas shouldn't be is a horrible frantic orgy of spending on tatty cr*p that is just destined for landfill. So many people will increase their debts substantially to pay for this. I did it myself for years. Never again. And I LOVE the idea of a box of balloons!! I would be wanting to rub them on my jumper & get them all to stick to the wall!
I know that temptation & pressure to spend is all around us at this time of year, but we don't have to succumb. We have minds of our own. Let's use them......or join the ranks of miserable people receiving very depressing CC statements in February. Been there. Dunnit! Not doing it again. Ever. The End.
F x

Baileys_Babe

When dd was younger we gave her a very large box filled with inflated balloons, one her excited happy girl we then made the box into a playhouse (very large box) which dd still has and uses and loves she can redecorate with poster paint when the mood takes her and once of us has carried it out into the garden, cost £0 and years of fun. Materials very large box, parcel tape (from stores) to stick 2 flaps together to make pitched roof, plus knife to cut window which has shutters with a diamond cut out so it is easy to open close and cut a door with a small cut out for a handle, paint from stores. Finished house 1mx1.5mx1.5m some how dd nearly 7 still manages to play inside

Candy0107

Hello folks,

Happy Sunday :j

Hugs to those who need them or are feeling under the weather

As most of you know, I am very bah humbug about Christmas....it too commercial, and reminds me of how small our family has got !

Determined - you should pat yourself on the back with all you are doing at the moment ! Your box of balloons sounds amazing !

This weekend I have/will:

• meals from stores
• read papers online
• checked banking - any card payments have been rounded with the excess paying off mr credit card
• bought super cheap c*ond*ms from wilko - £2.50 for 12 ! bargain !!
• hubby paid me back some money he owed me (i don't buy his beer)
• must work on my party dress (it is almost finished)
• need to cut out a pair of work trousers from my material mountain
• hubby is treating me to a new phone (he is really good to me)
• called up virgin to get a nano sim (for my new phone)
• parked in town after 5 yesterday - 1.5hrs parking for £1
• parked in a council car park today where you only pay £1 all day - was in town for about 2hrs
• a friend bought the material to make her daughter a christmassy table cloth - the material has been washed on a quick wash, and it is drying on the radiators and the airing cupboard
• checked investments and re-invested
• updated sig with new totals (taking into account the credit card payments)

Better get a wriggle on

Love to you all
Candy xx

allydowd

Fridge man rolls us finally at 2pm asking me to lift the appliance into the back of the van for him. I refused. Cheeky man.

crazy_cat_lady

This discussion about Christmas is really interesting. I used to be one of the big spenders, buying anything and everything - only to find things unopened around the house 6 months later. Which now really upsets me. I've spent a lot of time and effort this year getting gifts that I think will be used. I've spent less - but the thought is most definitely there. I wish I had thought about chocolate spoons though - they would have been fantastic. My ds is getting an iPad this year, but it is my hand-me-down, and my dd's main present is her new cheerleading uniform, which she will definitely use. Other than that it's books, dvds, clothes etc.
Busy day today - me and the kids are just sitting down and 'relaxing' watching Home Alone. We're all showered and ready for our last 5 days at school this year.

crazy_cat_lady wrote: »

[STRIKE]:xmassmile tutoring[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]:xmassmile visit my mam and catch up, get a free feed and some knitting tips[/STRIKE] there is nothing that my mam doesn't know about knitting
:xmassmile aim for nsd Unfortunately not - but it was a teeny tiny top up shop for school goodies for next week at £stretcher
[STRIKE]:xmassmile get dh to put the recycling out[/STRIKE]
:xmassmile urgently write some Christmas cards (this could be the last time I see my mam before Christmas) I didn't get round to this other than my immediate family cards
[STRIKE]:xmassmile more knitting obviously[/STRIKE]
:xmassmile prep enough meals to get me through the week at work didn't need to - I had enough in the freezer
[STRIKE]:xmassmile look for a couple of items of post I got while I was ill during last week, which I know I have but now can't find at all. I just can't remember what I did with them.[/STRIKE] Obviously I had put them in a box with a load of other stuff and dumped them in my wardrobe
[STRIKE]:xmassmile 15 mins of housework and declutter[/STRIKE] see above
[STRIKE]:xmassmile get the kids on board with a bit of housework[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]:xmassmile do not think about work [/STRIKE]

allydowd wrote: »

Fridge man rolls us finally at 2pm asking me to lift the appliance into the back of the van for him. I refused. Cheeky man.

How rude :mad: I wouldn't dream of arranging to buy something from someone and then not turning up for it. Never mind to be so cheeky as to ask for help. Hope that work goes ok today for you Ally.

PurpleFairy26

Evening all, loving seeing the thread so busy

La E - thanks for the tip on glitter and Amazon will investigate. So far they are holding up, one tiny chip on thumb but it's been a busy day

Really enjoying views on Christmas. I'm with those who think going mad is just silly and won't have credit cards based on Christmas giving. We are giving our girls (3 &5) the same set of dolls each (22 each) and then their stocking which consists of mainly items bought at local NCT sale, 50p books etc and a couple of freebies. Plus the obligatory satsuma. My friend was horrified yesterday when I told her that's what they were having. However, my eldest it at school 5 days a week and the small will be going to nursery three days from January. How many toys can they really play with? also we would much rather spend time as a family so will do some special family things making memories throughout the year

Soup and bread went down a storm. Fed 9 of us for about £3 however I think my bread maker has died it made a horrible noise (worse than normal) and wouldn't mix. On investigation, it appears I shouldn't have being washing the pan in the dishwasher for that last 5 years :eek: I think the motor is knackered will have to see if I can get it fixed cheaper than a new one

Right off for tea and long soak in bath. Enjoy your evening

lambda

Had a reasonably cheap weekend!

Yesterday I stayed in, as OH was at work. Today we spent £15 on a weekly grocery shop. Although we are going home mid-week to spend time with family before christmas. So what we save in grocery bills we will pay for in fuel. But it has to come from somewhere, right?

YORKSHIRELASS

foxgloves wrote: »

I know that temptation & pressure to spend is all around us at this time of year, but we don't have to succumb. We have minds of our own. Let's use them......or join the ranks of miserable people receiving very depressing CC statements in February. Been there. Dunnit! Not doing it again. Ever. The End.
F x

Hear hear! I just need you to keep reminding me of this. For anyone with little children now is the time to make them realise that Christmas is not just about presents. And well done to those who are thinking of creative things to give their little ones.

Did some baking this afternoon, now I cant leave the mince pies alone!

Plumber coming to fit the new bathroom tomorrow so it will be chaos here. Need a few bits from the shops so I need to make a list.

Bobarella

Thanks Determined. I really hope you can find the money in 2016 to repay your MIL..and that your job situation gets to where you want it to be.