Small Steps Out Of Massive Debt!

GeorgianaCavendish

Busy day today sorting out the Christmas tree. I feel so exhausted now, looking forward to a nice long lie in tomorrow! 

Also managed a NSD as I paid for the tree yesterday. I increased my target a little bit this month in an effort to stop me over-spending on random Christmas stuff - let’s see if that works! 

GeorgianaCavendish

I'm trying to sell my parents on the merits of having festive meal plan without being seen as a scrooge.

I've popped round to them a few times over the last couple of weeks, there is such an excessive amount of food being ordered that it makes me feel really overwhelmed and I have no idea when we are supposed to eat all of this stuff in the 4 days we've got off work! I have a feeling that a lot of it will end up as leftovers sitting in the freezer for months before finally being thrown away when everyone finally admits they don't want to eat it. 

I don't want to stop everyone enjoying themselves, but I don't see how we can possibly eat goose and turkey and beef and ham (plus leftovers!) and then a bunch of pies, cheese, pate etc. It also feels like every time I open a cupboard I have to duck out of the way of a falling tin of Quality Street, bottle of Baileys or a tub of cheese footballs (bleugh!) - again, nice to have festive things but why such ridiculous quantities? Actually I know the answer to that, it's because they are excited to have us there and want to treat us. I just wish I could get through to them that they don't need to buy so much to show their love. 

I'm planning to ask my mum if she will let me take care of the main meals on Christmas Eve and Boxing Day, and go through some ideas with her. Then hopefully we can reduce the shop a bit, and she won't be so stressed out about cooking so many meals. I know she's got the idea that we'll want another roast but on the day but every single year everyone decides they just want sandwiches with the leftovers from Christmas dinner and it ends up going in the freezer for a couple of months.

In other festive news, I've found a nice non-alcoholic sparkling wine in Tesco which is only £4, so that is a win over the £16 bottle I was contemplating a few weeks ago. ( Now that I think about it, it was a bit crazy to spend so much on a bottle of soft drink   ) 

EssexHebridean

It’s one good thing about going away for Christmas - it really does reduce the risk of overbuying. It does mean that this is the first Christmas for several years we’ll have had the full on turkey dinner though - I’m looking forward to that! We’ll be getting up to the Hebrides a couple of days after a Christmas Day itself this year so will need to stage a raid on the co-op on arrival for all the usual nice little treaty bits, we’ll be glad that shops still have them in for those extra days this time! 

On the food you’re dealing with, will it help with the overwhelm if you try to plan uses for the leftovers so they do get frozen labelled ready for use with specific tasks in mind? At least then it might tackle the food-guilt round stuff being thrown away, perhaps? 

GeorgianaCavendish

That's a really good suggestion @EssexHebridean - I'll have a think about what can be done with the leftovers! 

Hope you enjoy your Christmas, your plan for dinner sounds lovely  

boxofpaws

I’m going to sound a bit mean but I hardly change our food shopping at all for Christmas. I buy stuff for the Christmas dinner and that’s about it. For the exact reasons you say, it just becomes overwhelming and in the past it’s been binned in the end. I buy some different cheeses for Mr P and some mince pies. (I don’t like either) We do get hampers from work though that has a few treats and that’s plenty. Also, we don’t do presents any more (except for each other).  We give the stepchildren cash, but my family haven’t done gifts for years. It’s the best thing we’ve ever done, takes all the stress out of it. We just enjoy good food and drink and company. Being together is what’s important. 

EssexHebridean

Whoah - back the truck up Paws, you don’t like cheese?! I’m not even sure I can understand that sentence! 😆😆😂

Strether2020

Hi @GeorgianaCavendish - I've just read through your diary and it's AMAZING to read how far you've come - serious inspiration!! Love the historic name as well... she sounds like a character! I also know what you mean about Christmas excess, especially when you're trying to make financial progress - being knocked out by a bottle of Baileys landing on your head because the cupboard's so rammed is like an insult to all the frugality! 😁 

GeorgianaCavendish

Strether2020 said:

Hi @GeorgianaCavendish - I've just read through your diary and it's AMAZING to read how far you've come - serious inspiration!! Love the historic name as well... she sounds like a character! I also know what you mean about Christmas excess, especially when you're trying to make financial progress - being knocked out by a bottle of Baileys landing on your head because the cupboard's so rammed is like an insult to all the frugality! 😁 

Thanks so much @Strether2020 - I'm just over 2 weeks away from debt freedom and it is very exciting! 

Georgiana Cavendish certainly was a character, The Duchess film with Kiera Knightly is based on her life - very colourful! I've come a long way at taming my inner Georgiana with the help of all the lovely MSE-ers on these boards. 

I've been keeping a note of the Baileys price wars so that I have evidence that the 1L bottles are discounted by virtually every retailer this month, hopefully this will calm down some of the panic-buying next year  

GeorgianaCavendish

boxofpaws said:

I’m going to sound a bit mean but I hardly change our food shopping at all for Christmas. I buy stuff for the Christmas dinner and that’s about it. For the exact reasons you say, it just becomes overwhelming and in the past it’s been binned in the end. I buy some different cheeses for Mr P and some mince pies. (I don’t like either) We do get hampers from work though that has a few treats and that’s plenty. Also, we don’t do presents any more (except for each other).  We give the stepchildren cash, but my family haven’t done gifts for years. It’s the best thing we’ve ever done, takes all the stress out of it. We just enjoy good food and drink and company. Being together is what’s important. 

You are completely right @boxofpaws - after the last 18 months, all I care about this year is getting to spend time with my immediate family and enjoying their company and (a reasonable amount) of good food & drinks

GeorgianaCavendish

EssexHebridean said:

Whoah - back the truck up Paws, you don’t like cheese?! I’m not even sure I can understand that sentence! 😆😆😂

I am about 95% cheese-based between 24th Dec and 2nd Jan