The Edcawber Principle

edinburgher

DD greatly improved, so off to a family party.

I'm missing a grownup party this evening, but at least I'll save £50

£0.74 paid off CC.

Watty1

Glad DD is much better. Just in time for all the fun

Karmacat

Happy Christmas, Ed, it sounds like it's going to be wonderful.

greent

Glad DD is on the mend x

PositiveBalance

*Dashes in*

Hi Ed!

I wanted to say a quick Merry Christmas before it starts in earnest, so here's to you, Mrs E & Toddler E having a wonderful Christmas now she is on the mend a bit.

*Leaves three mince pies and dashes out*

edinburgher

Advance Happy New Year to my MFW friends, I hope that everyone has had a lovely Christmas?

We have had a lovely, relaxed holiday with just about the right amount of festivities (and far too much to eat)! We were also pleasantly surprised that Christmas day was wonderful in its own right this year. I often find that the idea of Christmas is built up so high in our minds that the usual pitfalls (stroppy relative, somebody unwell, accidentally crap present) can lead to a bit of a letdown. Not so this year, a lovely peaceful day with our nearest and dearest.

Wrapping up the 2017 finances (we have 3 years of spending data now :drool:) I see that we've basically spent every penny we earned and bought a car :rotfl: Car aside, the main culprits were not saving our 'pots' for expected expenses and holiday spending. Here's hoping that 2018 is better - saving all pots into a separate savings account and holiday is now budgeted for.

I have tried to keep the finances in check over the Christmas period and have been largely successful. I even managed a few wee deals and wins.

• £150 paid into DD ISA for 2018
• £100 paid into my SIPP (with another £15 or so of tax relief to follow)
• Picked up 9lbs of pork stuffing for £0.35/lb Also got some half price Stilton and various pork and turkey joints for 75%+ off :money:
• Bought wrapping paper for 2018 (can't leave the wrapping paper box empty ) - £3 for 4 rolls. I *will* make HM gift tags from 2017 cards this year - honest :eek:
• Picked up various retirement presents, Christmas and Birthday gifts and stocking fillers for next year at 50% off in online and offline sales)

Here's to you and yours for 2018 :beer:

Secret_Saving_Squirrel

Best wishes for a happy and thrifty new year. X

AlexLK

Really glad to hear you had a good Christmas, Ed.

We also bought some wrapping paper for next year at a cut price. To be honest, I don't like buying it as it is only torn apart and thrown away. :mad:

Any interesting holidays planned for?

VintageHistorian

I was going to go down the "I'll make my own gift tags" route too, but managed to find two packs reduced to 25p each in Mr W - I'm just going to get some bakers twine to tie presents together with and use one label for two or three gifts XD

Happy New Year to you and yours Edinburgher, I hope you have a great 2018!

edinburgher

AlexLK wrote: »

Any interesting holidays planned for?

Nothing too crazy so far Alex, we've got a bargain £60 overnight planned in Edinburgh (transport, hotel and breakfast :money:) and we're going to Zakynthos for a week in May. Really looking forward to this - the weather will be lovely and we're staying in a secluded little hamlet with a sandy beach - the first location Mrs E and I visited as a couple :j

VintageHistorian wrote: »

I was going to go down the "I'll make my own gift tags" route too, but managed to find two packs reduced to 25p each in Mr W - I'm just going to get some bakers twine to tie presents together with and use one label for two or three gifts XD

Happy New Year to you and yours Edinburgher, I hope you have a great 2018!

And to you VH - you're very right that it barely makes sense to be thrifty when supermarkets are charging these prices. Like every other deal, it's largely luck as to what you find. I'm great at finding meat and fish for pennies on the pound, but my local supermarkets never seem to reduce anything for the home etc.