Prosperous soul in the making

lucielle

The spreadsheet sounds very organised!
L

Tahlullah.H

Yes, so organised. I'll admit it. I'm trying to avoid thinking about Christmas this year. Probably until the 244th? Think I will get away with it?

StripeyTightsSpottySocks

Hello savings

So sorry i've not been around. We've had some illness here - me and one of the cats, so i'm behind with all jobs. Managed going to work and going to bed and popped on briefly to update spends.

In the end i managed 52 items decluttered :T Which did include 2 broken coathangers - which i would normally keep and try and hang things on where they wouldn't touch the broken part - i really need to buy some good coathangers but they're so expensive i can't bring myself to BUT I didn't include the 2 items i smashed in the kitchen - i was ill, balance wasn't the best

I am aiming for another 50 in December wanna join?

I hope DD gets all the help she needs and the assessment goes well next week x & i hope your xmas hols are approved. I've had all mine signed off now :T Just the small matter of doing all the work that's usually done in a month in a smaller amount of time :eek:

I need to think a bit more about xmas - i have 3 main presents still to buy, 1 will be cash, 1 will be several items and 1 will be whatever the recipient tells me they want. I'm just not looking forward to the spending - all 3 close family including my mum.

Tahlullah :eek: The 24th :eek::eek::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: I popped into town on a weekend day recently - it was :eek:

Tahlullah.H

To be honest, I haven't been anywhere near town yet. Although I really love Christmas, I am not so good with the present buying side of it. Town is too crowded and somehow, I feel that you lose the personal touch of present buying when you are in the forced environment of Christmas.

But, a list - not as organised as SH to produce a spreadsheet! - is definitely needed, to keep me focused. I don't know how you are both able to focus on work, family, Christmas presents and de-cluttering at the same time. I am not that organised.

savingholmes

HI Lucielle, Stripey and Tahlullah.

I have 27 presents to get (including myself LOL) - this includes 4 family birthdays and a brand new baby due in December. I try to spend the same amount on DD and DS. I have lots of siblings. I don't buy for the adults in theory - just the kids other than our parents - unless they don't have kids. I also buy / make some small pressies for my team at work including my boss - each less than a fiver. I probably have largely what I need for them. The problem comes with the nieces and nephews over 21... Do you just drop them off the list - particularly if you don't see them?

Paid another £200 off debt today - CC4 as DH was paid yesterday. Hoping to clear that by end Feb. Have £3,650 left on that one.

Took pooch for a game of ball with DD at lunchtime which was exhilarating in the bracing air. Working from home today - need to get back to it.

Stripey - I think you should count the 2 items you broke lol. My DD has asked me to get people to challenge me to declutter every week as apparently our house is messy and still too full of stuff. Who knew? I never thought of counting coat hangers - I could definitely declutter some of them. Will aim to do that later. Happy to join in your challenge - so my challenge is now at 36/100 as I didn't complete the previous one....

EssexHebridean

Our rule on nieces/nephews is that when they hit 15 they stop getting the standard "goodie bags" full of random toot as it gets too difficult to put together when they are that age - and move on to a voucher from somewhere they will use - Amazon. iTunes or similar to the same value the bags would have been. Then when they hit 18 they are an adult and so they'll get a token present for that year (a mug filed with sweets or something) then they fall off the list the year after. It's not that we love them any the less, it's just that MrEH has a MAHOOSIVE family and we'd be skint if we tried buying for all of them! His Siblings get bought a "family present" for their household rather than presents each.

Coathangers. DON'T go too mad decluttering them else you'll suddenly find you have more clothes than hangers to put them on, Go on, ask me how I know...

Bracing - yes, that's one word for the weather here today. That wind feels like it's come straight from the Arctic, and I certainly know where it's ending up! Brrr!

doingitanyway

27 presents to buy :eek:

Well done on the debt payment.

Drawingaline

Wow, a lot of presents! Hubby is an only child, that has its benefits lol. I have three neices, but all their birthdays are December and early Jan. Also mine and mum's birthday in Jan too.

I am all over Xmas this year. Month of free amazon prime, most of my kids are done. Links sent to hubby for some things I would like. Theatre tickets booked for one neice for Xmas (Harry Potter, hoping to be the best aunt!) and even managed to book the local pantomime for the smalls. Feeling very poor now though.

No spreadsheet, but a ncce list on my phone so I can tick things off.

savingholmes

EssexHebridean wrote: »

Then when they hit 18 they are an adult and so they'll get a token present for that year (a mug filed with sweets or something) then they fall off the list the year after. It's not that we love them any the less, it's just that MrEH has a MAHOOSIVE family and we'd be skint if we tried buying for all of them! His Siblings get bought a "family present" for their household rather than presents each.

Coathangers. DON'T go too mad decluttering them else you'll suddenly find you have more clothes than hangers to put them on, Go on, ask me how I know...

Thanks EH - i think I will quietly drop the older nieces and nephews off the list unless I see them LOL or get challenged by MIL.

doingitanyway wrote: »

27 presents to buy :eek:

I know right!

Drawingaline wrote: »

No spreadsheet, but a ncce list on my phone so I can tick things off.

You still sound organised.

Well I did a fatal trip to 1k3a - £156 later... I went to replace one £60 item but made the error of taking DD with me. She has promised to pay me £10 for some items. I am reusing a £20 item she already had as she wanted a different colour an I've been trying to get one for ages. But she refused to have the original white one replaced and opted for a different colour that cost more and then needed the bedside table to match. I have said I will knock the extra off her xmas present. I gave my mum a £47 item to give her that I had already bought so she will give me cash for that - which then covers another part of the spend... Still :eek::eek::eek: DH was very unimpressed but as long as I knock it off her xmas present I think it will work out.

Amazingly, DD insisted on assembling it herself. She had a little help from DH with the drawers but that was all. I was impressed.

savingholmes

Today, DH and I were kind to ourselves. We went to a local diy store and then went out for a meal where we had a 40% off voucher. Just ordered 3 new towel radiators for £98 (probably as part of our Christmas present to each other). Plumber has already quoted me £200 to fit them and do a service. He installed our boiler to happy with him. We also need to buy 3 set of valves from W1ck3s, May do a click and collect as they only had 2 lots in stock earlier...

Debating getting the Christmas tree down and starting decorating it... We have a Christmas do on Thursday and the meal with DS and MIL next Sunday. Alternatively - considering doing some painting of our gloss work - eg downstairs and upstairs bathroom where I didn't quite finish it (a year ago).