The 2008 Money Neutral Gift Challenge

ehallett

Well, I've got my first birthday in early January. I got my friend from work a Christmas present but she never gave me a present so I guess that we aren't doing this little tradition anymore :rolleyes: . Thankfully, I waited before giving her the present I bought and therefore I've still got it!!

I can use this for my other friend's birthday. I've got some spare wrapping paper to use and have got a little stockpile of cards to use from a load that I bought ages ago for £5 in Makro .

1 birthday down and no money spent - next target is valentine's day!! (don't usually get presents for this but we have just got engaged so might make him a little hamper or something this year).

Emily x

DaisyFlower

Would love to join but very new to this, have an advantage card and do shop at Tescos so know how they work - not as well as others though as my points never get very high on Tescos lol.

How does Quidco and the Piggy one work? Can anybody point me in the right direction?

mum2one

ehallett wrote: »

Well, I've got my first birthday in early January. I got my friend from work a Christmas present but she never gave me a present so I guess that we aren't doing this little tradition anymore :rolleyes: . Thankfully, I waited before giving her the present I bought and therefore I've still got it!!

I can use this for my other friend's birthday. I've got some spare wrapping paper to use and have got a little stockpile of cards to use from a load that I bought ages ago for £5 in Makro .

1 birthday down and no money spent - next target is valentine's day!! (don't usually get presents for this but we have just got engaged so might make him a little hamper or something this year).

Emily x

congratulations on the engagement xx

kbl

Well, so far I have done well on the buying front, just not very neutral at moment . On the plus side, I have bought my two neices their xmas presents today and instead of the €85 I would normally spend, I got two different type JLo perfume gift sets (absolutely gorgeous) for €34.50 total . On the minus side, I realised that I haven't included Mothers or Fathers day presents:o in my total tally, so will have to add these . Don't know if Gordon's chemist is a chain of chemists or just in Derry, but if you can, get down there soon cos there is some brilliant bargains to be had.

Will definitely be sorting out the neutral angle in the New Year, have been spoiled rotten this xmas and got a digital camera, so am gonna start taking pics for posting on ebay this Sat. I will be good, I promise!:rolleyes:

mum2one

I made £40.00 profit on my last clearout from paypal account, so hit Argos today - got £160 worth of goods for £40.00 inc Besimmo manicure sets £9.99 to £2,49, gents leather coin tray £1.24 instead of £9.99.

Really pleased with myself, saved a fortune, got a bag full of recycled items from xmas, so started my spreadsheet 2ngt of bdat and xmas 2008, put an est budget by each person (thats buying from mum + dad, me and daughter), not including our presents the est budget was £1,000.
Which we intend to reduce by at least half - update as we get organised! x

jamtart6

I am so impressed with you all! I thought the sales today were quite rubbish. I think I might have a word with 2 of my friends and say "can we stop exchanging christmas gifts please" (i like birthday gifts but there is too much at xmas!).

I have a smelly set for my OH for valentines day and no birthdays in January, so will spend the next week or so sorting myself out and working out what I have and what I need and for whom!!

GOOD WORK GANG!

kbl

Hi, if anyone is interested, looks like there is a chain of gordons chemists in the UK, their website is http://www.gordons-chemists.com/. I don't work for them or anything, just thought their sale was brilliant today.

kbl

Just checked their website, it's not showing the perfume marked down, I got the JLo 'Live' and 'Glow' Christmas coffret sets (4 things in each set) for 11.50 each, not 26 the way it says on the site. Sorry if I'm warbling on a lot, not used to getting good bargains, see what this website is doing to me

dotchas

brownjasperdog wrote: »

Guys, what do you all do about birthday cards throughout the year? I have filled in my 2008 money neutral gift spreadsheet and worked out that including wedding anniversaries and so on, I have over 70 cards to buy in 2008!!! Clearly I am not going to be spending £1.50 to £2.50 on each one! In the past I have used charitycards.co.uk and have paid 90p per card for very nice cards. This is the case if you buy from their clearance range (99p each), then buy more than 25 (10% off and also free delivery). I don't usually buy the Tesco Value ones and so on because they are not as nice, but I have the problem that my kids get invited to loads of parties throughout the year and I really need to cut the cost of birthday cards. After all, they just get thrown away!

If a lot of these cards are for your daughters friends,why not make/buy a card making kit for her Birthday then she can make them .Then you have killed 2 birds with one stone;)

Angelraesunshine

well i have all totted up and i have updated my signature. I now have £20 in boots vouchers, over £24 sitting in pigsback, over £18 in consumer pulse and £85.60 in quidco, so i am really pleased i have a so much to start off 2008 with as i did not need to use it for this xmas and still came in under budget for that. Thats almost £150 i'm a bit excited lol.