* Driving Home for Christmas * - It's the 2021 Christmas Chatter Thread!

Spendless

Beshki said:

Spendless said:

A bracelet mine had at a slightly older age (13) was a nomination bracelet. You start with the bracelet and maybe a charm and then can add over the years. 

https://www.johngreed.com/women/brands/nomination/bracelets?gclid=CjwKCAjwr56IBhAvEiwA1fuqGqtZHOTV3wZHaEumvndvFf1w6CBCPpKqJOpryuqBP62sWC2VGSnsZxoCU68QAvD_BwE

I know with gift cards there's often a warning on this site, because if a shop goes into receivorship, they often won't honour them. I've bought daughter in the past ones that are 'shopping centre' ones and are valid at all or most of the retailers in a particular shopping mall as it's unlikely that every single shop will go bust at the same time

And it’s fairly safe to say Amazon won’t be going bump any time soon!

Good point! Stupidly I've never thought of getting either of mine Amazon gift cards!

mandco

GTQ   glad to hear your brother is ok. It must have been a hard decision to step back from the charity as you've worked so hard  but it sounds like it was the right decision sometimes we need to realise that we are just as important.  Fingers crossed you can get home to see you mum soon

Kerri I agree the bigger the family you buy for the smarter you need to shop as the cost can really spiral otherwise. We've cut back a lot and only buy for under 18's or a family gift but including our kids still have about 25 people/families to buy for and that's before I do my xmas charity donations so spreading the cost is a must.

Xmas stock is starting to appear in some shops the works had a xmas craft section and one of my local card shops had a small selection of xmas stuff 50% off (stuff that should have gone on sale boxing day) so picked up a few bits 
Boots - xmas 2021 starts sept 

smyths had some reduced toys /arts & crafts under £5/£10 stock is very limited and you have to search through the main sections as they are not advertised as such but some good bargains if you local has any. Most things oos locally but I manged to pick up 6 items for my donations pile for £15 


if anyone has a dog the wufbox subcription service is really good we been getting it for a couple of months now and I can't fault the quality variety or value.  They often run a get 2 for 1 on your first box and as you can pause/cancel at any time its a great deal to put away as a xmas gift.

anyone feeling like they are way behind this year? 

C_J

I’m not too badly behind, despite the fact I’ve hardly ventured out at all this year! I did do a quick shop today as I had to run a couple of errands which took me near an out-of-town retail park.

I called in to Home Bargains and found some of those Bluetooth tile things you put on a keyring so you won’t ever lose your keys again - extremely useful for Mister CJ who is forever putting things down and then shouting because he can’t find them again. I think they were £3 each, so a good stocking filler.

Other little gifts from £Land included a really pretty book of Sudoku puzzles (£1), a keychain miniature game of Trivial Pursuit (£3) - they had Cluedo and Monopoly too - a child’s gardening bag (yellow canvas bag containing a lovely small metal trowel, fork and rake) (£3), and a boxed set of six ‘sensory balls’ for babies 4 weeks+ which will be perfect for new grandchild due at the end of the year.

kerri_gt

@mandco we too stop 'kids' at 18. At that point they're all doing different things with their lives so it seems reasonable (also it's what my family did with me although I do buy an aunt and uncle token gifts now). That's 6 kids we no longer buy for, and we don't generally buy for OH siblings (he's one of six) but I still have a list similar to you. 
I do feel behind this year, I've usually picked up some bits in the xmas sales, plus cards at least, usually I also have a box for the next year from O2 but they didn't do that last year either so really I feel I'm starting from scratch this year. Except wrapping paper....i have acres of that still 

Treasurequeen

I feel behind this year too, I usually have more bits in Christmas box under bed but it’s mostly empty. I’m going to get my brother and his partner a m&s dine in gift card for a date night gift. I’m thinking of getting one for parents and grandparents too. They can be done as a physical gift card or a e-gift card, I’m going to get them nearer the time just in case. 

Beshki

Treasurequeen said:

I feel behind this year too, I usually have more bits in Christmas box under bed but it’s mostly empty. I’m going to get my brother and his partner a m&s dine in gift card for a date night gift. I’m thinking of getting one for parents and grandparents too. They can be done as a physical gift card or a e-gift card, I’m going to get them nearer the time just in case. 

Lovely idea x

Spendless

My present list though way smaller than it used to be, is top heavy with older relatives. Both my Grandmothers are alive, plus 3 parents (was all 4 till last year) and they've never stopped buying for me, so I continue. Siblings and partners have dropped off as have Godchildren and 1 Nephew and Niece, but there's another that I would like to drop off and was hoping to this year as they hit 30 and my 2 being 21 and 18 so both now adults I thought it was an ideal time, but it's a bit 'family sensitive'. I *might* approach the subject later this year though. 

Housemate2 is going in a different direction re living next year. Having shelved the idea of buying a property, because the inheritance still isn't through, he has decided to move into a larger student property with a bigger group of friends. DS and girlfriend (housemate1) could go too but they've decided that they've done their share of living with several others and instead are looking at a studio room. I'm sad that there won't be as close a connection to Housemate2 but I understand his reasons. DS and HM1 weren't a couple when they decided to all house-share last year and he ended up in 2 lockdowns and Tier3 restrictions for just about all of the last academic year as a 'third wheel'. Completely understandable if he wants to be with a larger number of people next year. He's also never experienced this as due to his family circs he didn't do first year in halls, instead going into a private student let, similar set up to what DS is doing for his final year.

And here comes the curveball. With just over a month to go till DD started her degree at a drama school not far from London, this week she was offered a 6 month private course at a far more prestigious place. Soooo she's taking it. She was excited from the minute she read the email. My reaction wasn't as enthusiastic - something I feel bad about now as it's amazing to be offered - because I was worried about finances (it's a private course) and other implications that came with doing it.  However, we are pretty much sorted for her to take this offer up. 

I definitely need a sort through the Xmas cupboard as finances will be tight as we support this.  

kerri_gt

What wonderful news for DD @Spendless - although I can understand your initial tempered reaction thinking about the practicalities - I'm sure DD realises this, or will at least when she's older herself. 

That's a shame about HM2 but he sounds like he's been through a lot and moving into a bigger house with a larger group of people will be good for him (either that or he'll be looking to buy a house as soon as that inheritance comes through after disagreements about taking other people's food and leaving clothes in the washing machine  ) 
Hopefully he and DS1 / HM1 will all remain close though.

I decided to go a bit 'screw any family sensitives this is what we're doing' approach when I broached the subject of stopping when they hit 18. Tbf no one seemed to have an issue with it (well not to my face) but people also sometimes forget gifts are supposed to be just that, and not an obligation. 
I do have a bit of a tricky one with a friends 'kids'. The eldest of the two girls will be 18 next year, so technically I should stop  buying for her, but her sister is a couple of years younger, and then the littlest is only 6. So if I stop buying for the eldest she won't get anything whilst the other two will. Usually I'd take the 'lump it or lump it approach' but I started buying for the girls at the same time I think - so I think I'm going to carry on with them until the younger girl is also 18, then just buy for the youngest after that. They only really get token gifts so it's not too much of an issue. 

Spendless

@kerri_gt - Yes it's a similar scenario to your friends girls I have. I niece and nephew (twins)I stopped buying at 18. They are close in age to mine so we all followed suit pretty much 'together'

The other Niece is a lot older than mine by 9/12 years and I felt if I stopped buying then the same would happen to mine that same  year, rather than wait till they hit 'the age you stop buying'. I didn't mind in the early adult days because she was a student and not much in the way of extended family, but now she has worked f-time since she was 22 and on a good wage and doesn't buy for us. Her Mum buys for my kids. So I thought the year that they all hit a milestone birthday of 30/21/18 in the same year was ideal to call quits. However the Mum that buys for mine is now living with my FIL following my MIL's death and since FIL isn't in any fit state to sort out shopping, I do wonder if saying don't buy for the 'kids' will be misinterpreted (as has happened in the past) for them not to receive anything from their Grandad either. So, I don't know whether I should just keep buying a token bottle of gin once a year for now. just to keep it going to not change things with FIL.

A story to make you smile
HM2 received a letter from the bank charging him for going over his overdraft. So he rang his solicitors and said not only was he skint, he was being charged for being skint and could they please release him some money. So they did,£5K. To celebrate he took DS and HM1 out for their tea, which was lovely. They went to wetherspoons, which made me smile. It appears you can't take 'spoons out of a student, whatever money they have - bless. 

C_J

That did make me smile, Spendless. We’ll done to HM2 for having the gumption to address the issue with the solicitors.

I called in to a (fairly local) (we aren’t blessed with many of these in the county!) fabric shop today and bought a few metres of lovely red velvet to make some new Christmas stockings. I was amazed to get it at only £3 a metre, too!  Result. I might even get around to making them this weekend 😀