Getting shot of the mortgage sooner than 2049!

Bluegreen143

I hadn’t thought of them getting a present for each other, we’ve not done that before but they are big enough now I think they’d enjoy it. I may see if they want to make something for each other. Weirdly they are both always very pleased when the other draws a picture for them, it’s very cute.

Debsnewbudget

It was always easier to buy “bits” for my daughter than my son. I do tend to wrap up his favourite choc digestives and he has already asked for some posh M and S crisps. Always had socks, bubble bath, new toothbrush each. 

Just bought the grandsons a wind up torch each, partly to cover any power outages and partly for fun. 

in_need_of_direction

I have been known to gift wrap biscoff spread for my son

joedenise

Absolutely agree @Bluegreen143!  That was one of the reasons we gave up on giving presents as well as money is more useful to older people!

Men are a bit easier if they have a hobby you can buy for though!

Bluegreen143

Well it’s been an interesting week or so with illness but we are finally all better now 🙌🏼

And in super exciting news, we are FINALLY making progress on the conservatory! The builders have been today & yesterday and have dug out the foundations and done the concrete. Onto brickwork tomorrow 😁 genuinely was starting to think they would NEVER start.

Still trying hard with a frugal November and haven’t spent much. But need to buy Monkey another school bag… Red sent him to school with a loose banana in it 🤦‍♀️ so it needed washed (it was entirely and completely coated in squashed banana on the inside 😂). Then he forgot to pull the bag out of the load before tumble drying and it melted 😂🤷‍♀️ 

Today was just a very normal day so not much to report - work, pick up kids & go to playpark, dinner, reading stories 😂 tomorrow more of the same but prefaced by a 6am gym visit…

Spending this week so far 

▪️ £67.50 on a radiator 😎 (for the conservatory)
▪️ £67.83 on our Monday grocery delivery (Red added quite a bit to it 🤦‍♀️)
▪️ £32.44 on two rather nice wall lamps (for the conservatory) from eBay 

Frugal wins

1. Managed to break a stepstool in the upstairs bathroom today, annoying as Bambi is still little enough she needs one to reach the toilet and wash her hands independently (actually I think she can just get her bum on the toilet but she definitely can’t reach the sink and I do not want to discourage her washing her hands 😂). Had resigned myself to buying a new one but Red says he has one in his van we can have

2. Made a lovely chicken, chickpea & spinach curry for dinner, the chickpeas bulked it out so there’s a generous lunch portion left for me tomorrow and I put the other two chicken breasts from the pack into the instant pot at the same time to make salsa pulled chicken, which we’re having tomorrow in wraps 😋 

KajiKita

Hi @Bluegreen143 😊 Hope I’m okay to join in? 

I have read your thread from the beginning and although it might seem that we don’t immediately have a lot in common (no children, I’m 52) I really appreciate your positivity and determination to regroup and start again after various mishaps - the school bag in the dryer made me chuckle 🤭 did it shrink like we used to shrink plastic crisp packets in the oven?! 😂

Yaay for the conservatory finally starting! You will have a whole new space to live in ❤️👏

KK

Bluegreen143

Oh hello @KajiKita! Thanks so much for leaving a comment, it’s always nice to know my ramblings are read.

Thank you so much, it does feel rather that mishaps happen constantly this year!!

The bag did shrink in like that 😂 I managed to smooth out enough that he’s still been using it this week, but it’s really not looking great so still need to replace it.

Had a good chat with Red re gifts. Readers may recall that gift giving and receiving are very much Red’s love language, so we are not a couple who abstain from gifting to each other in the name of frugality - he’d be after a divorce!!

We have agreed though that the Christmas savings pot can sustain our children’s presents, our presents to each other and presents for our parents. We agreed that if we want to buy for friends or siblings or anyone else, it’ll come from our own personal spends. Happily, Red takes responsibility for his own Christmas shopping which means I don’t need to think about in laws presents at all. 

So my shopping list is:

▪️ Red

▪️ The children 

▪️ Mum & stepdad (probably a joint, experience type thing either for just them or something we can do to spend time with them) 

▪️ My papa (gets a calendar with photos of the children every year)

▪️ My sister (we have decided not to buy for each other’s husbands however). Need to clarify budget with her but I often do a “cosy night in” type hamper with PJs, fluffy socks, sweet treats and books - usually a main item too but we may cut budget a bit this year. It’s so much fun to buy for my sister though 🙈 she is the easiest person in the world to find nice things for.

▪️ There are old family friends I usually buy for, who are extremely generous with the children. Last year I ordered them a hamper of vegan treats which they seemed to love so I think I will do this again as I’m unlikely to see them over the festive period. 

Last night at the pub, my friend told me she and her partner take a day of annual leave in November, go to a big shopping centre and do all their shopping in one day (first they get for their child, then split up to get presents for each other and their parents etc). What a genius plan to get it over and done with! We can’t spare the annual leave but I’m looking at the calendar tonight to find a Saturday where Red and I can do the same. Though we will visit a certain charity shop first - it only sells children’s toys, games and books so it’s a good place to bulk out the Christmas presents cheaply without spending hours picking up things you’ve bought on marketplace etc. 

Bluegreen143

Meant to do more of a round up of today 😆

Had a friend over for lunch but had miscalculated and had very few options in - I made cream of cauliflower soup, baked some part baked baguettes and made a banana loaf and I think it was all edible!

Spending

£49 spend on groceries (Red did the order so I’m really surprised it wasn’t worse!!)

£2 spent in the pub last night (one soft drink)

£4.85 spent in the little Tesco this morning 🤦‍♀️ On a meal deal for me and a yoghurt pouch for Bambi. My car’s battery somehow went flat on the school run and I was stranded there and had had no breakfast. I ended up walking home with Bambi and Red gave the car a jumpstart later so no harm done except the random food spend!

£4.80 YESTERDAY in the same little Tesco as I spontaneously decided to get cookies/pastries and raspberries for us all to take to the park. 

Swearing off the little Tesco next week! It’s very unusual for me to buy random food on the go, never mind twice in two days 😆

Baileys_Babe

When we were children my parents used to take a day off work in October to do the Christmas shopping. 

I like the idea of stocking up with presents at the charity shop before buying your children's main presents.

I have no idea what to get anybody this Christmas, not any ideas for my present list. I am pleased I managed to pick up a couple of Christmas jigsaws in the charity shop this week, we usually do them throughout advent whilst listening to Christmas music and enjoying the occasional mince pie. What makes it really special is both children enjoy joining in 😊

KajiKita

You might need to renew that battery? As the colder weather starts to kick in, older batteries struggle to hold their charge. 

KK