2022 Frugal Living Challenge

pelirocco

mandy47 said:

DH suggested to his siblings that maybe we should stop the pressies at xmas.
They were horrified. Loads of reasons were given as to why we should exchange gifts.
They are all better off than us due to inheritance from their inlaws. One issue is most of what they buy for us is given to charity shops or works raffle for charity. I don't wear jewellery but year on year I get tacky necklaces. DH gets books on subjects he has never shown any interest in or the most awful tee shirts in the wrong size. DDs are equally unsuitable. Last year she put them on olio.
I don't want to appear ungrateful but we listen and observe and hopefully buy more suitable gifts. I feel awful for sounding so ungrateful but I do wish we could stop this annual waste of time and money. I don't object to buying for the kids but they have 3 each, with expensive tastes, and we have only one who hasn't.
The worst one I received was a cheese hamper, I'm lactose sensitive, always have been.

We defiantly need to watch the pennies. Luckily my side of the family have agreed to a token gift, a bottle of wine or box of biscuits. Much friendlier on the purse and less stressful when it comes to shopping. 
I would rather we all went for coffee and a mince pie at the local coffee shop and actually spent time together.

Rant over.
 

Don't  consult ,just saw WE aren't giving gifts this year ,so please don't give us any
If they choose to ignore its their problem

London_1

No problem they are quick and easy to knit and I know my grandson will like them and it is will brighten up the dinner table on Christmas Day make a nice little reasonably cheap gift for kids to give their teacher as well.usually the chocolate orange balls can be bought for around a pound this time of the year if you search around and a little gift like that is a nice thing that won't break the bank for Mums struggling with children saying "but I have to get teacher something "

I have three grandchildren who are teachers, and they say its difficult not to upset the kids and Mums as they know they like to give, but to be honest none of my grandchildren like the idea of Mums under this pressure.

They all buy the children a little something for the last day of term but one of my granddaughters one year came home with so much stuff she felt really uncomfortable with the umpteen boxes of biscuits (Her husband is diabetic ) that she took a good few of them to the local Sally Army to be given out to struggling homeless.

I too send to them the cash I would normally spend on Christmas cards and postage and only send ones to immediate family and two who live a good distance away, and to overseas relative.(my eldest grandson and wife in the USA )

 My friends all know and I'm not fussed about cards as I see most of them on a regular basis anyway . With the cost of postage approaching a pound a card it seems a dreadful waste of money, and the money I donate to the Sally Army does a lot more good, than a piece of cardboard thrown away after Christmas.

JackieO xx

Soontobeoap

I love hearing from old friends at christmas and include a personal handwriiten letter to keep in touch. I really look forward to sitting down with a cup of tea and reading all about their latest news. I reuse cards in kits for Grandchildren, labels or christmas cards for next year. I know that there will be less this year and understand why but very sad that this tradition will go. 

Primrose

As JackieO says, I think a lot of people will be cutting back on cards this year due to cost of postage.  Last year we told people we would be reverting to email this year wherever possible, asking them to give us an email address but few did, so I think this year it will only be the very elderly or those living alone who will get a paper card.

i do always write a Christmas letter.  It,s lovely getting peoples' news especially as the past couple of difficult years have caused a lot of peoples' circumstances to have changed..

mandy47

Thanks for all your comments. I'm considering best course of action. Will defiantly buy for school age kids. I will still get token gifts for my family, we all agreed a very small budget on that, £5-£7 per couple.
DH can sort his own side this year. He's awful at pressies. I'm sure next year there will be a reduction in pressie buying.
I've decided to be honest when asked if I liked my gifts. I usually just say thanks but I will be tactfully saying " Thank you but it's not my usual style, do you have the receipt" .
Hopefully I won't offend, I have a reputation for being a bit too honest. Then I can wait and see if things change next year.

annieb64

Would much rather receive a token present than something more expensive that I don't want and end up donating to the charity shop. 

In-laws gave us a pizza oven once. We didn't open it until the summer and could never get it to work properly. In the end it went to the scrap man

Auti

Hello, i am curious having just seen an advert for clothes washing from a detergent company. It said wash at 20 degrees C and stains would come out etc etc. I am thinking ok stains may come out but all the germs will still be in there - would the germs survive? If they so surely it is not safe to wash so low (even 30 degrees C) and they are just using the *save energy* angle to the detriment of health. I am getting very confused over all this as to what the true, all round, safe way is. Thank you

YoungBlueEyes

I think products now work on a chemical/ph level rather than relying on a high temp to clean the dirt, so 20 is as clean as 40 (hopefully).  

I stand to be corrected tho, I’m not a chemist or biologist. 

Auti

YoungBlueEyes said:

I think products now work on a chemical/ph level rather than relying on a high temp to clean the dirt, so 20 is as clean as 40 (hopefully).  

I stand to be corrected tho, I’m not a chemist or biologist. 

I am wondering if it kills the germs and viruses as well? I do not want to make us ill by not getting rid of the germs but I also do not want to put more chemicals into the water system - it is most confusing as they do not tell all of the information I need.

YoungBlueEyes

Sorry, by “dirt” I meant all the general muck/sweat/dust and germs/viruses. This is just my thought, I’m not an expert. I can’t imagine companies are deliberately letting us go through the motions knowing it won’t clean our clothes, just so they can say “we’re green, great carbon footprint!” etc. 

Maybe try ringing the consumer info number on the back of a washing product, they might set your mind at ease.