It's getting tough out there. Feeling the pinch?

EssexHebridean

We don't do cards any more other than to absolutely immediate family, we started doing a charity donation instead a few years ago and have stuck with that since. Now that postage is so ridiculously expensive it seems a crazy cost for something that will just get thrown away at New Year. This year it's even more relevant as with all the issues with the post goodness knows if they'd even arrive.  

annieb64

Now that DH has retired he took over the Christmas cards.  I gave him my list from last year but he decided to ignore it.Today I discovered that he has missed several people out but has written and stamped cards to two of his cousins who never send us cards and moved without sending us their new addresses some time ago. 

sammyjammy

EssexHebridean said:

We don't do cards any more other than to absolutely immediate family, we started doing a charity donation instead a few years ago and have stuck with that since. Now that postage is so ridiculously expensive it seems a crazy cost for something that will just get thrown away at New Year. This year it's even more relevant as with all the issues with the post goodness knows if they'd even arrive.  

We did the same, most donate the £19 to the Salvation Army I think, I know I do.  Its awful but cards sent to me don't even get put up - I am such a clutter Queen I have no room so they just sit in a pile until they go in the recycling.

Katiehound

I have said for quite a few years now- please don't send me a card: put the money for the postage alone in your favourite charity's collecting box.
Someone told me that she already donated to charity & she liked getting cards! Another said that she was going to carry on sending them- her choice.

Those that agree get Jacquie Lawson cards all year round to enjoy.

this year my address book has given up the ghost- it's in 2 or 3 pieces and I have (genuinely) lost it...

I received one card about 4 weeks ago....... not pleased! it was sent by someone in town and posted.....what a waste

KxMx

I get one or two boxes of 10 cards directly from the charity shop of my choice.
I start with the most important people and work my way down, once the cards are gone that's me done. 
Sometimes I use local scout post (35p per card), this year I didn't as wanted to use up stamps to save me swapping them come the summer. 

ellenvan

We write our cards early and I carry them around with me.
As we see people, I hand them out. Only have to post one's long distance and abroad

London_1

Rosa_Damascena said:

London_1 said:

Gosh its a very nippy one today ,I was going to go to the shops ,but decided it can wait until tomorrow, nothing needed urgently and tomorrow is my Dobbie's coffee morning so I will go there then have a mooch around the deli part to see if there are any bargains.

I'm still waiting for my large wool order to arrive from Sirdar, Evri say its in transit, but they have had it for almost a week. But I guess it will turn up eventually.

I'm running down my fresh stuff, if I can as I shall be too-ing and fro-ing between both DDs houses for a week betweenChristmas and New Year,popping back now and agin to make sure my house is OK.

Yesterday I spent the afternoon sewing up 12 Christmas snowmen for the Terry's Chocolate Oranges (cheapest place to buy the chocolate was Lidls, locally to me. @ 99p each).

What started as making one each for my two great granddaughters had expanded to 12 as folk saw them.

 Good job I have a good stash of spare wool to use up. but they do look OK and they will be appreciated. £10 Christmas pensioners bonus popped into my bank account this morning which was a nice surprise,I had forgotten that we get it. it will get squirrelled away towards the January 'big shop afer Christmas. So far no money spent on my food budget this month so Decembers budget is intact at the moment.

Although I did treat my youngest DD to one of the Sainsbuys half price legs of lamb which she was really pleased about it was a good size and only just over £14.00 odd.But paid for it with nectar vouchers so really cost almost nothing at all My kind of bargain

JackieO xx

I have missed the memo on this one. Pictures?

I would if I could, as the photos are on my Iphone, but I don't know how to post them on the website (not brilliantly techy at all  and as I have made all the grandsons one a piece I can't ask Jack (one of the recipients, and my techy expert ) to post it for me

JackieO xx 

Rosa_Damascena

London_1 said:

Rosa_Damascena said:

London_1 said:

Gosh its a very nippy one today ,I was going to go to the shops ,but decided it can wait until tomorrow, nothing needed urgently and tomorrow is my Dobbie's coffee morning so I will go there then have a mooch around the deli part to see if there are any bargains.

I'm still waiting for my large wool order to arrive from Sirdar, Evri say its in transit, but they have had it for almost a week. But I guess it will turn up eventually.

I'm running down my fresh stuff, if I can as I shall be too-ing and fro-ing between both DDs houses for a week betweenChristmas and New Year,popping back now and agin to make sure my house is OK.

Yesterday I spent the afternoon sewing up 12 Christmas snowmen for the Terry's Chocolate Oranges (cheapest place to buy the chocolate was Lidls, locally to me. @ 99p each).

What started as making one each for my two great granddaughters had expanded to 12 as folk saw them.

 Good job I have a good stash of spare wool to use up. but they do look OK and they will be appreciated. £10 Christmas pensioners bonus popped into my bank account this morning which was a nice surprise,I had forgotten that we get it. it will get squirrelled away towards the January 'big shop afer Christmas. So far no money spent on my food budget this month so Decembers budget is intact at the moment.

Although I did treat my youngest DD to one of the Sainsbuys half price legs of lamb which she was really pleased about it was a good size and only just over £14.00 odd.But paid for it with nectar vouchers so really cost almost nothing at all My kind of bargain

JackieO xx

I have missed the memo on this one. Pictures?

I would if I could, as the photos are on my Iphone, but I don't know how to post them on the website (not brilliantly techy at all  and as I have made all the grandsons one a piece I can't ask Jack (one of the recipients, and my techy expert ) to post it for me

JackieO xx 

Use the image icon and pick the photo library option. Easy peasy, give it a go.

Longwalker

Katiehound said:

I have said for quite a few years now- please don't send me a card: put the money for the postage alone in your favourite charity's collecting box.
Someone told me that she already donated to charity & she liked getting cards! Another said that she was going to carry on sending them- her choice.

Those that agree get Jacquie Lawson cards all year round to enjoy.

this year my address book has given up the ghost- it's in 2 or 3 pieces and I have (genuinely) lost it...

I received one card about 4 weeks ago....... not pleased! it was sent by someone in town and posted.....what a waste

You think thats bad? My next door neighbour sends us one through the post !!!

I send cards to the neighbours, theres only 10 houses here in our hamlet. We all get along, without being in each others pockets and cards are just something we all do. One neighbour I haven't spoken to this year, shes usually stopping in the city for work, but its a way of saying we do remember her 

Then I send 5 cards through the post - inlaws and thats it

Friends we use Facebook for sending greetings

Im very much like @sammyjammy, they sit in a pile

We also dont do pressies, well of course the grandkids and kids, but not to each other or to friends. I have one friend, she buys me socks, I buy her a nail varnish  Our daughter has been on the phone asking her dad what we want for Christmas. She doesn't have 2p to rub together yet insists she buys us a pressie. Ive told her work socks for us both. We both wear steel toecaps for work and get through socks like theres no tomorrow. Socks are always appreciated even if everyone else think they are a naff gift. Id rather a gift I have a need for then silly boxes of smellies that get sent to the charity shop

I sound very bah humbug about Christmas, Im not, I enjoy Christmas , I just dont enjoy the excess and the pressure for perfection

We have what I think is the perfect Christmas. I get up and put the gammon on to boil and the turkey in the oven. Mr L gets up and takes the dog for a walk, comes in and peels the veg whilst we listen to Junior Choice. I get as much of dinner precooked as possible. Quick shower, dress and to the pub for an hour. Mum lays and decorates the table and makes the Marie Rose sauce whilst we are out. Come home, open the bubbly ( cava this year ) and prawn cocktails assembled and eaten whilst the roasties and pigs are on. Dinner, the Kings speech , crackers and pressies, coffee and mints and a good film. Then clear up, walk the dog, and collapse on the sofa with a baileys ( Lidls own - much nicer ) and in bed by 10

Christmases have been hard, Mums husband died on Boxing Day and Mr L's mum died a week later 10 years ago, Its also Mums Birthday Christmas Eve so we have had tears and rows and allsorts , so now we have a routine, where everyone knows whats expected and when and we manage without killing each other

YoungBlueEyes

Longwalker said:

We also dont do pressies, 

That sounds like a great Christmas, can I come I promise to bring no pressies and a couple of bottles of Lidl's baileys!