Jingle All The Way - It's the 2023 Christmas Chatter Thread!

Coxy11

BIL’s red letter day experience arrived today. Glad I went for the gift box option too. Have also ordered him a vintage 1973 T-shirt from Etsy. Got some Euros today for DNiece as she goes back to Dublin on Saturday and her birthday is week after next.  

We are planning a trip to local shopping mall on Saturday to get something for FIL. If work isn’t too busy tomorrow I’ll sneak to the garden centre for SILs gift too. 

Found a body shop hand cream and nail file boxed set in a CS today. It’s the almond fragrance - £2. Will put that away for a Christmas gift. 

Thanks for the Primarni tip off @mandco - will pop there at the weekend. 

Abbafan1972

Morning all.

Thought I would join in - have had this thread bookmarked for ages, but just don't really come on here. 

I love Christmas, but the thought of it sometimes fills me with dread, with everything costing what it does these days.

My Mom is adamant that we come out for Christmas day dinner - it will cost around £50 each without any drinks.  There are 4 of us (she has said that she will pay).  We have only ever gone out for Christmas day dinner the once and that was about 21 years ago.  We don't as we just can't afford it and I don't agree with spending that much money on a meal out. 

xx

Coxy11

Hi @Abbafan1972 good to see you here 

We have never been out for Christmas dinner. The cost is a big factor plus I barely drink all year round, so the thought of restricting ourselves to somewhere within walking distance, so we can both have a drink, just puts us off.

£50 actually seems fairly reasonable compared to some places here (SE London).

Why is your Mom so insistent. Does she usually host and is fed up of the work/cost? Can you host instead?

Have you any ideas of budget/what to get for those you buy for? Some of us have made a start already - I've only got a few little bits, just picked up here and there, but it all counts!

mandco

welcome abbafan  Its lovely of your mum to offer to pay for xmas dinner out but its huge amount of money for one meal so I'd question why she's so adamant -  like coxy says maybe its getting too much for her if she normally hosts.

everything seems so much more expensive now so any advance xmas prep/planning can make a big difference - I find it harder to buy in advance now the kids are getting older so its more putting money aside monthly and picking up smaller gifts & stocking fillers but it still greatly reduces the spends in December.

Asda have annouced their xmas food offerings - they've gone with brown butter & spiced rum and black forest flavours this year - not sure that's really for us so hopefully elsewhere will have different options though last year everywhere had the same flavours. Hoping for some more interesting free from options as totally fed up of the standard Gf yule log that seems to be the default option every year though not holding my breath.

I've started getting the xmas event emails 

princesskitty29

Hi all, I hope you’re all well? I’ve been thinking a lot about Christmas lately – this seems to be my standard default in the middle of summer! I’ve got DS1’s birthday next Saturday then it will be full steam ahead for Christmas. I want to start looking for good deals now as we’re going to start feeling the pinch soon with bills going up so I definitely have to be more mindful this year. From August I’m also going to start looking for bits and bobs for the food cupboard to put away. I haven’t been to any charity shops for ages but my in laws have got the boys on Thursday morning so I’m hoping to pop to some then, fingers crossed there’s some gems in there.

DS1 is now getting to any age where he’s getting into sporty clothes, but my goodness they cost a fortune! Even in supposedly cheaper places like Sports Direct. So for his birthday I bought him a nearly new Nike hoodie and shorts from Vinted for £20 and I’m really pleased with them, you wouldn’t even know they’d been worn! I’ll definitely do this again around Christmas to save pennies.

@Peppa537 welcome back and thanks for the heads up about the chocolate tubs, I’m hoping they go on offer too so I can get one for Christmas and one for Halloween. Last year I only bought one tub when the 2 for £7 deal was on as we only needed one, then on Halloween I noticed people had the little chocolates from the tubs and I thought that was a great idea as there’s a lot in there and it’s so busy on my estate at Halloween.

@Treasurequeen it sounds like you have made a good start on your Christmas shopping and it’s nice to have some Christmas crafts to do when the weather gets bad. I’ve still got lots of bunting to make as gifts, I promised myself I would get on with it and not be under pressure at Christmas but I still haven’t done most of it! There always seems to be so much going on.

@Coxy11 you seem very good at coming in under your budgets! And it sounds like a lovely gift for your BiL.

@Mandco This is the trouble with brands isn’t it, there seems to be so much out there that is similar quality so you are really only paying for the name. Good idea with the Tesco savings card, it’s so helpful nearer the time.

@Abbafan1972 welcome, good to have you here! We had a leaflet for a local pub come through the door and it was advertising Christmas day lunch - £90 per adult and £50 per child!! It would cost us well over £200 for a family of four. We have never eaten out for Christmas lunch, I’m sure it’s nice not to have to do the washing up at the end!

Peppa537

I often have a Tesco grocery delivery and I've noticed in my favourites Christmas food starting to appear. It's not available to buy yet but items like cheese, baileys cream etc is all in there. I think this is earlier than usual but perhaps they're thinking customers will want to buy things gradually because of the cost. This is what I do but not with fresh or fridge items. Also it's been a few years since I cooked a Christmas Day dinner despite spending it at home. It started when we had the day at home with just the 4 of us and we decided to get in nice pizzas to cook. It was actually great fun and I didn't spend half the day cooking. Now if my Mum etc visit us on the 25th I do a buffet, one of them is vegan anyway. I do a roast in the week leading up to Christmas Day for me, my husband and 2 daughters. I know this isn't for everyone but it means the 25th is much more relaxing and less stressful. Also no racing around to get or pre-ordering a turkey I then have to go and collect. We've had meals out on the day before but this was years ago when my girls were small, it was lovely but is too expensive now.
I shall start buying presents in September, mainly bits for my daughters I see when on an offer. 

Spendless

I haven't been doing much shopping either as I was worried about me losing my  job but I've now been offered another one so can start to breathe a little. July has been expensive so for with both DS stag and Dil2b hen party plus DD's pageant. TX Maxx treasures have been pants lately so not wanted to bag one anyway. 

For the rest of the year, we have 5 birthdays including mine though one is card only between mid Sept-Mid oct. Dil2b will receive Euros as her and DS will be on honeymoon then - no they'd given no thought when booking their wedding about  it being an expensive time to go away - DS's  boss, head of a travel related company had to explain it to him!  DH no idea at this point, and the other is my elderly Nan and there's not much I can get her beyond drink and food. Don't suppose anyone knows if the big tins of biscuits that you get at Christmas as well as the chocs are out yet? She did ring me the other day and in conversation dismissed a bucket list as a whatever thing followed by asking me if I'd watched the news (guessing she meant a regional program) as someone was one celebrating her 109th birthday  - Nan is currently 97, what a legend -lol.

You always seem to come in within budget with your finds Coxy.

@Abbafan1972 - I remember you writing about this scenario maybe early this year that I don't remember the reason behind it. As the others have said £50  is cheap for a Christmas day meal and I live in the North of England where things tend to be cheaper. I'm guessing you're in the Midlands (purely on your use of Mom) so think you are perhaps talking of a pub chain maybe something like Toby Carvery? I'd be clear about what your objection to going is because and I mean this in the gentlest way, it's up to your parents what they spend their money on, and if they want to pay for everyone to attend then let them, if you're happy to go otherwise. It's not exactly the same thing but a few years back when DS started Uni, we packed him essentials to go away and forgot to send him with any medication/cold remedies, sure enough he got freshers flu. DH went to visit, took DS shopping and wanted to get him some painkillers/lemsip (can't remember which) but the shop they were in DS thought the price expensive and refused to get it. DH pointed out we were paying and DS refused to budge. To this day I don't 'get' DS thinking , he could have done with the  medication, we were willing to pay it and he refused because he thought it too expensive (your own line of reasoning over the Christmas dinner). We weren't going to be left skint over the price of it but the alternative was he hadn't got the medicine that could ease his symptoms because he didn't see why we should spend money on him, but we were happy to do so and not getting him anything at all actually frustrated us more!    If you don't go out with your parents what will you do instead on Christmas day? 

princesskitty29

I was looking on the clearance section of the Next website yesterday and came across a couple of jumpers that might be good for my brother. One was £7 reduced from £26 and the other £10 reduced from £26. I’m only going to get him one but couldn’t decide which one, so I’ve ordered both and will see which one I like best when I can see and feel them and then take one back. He loves clothes so is always happy to receive things like this. I can then add that to his Bulldog razor and shaving cream. His birthday is on Christmas Eve so I tend to buy a selection of things for him and then split them.

I’ve got an opticians appointment today that I have to drag the boys along to but I’m hoping they’ll be on their best behaviour as I said I’d take them to McDonalds for lunch as a treat afterwards! I need a new broom and saw one in TKMaxx that I liked recently so I might pop in and get that and get my next treasure key!

@Peppa537 There are no rules when it comes to what people eat on Christmas day, do whatever works for you! I know people who have a curry on Christmas day and you’re right, I’m sure it’s much less time spent in the kitchen.

@Spendless I’m glad to hear you have been offered another job, that must have been a relief for you.

mandco

spendless great news about the new job  

Princesskitty gift shopping can get significantly more expensive once they hit the brands & gadgets stage so hunting out deals/offers can save loads. my boys like nike & under armour and the retail prices are shocking so I aim to only ever buy brands when on offer. I did manage to find a few decent offers in the outlets a while ago but it can be very hit & miss. sounds like you found some great bits on Vinted - 
Great find on the next jumpers 
fingers crossed your appointment goes ok - it can be stressful when you have to take them with you especially if there's a lot of waiting around involved 

Ordered dd another set of "lego" flowers from shein to put away for xmas 

displate sent me a code for 33% off any order so ordered one for ds birthday - he really likes them but they are expensive so 1/3rd off  a single plate us a great deal as normally you have to buy a minimum of 3 to qualify for that much of a discount. 

argos have added some new but crazy expensive xmas stock/decorations - I know prices have gone up a lot but i think they are being a bit optimistic with £300 xmas trees and £100+ lights  

Spendless

Broke my TK Maxx wilderness. A few weeks back I had bought in there a  multi sunglasses holder for DD who likes owning  several pairs and a decorative travel  multi pill container which will do for one of my parents. This week I saw they had several pairs of sunglasses reduced to £20-£24, brands were Ted Baker, Tommy Hilfiger and Radley, so bought one and it'll either go with the sunglasses holder for DD or to my Mum. Also bought a travel journal, again will go to either of them. 

Had a tidy up of the present  cupboard and realised on putting everything back that I'd not come across the £20  m&s card. Don't really want to get it all out again, so hopefully at a later date I'll discover I put it somewhere safe and not that it's fallen on the floor and the dog has had it!  

Had a think about the travel bag for DH. Currently he travels long distance twice a year with work, but that will end if his company go with a different computer provider. For this reason I'm going to see when his next trip is and then make the decision whether to give him it for his October birthday or save till Christmas.