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

Spendless

That's a huge list Coxy. I can see why you'd like to cut it. For some years my side was quite long, with both my Grandmothers, my parents, my Niece and Nephew, whereas on DH's side was only his parents (and then just his Dad) and Niece. It was my husband's Niece that created me the most issues as she went into her late 20s with a very good job and salary and not sending us as much as a card. Her Mum (DH sister) was continuing to buy for my lot younger children and I didn't want to rock the boat. The 1st opportunity I got when DD turned 18 though, I stopped it. Have you got to the bottom of why your DH doesn't wish to stop. It must be time consuming as well as expensive.  

Abbafan1972

Morning all,

I have just been updating myself on the latest posts.

Christmas presents can cause so much agro can't they?  I only have my parents, DH and 2 x DDs to buy for and that's it.  I find my parents difficult to buy for.  They don't/won't use electronic goods as such.  I bought them a Pure DAB radio years ago for the kitchen and it was hardly ever used and is now in their greenhouse not used. Mom usually likes an M&S voucher. They usually give us money and drink.  My Mom insists on giving us a tub of chocolates each and the one year she gave us 4 boxes of mince pies.  We'd already got some and I ended up putting 3 boxes in the food bank trolley at Asda, as we couldn't eat them all. 

With regards to going out for Christmas day dinner - in the past we have cooked a small meal on Christmas day and then gone out to eat on Boxing Day where it's half the price and you are more or less getting the same food. The reason why I don't really want my Mom to pay for us to have Christmas day lunch is that she can be over generous with money when she can't really afford it (my Dad has said this recently) and ends up leaving herself skint.  it's lovely that she's so generous yes, but you can't leave yourself without any money.  My younger DD suffers from the same problem, she lent some money to a couple of friends recently and then she didn't have enough money in the bank for her car insurance to go out, so she had to ask me for a temporary loan to cover it!

Yes we are in the Midlands and the pub my parents normally go to is a Stonehouse Carvery - I have looked on their website regarding Christmas and there are sample menus, but I couldn't find any prices. 

With regards to loyalty schemes I have the following:-

Boots:- £13.63 (I rarely shop there tbh).
Asda rewards:- £6.81 in cashpot (we only use Asda for top ups, and I tend to dip into the cashpot as and when I need to lol). I must admit, having used the scheme since it first started, imo it's not a good as Tesco clubcard. 
Asda christmas saver card:- currently £80 (I have £10 a month automatically go onto that).  I use that for random stuff for Christmas and it's good as I can use it for George as well. 
Tesco clubcard:- £57.50 in vouchers and another £10.50 not converted to vouchers yet.  This always builds up very quickly as we do our weekly shop at Tesco, plus DH uses Tesco to fill up the car and works van, so we get points from that.  We always try and make use of the coupons on the clubcard to maximise our points. 
Yulife:- This is a scheme through my work where you can complete challenges such as going for a walk and earn coins to be converted to vouchers, such as Amazon, B&Q, Argos etc.

Hope everyone has a good day. xx

mandco

Happy Birthday for tomorrow TreasureQueen 

Coxy that's a long list to buy for ours used to be similar before we cut back so I know how stressful & expensive it can get. Now its just my mum, the kids, the grandkids & dd's bf though I do usually end up buying a few boxes of nice biscuits as token gifts for extended family if we visit.

Abbafan is hard one when you have family members who will spend more than they can afford. Could you maybe suggest doing something different xmas day and go out for a festive meal shortly before or after xmas when its cheaper? 

I did find a nivea for men gift set in the argos clearance reduce to £6 299/8794 - quick google and its about £15 elsewhere so decent saving if you can find it in stock locally - manged to pick up 2 from different stores

Coxy11

Hi all,

Some car boot sale finds this morning. Sanctuary Spa Jar of Treats BN for £3 and a pink house tealight (very Zara Home) for £1. These will go into the cupboard for Christmas.

DH doesn't want to be the one to say let's stop buying. Ridiculous as sure his DSis would welcome it. 

Thanks for the Nivea set info @mandco - not sure I have anyone to buy that for though - tend to get the smaller 3for2 offers in Boots for nephews and niece.

Spendless

I'd not seen the concrete pig till just now, don't think the pic had loaded for me to view it. Actually I think my late MIL would have liked it, she had flower beds and all sorts of ornaments in nooks and carnies. Her garden is more patio and grass now my SIL and BIL live there with FIL so I don't think the pig would have made it.

Abbafan - that puts a different slant on it, if your Mum is offering to pay for something she can't actually afford. In that case you're going to have to politely decline and both do something else even if it means dining at your own separate houses. This year DS and DIL will be at her parents, leaving just me, DH and DD. We are contemplating going out only DD is vegetarian and faddy, so I'm waiting for Christmas menus to come out too so we see if we're prepared to pay out for something that DD invariably won't like. She wasn't keen on the vegetable wellington at DS wedding last week, admittedly I'd no idea that they wouldn't be served with Yorkshire puddings or roast potatoes since all the meats were. DD wasn't sat on the same table (long story!) as us so I didn't spot it.

I have just over £14 in Boots points more than I'd realised. Between that and the £20 M &S card, plus the whisky I already have - I've got enough to cover my Nan's present.

Parents - just need to add the additional bits and make a decision about the afternoon tea gift voucher.

DS & DIL - We will ask nearer the time, but quite possibly continuing to pay their phone contracts plus something practical or requested.

DD - Will be asked to provide a list! I forgot to say I found my next CS item for her, a gold coloured wallet into which you put tickets etc if going on hol. so 2 CS gifts down. My friend also introduced me to a CS, which tends to have the bargains that Coxy finds, so will start looking in there more.

DH - The travel items are going to have to be for his October birthday. This is because he is next going abroad due to work in November and due to a potential change round of the computer system, may be the last time he attends. He wants me to go too but I'm just about to start a new job and will have to ask about time off (ironic I skipped so many times going due to various reasons including in June this year). I have got another idea for him for Christmas instead.

FIL - Sticking to my guns here , DH can sort this one.   

Coxy11

Morning all,

I had Wednesday off work as took my DDad to the airport. Went to get my eyebrows threaded in the afternoon and did the CS mooch. Got a nice Jasper Conran mens washbag - BNWT black scotchgrain with dark brown trimmings for £4.99 in Oxfam. I intended to gift this for Christmas to one of my nephews but DH has his eye on it (although is saying it's a bit big....!) A good find nonetheless.

Points totals are now:
Boots - £8.02
Sainsburys - £6.05
Tesco - £16
Shoppix - £20 Amazon voucher and working towards another £10

I need to get my Christmas list out and start planning. My voluntary redundancy is pressing ahead and I got my offer letter yesterday. The plan is to leave on 30 November although I'm owed annual leave, so it might be earlier. Would love to take December off to have a rest and proper run up to Christmas as the last few years since working FT have felt like a bit of a rush. We'll see.

mandco

Coxy another great cs find. if your redundancy offer allows you to take time off over xmas I'd seriously consider it not often we get the chance for a proper rest & recharge.
The concrete pig is actually quite cute so could have been a lot worse there's some pretty hideous ones out there

DD had her nails & eye lashes done for her birthday and would like to make it a more regular thing so that's another idea for xmas - though I might gift her the cash/iou type voucher rather than buy a gift card? 
Did see a nightmare before xmas oodie type thing in asda that I think ds would like but not sure if its worth getting as I brought him a camo one last year so he doesn't actually need it.  what do you think would you buy it?
He has mentioned getting a new gaming headset at some point so that's a good option for his main xmas gift. 

mandco

I ended up ordering the oodie as it went oos and I was disappointed I hadn't. It came back in stock this morning so decided to get it - ended up getting a M as the other sizes went oos as I was trying to order and by time my confirmation came through it was oos in all sizes again.  

more xmas stock appearing online 
asda george added quite a few bits this morning including lots of bedding set and a few decorations
boots now have advents calendars online though most are crazy expensive
matalan have a small selection
Next have some really nice bits 

Mrs_Ryan

Hello everyone! Hope everyone is doing well. 

Some of you may remember last Christmas was a bit of a horrid time for me due to the postal strikes. We are just beginning to break even with the bills that we got behind on in those three months thanks to a couple of extra payments through both mine and OH’s work. There doesn’t seem to be any more industrial action on the horizon in OH’s work, thankfully, although there may well be some in mine it won’t be as protracted or damaging as the postal strikes were. We’re hoping that OH gets some overtime this Xmas, although we should manage fine in the event he doesn’t. 

I’ve just started buying Xmas pressies… it’s early even for me! This year my mum has said one present each but she’s bought far more, she told me just to get her Primark pjs but I know if I did that she would chuck an almighty strop…. 

I’m going on a day trip to Dublin in December to do the Irish food run 😂husband’s grandad was Irish, and said grandad (and English grandma) brought him up after his parents divorced. So husband was raised on Irish tea, brack etc. Husband is fussy about his tea though and loves Bewley’s. On top of that, a good friend who I always buy for as she does a lot for me, is Irish born and loves Irish food- she’s a sucker for chocolate Kimberley’s especially. There’s also father in law who is half Irish. It’s way cheaper for me to fly to Ireland for the day (even with a suitcase) do a huge Irish food haul in Tesco on O’Connell Street and fly home than it is to pay the import costs which is crazy- last time I bought tea for husband it cost me £30 in shipping for three boxes of tea bags!!! Plus I get to plunder duty free which also takes care of a lot of gifts in one fell swoop. 😂And I get a cheap Jo Malone candle for stepmother in law who muttered a bit last Christmas when she got the M&S light up candle- although it’s still sitting pride of place on her mantle piece! 

Three of my family all want pjs and I’m buying them all off Vinted (only new with tags though) I’ve just got a gorgeous pair for my sister for £2.50- new with tags. I’ve got some fluffy Primark pjs for mum still in their packaging favourited and some red and black Next ones (separates but new with tags) favourited for husband. I’ll buy them when I’m paid on Friday. I’m off up to Glasgow to visit a friend in November, and I’m going to go to Boots there and do the 3-4-2’s for nephews/nieces/BIL and SIL, plus husband’s shower gels. I have husband’s first present already- a Minky clothes airer! We were in Costco the other week and they had them for £27, so I snapped it up for him. Just had a look on the Minky website and they’re £45! Not a bad bargain. 

There’s some birthdays coming up too- Step MIL is middle of September but she’s easy to buy for- M&S voucher which I will get on Friday; best friend’s is end of September, but I’m paying for half of a photo opportunity she wants for the Supernatural convention. That’s for birthday and Xmas. Mum’s is middle October but I’m paying towards a holiday voucher for her that my brother is getting her. Nephew is also middle October and I’ll just give him cash too. Sister- typical- can’t decide what she wants. It’s my own birthday middle of October and OH has bought me a ticket to see Romesh Ranganthan on my actual birthday which I’m really excited about. 

I’m feeling a lot calmer about Christmas this year- thankfully. 

Abbafan1972

I hope everyone is having a good BH weekend so far. 

I have started to think about Christmas, although DH thinks it’s way too early! I don’t have many people to buy for thankfully. I always feel limited as what to buy my parents as they don’t have any hobbies, don’t read books. My Mom likes doing wordsearches and I have bought her a bumper book of those before (she does buy a couple of the magazines regularly). I did for a couple years pay for a subscription for one of them, but I cancelled it when they moved house and didn’t take out another one. I was going to buy them some drink and a voucher each. My Mom likes M&S, not sure about my Dad though. I have bought him an M&B voucher that covers Toby Carvery and The Harvester before.  My 2 DD’s I haven’t a clue. We may end up giving them some money and a little something to open on Christmas morning. 

Yesterday my Mom mentioned about the Christmas Day meal and hubby said he didn’t want to go because of the cost of it but said that me and the girls can still go. I am not bothered really but agree that it costs a lot and wouldn’t pay that kind of money for a meal, so wouldn’t expect someone else to pay for me. So my Mom said “oh no you all spend the day together”. So we’ve decided to cook a small turkey joint, which won’t cost a lot (it’s just the same as a Sunday dinner after all). Something happened between me and my parents recently regarding power of attorney and some quite hurtful things have been said to me. Although we’ve smoothed over the cracks and DH gets on with them ok, regarding the Christmas meal, he’s told me he’d rather stay at home and eat beans on toast than go out for a meal with them. What he said about the cost to my Mom was true but he was just being economical with truth. 

A lot of this stems from his Mom & Dad, as he’s not in contact with them any more, they are really toxic people and I believe they still live at the same address which is only half a mile away from us. But that’s a story for another day lol. 

Any ideas regarding presents would be greatly appreciated. My 2 DD’s are 19 & 21. The younger one has a car. We bought her some new car mats last year for it and she’s just had reversing sensors fitted (my Mom paid for those). 

Speak soon. Xx