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

SkyeD

Hi @Coxy11, hope you're feeling a bit better (hopefully the topped-up glass helped :-) )
I've been browsing and have already found a couple of bargains which I've ordered for my granddaughter for next year.  I don't much enjoy hitting the shops on foot, but I do enjoy shopping online!
I'm also dithering about whether to pay off our mortgage next year (inheritance - my parents died in Sept 22 and Jun 23).  It's not a large mortgage - we took it out 11 years ago and fixed it for 10 years at 2.6% - we'd get a better return on savings but part of me thinks that the psychological benefit would outweigh the ERC hit...  I'd still be a bargain hunter though :-)  It's in my nature!

Spendless

Me and DD hit the sales yesterday. Large shopping mall in next nearest city and it was he!! DD needed some new trainers as hers falling apart.

 Several shops later and she eventually found some only £5 over budget. I asked the young lad on the shop floor where the end of the queue was to pay. He points to the other side of the store. I've seen shorter Disney queues! We joined the end and I was suggesting to DD she went and looked round some other shops on her list and just joined me afterwards, I was expecting an hour+ wait. No sooner had I said this then the same young lad appeared, asked DD if she was paying by card and if she was ok with an email receipt, which she was. He then said follow me, led us past 100+ people queueing to the tills and put the purchase thru a card reader. I mouthed to DD as he'd led the way 'pretty privilege' to which she replied 'was just thinking that' after we'd left the shop to wind her up I said 'I just can't decide if it was me or you he fancied' to which I got the retort from DD 'me - obviously' hahahaaha.

Poor lad probably lost his job when it was noticed, but it could have been his last shift anyway for all i know and the reason why he didn't care. Waiting for DD to tell me she's received a random email saying Hi in her inbox! 

Coxy11

Love that trainer shop story @Spendless!! Have just told my DD too. You will have to let us know if the lad gets in touch 🤣

Coxy11

We won’t have much of an ERC @SkyeD as our deal ends Jan 2025. TBH we have a large sum on a tracker so the rate rises are killing us. Will be a great Christmas gift to get shot of it! 

princesskitty29

I was really relieved on Christmas Eve as we all tested negative for covid here so my in laws came over for Christmas day. Although Coxy you are right, it is the gift that keeps on giving as I have been super tired this week and still have a cough. We did manage to have a lovely day though and we went to my in laws on Boxing Day along with my BiL and his wife. We’re now just having a quiet couple of days before travelling to my parents tomorrow to do it all again!

I will set up a new thread however it takes a little while to copy everything over so I might not be able to do it until the new year when I have a bit more time, just come back to this thread for now then when I set up a new one I’ll post the link on here.

I popped to Tesco yesterday to get some milk and I picked up a festive game for my friends daughter £3 reduced from £6, a Dove shower gel and socks set for my brother £2.55 reduced from £8.50 and a sparkly Fuzzy Duck vanilla scented bath bomb for my friend £1.80 reduced from £6. The hilarious thing about buying my brother and friend gifts for next Christmas is that I haven’t given them this years yet! I’ve had a little look at the online sales but to be honest I do struggle with all of the scrolling and I lose interest quickly, especially websites like Boots where frustratingly they still show hundreds of products that aren’t even in stock! I don’t think I’ll get to any shops in the next few days so I might just see if there’s anything about when I go shopping in the new year. I love how they still call them new year/January sales when most stuff goes on sale before Christmas now! I have set up my 2024 spreadsheet so I’m ready to go for next year.

Peppa I’m glad to hear your mum was well enough to join you for Christmas.

Coxy I do hope you’re feeling better than you were, covid is a stubborn old virus.

kdalwayskint I’m glad to hear DH was on good form, that must have been enjoyable for you.

Spendless good old mum has still got a Christmas Eve hamper, that must have cheered your DD up as she couldn’t go out.

Spendless

princesskitty - Glad to hear you and coxy are on the road to recover albeit slowly and thank you for saying you'll do the 2024 thread in the new year.

I too have bought my first Christmas present for next year today. Last night whilst DD was packing to go to Sweden last minute dot.com, a super chilled DH about it all and DS saying he refused to get involved, I decided that the best thing to do was take myself out of the way and go and get DD the mini sized toiletry bits she needed and take DiL the most organised family member along with me to get them. Killing a bit of time before returning to the chaos, we popped in TK Maxx, that was helpful in finding a mini bodyshop banana shampoo but on the way out I spotted something else but as they were for DiL, I couldn't look in detail so had to return this morning. Sure enough my hunch was correct. I'd said previously that DiL struggles with having 'girly items/colours' in clothing due to her height/shoe size and has to default to wearing from the mens section and I'd already decided to do my best to remedy that for her next year. I'd spotted some larger shoe size womens socks online that I'd intended getting next year for her. These were the same brand in TK Maxx. in the menswear department there were loads of socks from this same company - this must have been just a random pair they received  in for the ladies section. They were a little bit cheaper than online plus no p&p. Over the course of the year I intend adding PJs, dressing gown and slippers for her, will take a bit of time to locate longer items and larger ladies footwear but I will keep searching till found. Extra bonus I will now have 3 Treasure points. I hadn't shopped there since September. 

DD now in Sweden where it is snowing, which is why it was there choice of destination so glad that's been fulfilled.
As she'd been so bad with her cough on the night of 23/24 that I really wondered if she'd make it there. Absolutely everyone told her how expensive a country it was so, her plan was to buy some alcohol in duty free and them drink in their apartment instead. She also discovered that the clubs there don't admit till age 21 and as she's the eldest at 20 that expense won't be an option. I had a read of the link she sent me and getting breakfast where they're saying for the equiv of £7 was an option so she won't starve. 

Mrs_Ryan

Merry Christmas all! Hope everyone had a good Christmas. 

It all went well here. Mum loved her presents which I was glad about. I got some lovely things however the best present I got was on the 22nd. I had been out shopping in Nottingham and I had been planning to go to the bingo in the evening. I nearly didn’t go as I got back into Leicester later than planned, too late for the bus and I had loads of bags. But I thought I may as well. Glad I did- I won a thousand pounds! 

I used some of it towards OH’s car loan but a lot of it has been spent on treats. I bought tickets for me and OH to go and see Peter Kay at the O2 in London for our anniversary and OH’s birthday in February. I also organised train tix and a hotel (just a Premier Inn but we’ve got one of the posh Premier Plus rooms) 
Ive also hit the sales really rather hard- ooops. 

I bought… 
A pair of Lululemon leggings (reduced from £89 to £45. I was thrilled with this as my Lululemon leggings, originally bought for £30 from the LL outlet, are definitely looking very worse for wear and a bit small for me now) 
A blue maxi dress from New Look (this arrived today. I thought it felt a little small until I realised I still had my t-shirt on 😂)
A black and red shirt, a pair of leggings and some bralettes from River Island 
A pair of pjs from Yours (I’m wearing them now and they’re fab) 
A pair of Topshop Curve jeans from ASOS (I’m most thrilled with these as they’re normally way out of my price range at £50 but I got these for £25. I have several pairs purchased from Vinted and the fit is amazing) 
A eye palette from Revolution (I was also chuffed as this is my favourite and I have already exhausted two of them. And they aren’t cheap! This was half price) 
A pair of Palm Angels socks and a Palm Angels mug (both half price- birthday pressie for my cousin. But only the socks have turned up and there’s no word about the mug. I purchased a different mug so I need to find out what’s happening really) 
Some shower stuff from Lush 
An original Penguin wallet set and some Superdry body wash (hubby’s birthday pressie just so he has something to open- Boots sale) 
Jimmy Choo perfume gift set (Boots sale) 
2 pairs of half price shoes from Irregular Choice 
A coat, a scarf, a dress, some jeans, some leather joggers and a hoodie from Vinted 
Some pjs from Bravissimo for mum. They’re gorgeous- they were expensive but they were all gift boxed and mum was over the moon with them. 

Phew! I’ve never enjoyed the sales so much. Hope everyone is feeling better who wasn’t so good- I’ve got a bit of a niggly cough but otherwise I’m not ill so not really worried. Glad everyone had a good Christmas. 

SkyeD

Big congrats on that lovely win @Mrs_Ryan
Sounds like you've bought some fantastic things
Hope your cough gets better soon x

Spendless

Well done on your win Mrs Ryan. I think you did well with an unexpected windfall paying some towards the car loan then having a spending spree especially at a time of year when lots of sales are on.  

Coxy11

Well done on the bingo win @Mrs_Ryan - great to have some fun with the money and put some towards commitments x

I am now Covid free hurrah! I went to the Post Office yesterday to send a Bay of E package and saw that they had Christmas Crackers on half price. I got a box of 8, plastic/tat free ones for £5. This is one of the things DH panic bought this year and ended up buying a box of 8 that only contained 7(!) as someone had swiped one. They had a bingo game instead of the usual naff gifts which was a giggle. The ones I bought yesterday have charades in I think? 

I also got 8 large gift bags in £land for 50p each. I only managed to save one bag this year as folks had stuck the top together with tape which ripped on opening. I usually tie the handles together but each to their own!

I could do with some gift wrap for next year. Couldn't have carried it yesterday due to the gift bags and a small food shop (I was on foot) so will keep a look out.