From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

Suffolksue

Delurking again 
I can’t remember which day Christmas jumper day usually is ( do have some experience as up until around 10 yrs ago , 2 of our grandchildren lived mostly with us after their mums ,our DD s death ) 

but maybe just once LG could choose their own ,could it be an Advent Calendar activity for one day .?do your research and set them a budget / steer them to the shop of your choice .If they crave a more expensive one suggest the add their own money to the budget ,I found that given that option mostly they decided the cheaper one was fine !,

from memory the supermarket chains usually have a fair selection ,I seem to remember they weren’t too highly priced . 

I know you think it’s a waste of money ( I do agree ) but children need feel the need to conform and it’s one of the less expensive occasions .

Please ignore if you disagree and please don’t be offended 

Greying_Pilgrim

Suffolksue said:

Delurking again 
I can’t remember which day Christmas jumper day usually is ( do have some experience up until around 10 yrs ago whilst  2 of our grandchildren lived mostly with us after their mums ,our DD s death ) 

but maybe just once LG could choose their own ,could it be an Advent Calendar activity for one day .?do your research and set them a budget / steer them to the shop of your choice 

from memory the supermarket chains usually have a fair selection ,I seem to remember they weren’t to highly priced . 

I know you think it’s a waste of money ( I do agree ) but children need to conform and it’s one of the less expensive occasions .

Please ignore if you disagree and please don’t be offended 

No - I'm certainly not offended and I don't disagree with you.  

My ponderment isn't so much about conforming, it's more about when (or if) children can be open to suggestions of when to conform.  I mean, I totally get that children like to play the same games, buy the same brands, listen to the same music, watch the same films.  But when they get to adulthood, do they have the tools to choose?  For example, Martin regularly has the 'gift giving' scenario on MSE every Christmas - Katie buys a present worth £20 for Joe.  Joe buys a present worth £20 for Katie.  What happens if they stop?  What happens if you stop sending out christmas cards - either not bother at all, or sending a round robin email?  Particularly if these scenarios are for individuals that are posing the questions because they are in debt - my question is, where is the seed planted?  My thoughts are perhaps more on the line of 'targetted conforming' rather than saying 'nope' to everything.  I hope I haven't given the impression that I'm trying to look for ways to say no.  

Suffolksue - the advent activity is a good angle - thank you for mentioning it.  I hadn't thought of it.  In one way it doesn't help that school are a bit wishy-washy about wearing a xmas jumper.  The day is actually a tie in with Christmas dinner - rather than the "official" (?) Christmas Jumper day.  I have just done a random choice of supermercado (MrA), and looked at the C'mas jumpers/sweat tops.  averaging around £16-19.  To me, that is a little bit pricey for one, perhaps two 'wears'.  BUT I am not saying no.  I'll mull it over a bit more.

Thank you for posting.  

Greying X

Blackcats

I watched the Rev Richard Coles' shipping forecast programme (the Thames episode) and it showed the most enormous shipping container filled to the brim with containers which apparently were all filled with Christmas items.  The size and scale of Christmas related retail items is incredible.  I do wonder how soon and how much of it will end up in landfill?

when looking on v  in. Ted you can make an offer for an item and shipping to a pick up point is usually cheaper than delivery to home.

Suffolksue

Re the ‘conforming’ whilst we were v aware how different they already  were ( their Mum’s breast cancer fight was fairly short,but very seen at school ) ,so were conscious of their need to fit in .
Now they are just in their twenties ,one still tries to be ‘the same as everyone else whilst the younger one is very much their own person 

I think in the end personality  plays a big part .

back to lurking 

beanielou

T shirts from £5 on the big river 

Greying_Pilgrim

Blackcats - I forgot about his new prog!  I keep missing the knitting competition too!  Isn't Rev. Richard on.... more4?  I never think to look outside a couple of stations - but don't watch much tv anyway. But had thought both those progs might be worth a watch.  Thanks for the "v" tips.

So i've retrieved my reciepts.  Food spend today was £11.05 - which came to less that I thought, given I got 4 boxes of the sausages, and bought lunchbox items to last to the end of term.  Then I spent £20.50 on non-food including my haircut and the car-parking.  Thank goodness I park in the cheapest carpark and walk into town 🫤 I have bust the non-food budget again.  Perhaps now that haircuts are starting to get expensive, perhaps they need to be in a different budget?  Or perhaps it would just be simpler to up the non-food budget, but make it a 'reducing' annual budget from next year.  There was a time when I would sometimes not spend £50 one month, and then spend £55 the next.  I've been going over for a few months now, so rising prices are definitely having an impact.  I think I will go for upping the total non food budget, but make it reducing over 12 months - smooth out the expenditure a bit more.  I'll update my siggie figgies now.

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Suffolksue - don't lurk, join in.  I'm sorry your grandkids lost their mum, and that you lost your daughter.  Blooming bc. Blooming cancer full stop.  i'll have a think on - there probably is a way to navigate this with involving LG and in some way making it clear about the money they are spending - not making them pay for it per se (use CHB), but sort of explaining the potential cost per wear.  It may not make them not make the purchase now, but perhaps in the future if it was a "frivilous" item and they needed to fund it, perhaps they might pause at least. 

beanie - lol, 'Define Nice' 🤣 That did make me chuckle - thank you 🤣

Greying X

Suffolksue

Thanks ,I’d love to join in now and again 
another one who was wondering which channel Rev Richard was on ! 

Now to try and find it !