The 2008 Xmas Savings Thread

sparrer

Just an update on my efforts..have now got £49 pending in cashback sites by doing daily clicks, £30 vouchers due via Pigsback, 4000+ nectar points, mostly earned by doing surveys with a bit of petrol thrown in (NOT bought at BP!) have invested £6 in herbs for the garden to make herb boxes for pressies later, and found £35 M & S vouchers given to me last year. There's no M & S near me so they'll be recycled for more pressies.

I send off for every freebie I can, even little sachets of moisturiser/phials of perfume or aftershave, and pop them in Chistmas cards. They make a nice little extra surprise 'gift' and seem to be appreciated.

A q that I've been meaning to ask - are supermarket savings stamps worthwhile? My local gives £1 if you save £49 which doesn't seem much of an advantage...unless I'm missing something?

Mappygirl

Think i need to join in on this one to! Really need to be more prepared! So far I've got wrapping paper and cards which i brought in the sales. I'm saving on my Asda card - have about £30 already.

I'm also going to practice making biscuits/jam/chutney and save jars through the year so hopefully will be able to do some food hampers. For my friends I've got some face mask recipies, I need to test them and see how long they will last, sounds like a night of pampering for me lol!

I love christmas soooooooooo much!!!!!!!!!

knithappens

I really must get started on this, I am saving for my wedding, but i dont want to neglect xmas.

surfsister

snowdrip wrote: »

Has anyone seen details of the new Post Office Christmas Savings Card scheme yet? Can't seem to find anything on their web site. I think it should be available sometime this month.

I picked up a leaflet in the post office today and it says:

save from £5 anytime you wish up to £1,000

go to the post office with a form of ID and complete the savings club applications form you'll be given a savings card once you put £5 on it it will be activated

End of oct you will be contacted with your balance you can spend it from Nov ist at the recognised shops or get the Po to convert the money to one4all vouchers

www.giftvouchershop.co.uk for list of retailers

supposed to be discounts and coupons during the year but no mention on them on the leaflet

surfsister

ftp://ftp.royalmail.com/Downloads/public/ctf/po/Christmas_Club_Application_A4.pdf

for an application form

mary43

I've been preparing for Christmas by getting stuff from the charity shops for christmas hampers and hoping that they'll all be done by the end of August. Thats the general aim anyway. The Post Office savings card sounds like a good idea. I collect my pension once a week so I'm there and might as well buy a stamp to save at the same time.
If it can be converted to cash then it'll help toward Christmas food and travel for the Santa run we always have to do to the grandchildren.

So............haven't exactly 'saved' anything yet, as such, but can start with PO card and I've got a large whisky bottle thats now nearly half full......so thats a start,

Oh oops............sorry.........thought this was in the form of a savings stamp (like the ones for car tax) but its not and seems it can;t be changed for cash but has to be used for vouchers or gift cards,

JJ7

Hi, I love this thread and have subscribed to it - don't want to miss anything.

The Post Office Christmas Club Acc doesn't pay any interest and as Mary43 says you don't get to draw out the cash.

I know it may suit some of us so here's a link with more info.
http://www.postoffice.co.uk/portal/po/content1?catId=68000708&mediaId=68100712&campaignid=ULCLFAQ

I was searching for info on this in Jan, and believe me there wasn't much out there in cyberspace and found details on our very own mse :rolleyes: of a Santa Saver account paying 8.5% (I think??? Please double check if you're interested in this) that you can sort out online. I suppose there must be others about that pay more but I like the idea of this cos I can't get at it until Nov or Dec which is exactly what I wanted. The details of this were posted by interest Ted (don't forget to thank him) on 30/11/07 Title of thread: Santa's coming - with 8.50%. I'll try and do a link to it http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=613527&highlight=Santa
I like it so much that it's even in my sig and I've set up a standing order

HTH.
Signed: Determined to Be Organised this Christmas:A

sweetpeas_2

hi everyone :hello:

Im subscribed to the thread "Christmas for free 2008" by chocaholic, but I thought I could join this one as well and sort of join them in together if that's okay?

I currently have got:

£45 (£15/month s/o to my mum to save for Christmas for me)
£10 (£1 a week into a litle savings club at my work)
£60 park high street vouchers (£2/wk)
£5 Sainsburys voucher en route from toluna!

towards my pressie aim of £560, and...

£17 saver stamps tesco (£2/wk)
£8 tesco clubcard vouchers coming

towards my food budget of £100 (each week we have £40-50 for food budget, but Christmas week I like to have a bit extra for all the goodies-ie: proper coke!!! :rotfl:So ill hopefully have £150 altogther!)

I always feel really really disorganised at Crimbo and this year is defo my year to get it sorted


xx nog xx

sammy_kaye18

Hi All


Can i join because i have done absolutely fudge all this year so far - money seems extra tight lately with bf being underpaid and now we are trying to catch up on everything - its a nightmare - really must get the bill paying dates sorted and find out whats what and when.

need to start some form of savings too - Ive got about £8 of vouchers coming form Mr T's this month so im hoping ot eitehr put the cash equivelent onto a savings card and use the voucher towards something else in the tesco clubcard deals (tickets for longleat i think) or use the voucher ot buy one of the 3 mothers day gifts i have to buy and put cash equivelent on a savings card.

im trying not to buy early this year becuase storage last year was an absolute nightmare for us in our already tiny flat - other stuff everywhere jsut blocked it up even more to the point it was unbearable so think ill go the voucher, and clicky things routes and get lots of vouchers in to get everythgin done with

Purple_Sparkles

Could I join too please?

I'm new to MSE but I'm pretty good at sticking to budgets, have to be as I'm on a low income.

I do love to give gifts but don't get into debt for it. Last year I collected things from car boots, school fairs & charity shops in addition to making some gifts myself.

This year I decided that I'm going to be more organised and try not to spend cash on gifts, I'll use vouchers, points etc.... and good old Ebay as I have so much stuff to get rid of I should be able to easily make a couple of £100 or so.

I have £50 in Boots vouchers so far, courtesy of Pigsback :-)

About £130 on Quidco (but I do want to use this for our summer holiday)

I've also been saving change like mad into a pot since January, I've no idea how much is in there but guess at about £30.

Having just typed that up, I've got quite a bit already :-)

I also make my own cards and gift wrap of which I've got plenty of supplies, so no big spends there.

I'm quite looking forward to Christmas already!