The 2008 Xmas Savings Thread

jak

Vouchers:
Argos: £10
Arcadia: £10
Kingfisher: £10 (woolie/comet/b&q)
Boots: £17.85
Tescos: £5.06
Debehams: £10

£62.91 Vouchers
Cash: £89.30
Cash pending: £174.33
Total: £326.54

Need: Cash for Christmas dinner: £100
Cash for food shopping: £80
Cash for drinks: £60 (will buy gradually over the summer as can get duty free!)
= £23.63 in extra cash for emergencies. (Provided Quidco pays out of course!)
We are saving £21.58 pcm for gifts for Christmas and Birthdays so by Christmas we should have another £86.32 cash as i'm hoping to use vouchers as much as possible for any birthday gifts (only 2 left now until Dec.)
I am giving us Dec. off saving gifts money so we can put any extra towards something nice for us. I also should hopefully get another £50 in vouchers from consumer pulse if i'm lucky! Maybe £60! So i'm trying to vary the shops I can get them for so that we've got a wider selection to choose from. THen i'm going to get as much as possible in the Jan. sales for Christmas and b-days for next year.
It's amazing how much more positive I feel about Christmas this year being able to be so organized!
J
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sc0u8100

Hi!

I hope it's not too late to join this thread?

I've only just joined this forum, but I have been saving for Xmas since January.

I put £10 per mth, via direct debit into a savings account (not much, but then I only have 3 Xmas pressies to buy) and then recently topped this up by £60, from the loose change I save in a piggy bank at home. So far, I've saved up about £150. :j

I save my money with ING Direct, as it pays the interest monthly. But the trick is, as you can only use a direct debit with the regular savings account, which doesn't give as much interest as the websaver account, you set up both accounts, then just transfer the money every mth from the regular savings account to the Websaver account.

Apart from that, I'm part of an online panel for a large market research company, which pays £4 in vouchers per survey you complete and those vouchers and so far saved up £44 for the food with this.

I also have £3.50 in Tesco clubcard vouchers. I reckon all these vouchers will pay for all the extra food money I need for the Xmas period. :T

All the saving stories/tips on here are inspiring and I hope my contribution helps encourage others to save!

Primrose

How about an unusual Christmas present which lasts all year? Look out for a number of inepensive items from charity shops such as once-read paperbacks, costume jewellery, smellies, etc. wrap up and label "Open on 3rd February (or whatever date you fancy), with the message "Only xxx days until next Christmas". "Happy Late Christmas! Happy Early Christmas! etc.
This spreads the Christmas surprises throughout the year.

jak

What a cool idea Primrose! I might do that for dh!
Well I spent £6 in vouchers at Evans this week on jewelry sets reduced to £1 and £2 so i've got a store of miscallanious 'girlie' gifts now! I also spent £6 in Deb in vouchers for 2 of their nice necklaces for dh's gran and mum.
My voucher store is going down but at least i'm getting some good pressies for people.
I've got some vouchers left- see sig. and £70 cashing out in Quidco this month.
J
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Tinkerbell21_2

I have today realised that I now have £420 saved for christmas so far! I am putting away £60 a month so come end of November I will have £660 :j

I also have just over £7 in boots points and have been putting any change I get in pots. I will count this up later!

MYLITTLESISTERLOLA

I've 30 people to buy for :eek: ( big family, lots of nieces & nephews ) Xmas this year....so in Jan I went out and bought most in Boots 75% off sale ( 28 people sorted for £100 average £3.57 each would have cost £14.20 before Xmas)...then I used Tescos double the clubcard points on wine to buy 18 bottles of Wolf Blass for Birthdays, BBQ's, Unexpected people who drop in with Xmas presents etc ( only had to add £13 & £5 delivery £1 per bottle:D ) ...Cards bought at Next Clearance store Boxing day sale 10p per box got enough to last me a lifetime
wrapped all presents in Jan when bought, kept a list to make sure everyone was covered, bought bottle bags at my local bootsale 20 for £2....so now that leaves

- food bill
- Santa for 4 year old ( got 4 toys in Boots 75% off sale )
- 1 baby present for friends baby born last month
- Entertainment fund

The Masterplan
- £25 per month Tesco saving stamps ( £150 by Xmas )
- £10 per month Iceland saving stamps ( £60 by Xmas)
- This payday sort out baby present £5 approx
- Me & OH started saving in a sealed tin to fund Xmas entertainment ( approx £120 each already )
- £10 per month Santa fund ( son got far too much last year reckon £60 & 4 small presents already bought is more than enough for a 4 year old plus he gets loads from family members)

Feel like I've got it under control but no doubt there will be some minor disaster between now and then that will throw me off track !!! Isn't there always

sarah_smurf

:eek: The only thing I've got this year is the xmas cards and the wrapping paper, a tin can sealed collecting £ coins and constantly looking for anything in the sale that can be used for presents. Usually I've got vouchers ordered and the like. But online shopping is a must this year for me as got quiet a few console games cheaper (& weren't sold out like shops) last year off the net than the shops that saved a chunk

punkrock06

can i join? only joined de site lately, loveall de tips.
i havent much sorted but ive got left over cards from lst yr n loads of wrap, ive also got €33 on pigsback, nt sure whats on de boots card think its bout€8 but im goin t use boots more often 4 things like sahmpoo etc.
also going to de outlet in belfast round de end of sept and was hopin to do a bit of prezzie buyin up dere

MYLITTLESISTERLOLA

If your near junction one in Antrim it's really good especially on boxing day the next clearance store does a massive clear out of wrap, tags, cards, handbags, purses etc I got a bundle of silver chains that were all tangled last year for £2, entertainment untangelling them and got 20 + sterling silver necklaces and the few that I was unable to detangle I cut and took the pendants off !! Bargain

sarahc44

Hi can I join you?

We have 400 saved already and am going to start saving money on a asda card between now and then, will round my shopping to nearest £10 every week, sure it will mount up and give us our food money.

Stopped buying for any children incl nephews and nieces last year and concentrated on my own two, plus the stress I didn't have was fab also makes the pocket lighter - we intend to use some of saved fund to decorate landing in January

x x x x