So, we're closer to next Christmas than we are to last...

[QueefRichards]

...how are we all doing? How are present hoards/plans/bargain hunting/crafting etc coming along?

I've got pretty much all DD's gifts bought. I'll be twitching buying a few more bits over the next few months no doubt, but the big stuff is all done.

DH's hoard is filling up nicely - a nice bottle of scotch, some beautiful cashmere bits, books etc.

I bought all my wrap, cards, crackers, lights and decs in January when they were dirt cheap - best bargain was 500 microlights for £2 from Tesco

I haven't done much crafting for Christmas before, but me and DD have said we will this year. We plan to start in the next few weeks because we're excited

I've started the Christmas shelf in the Kitchen cupboard - so far there are a few bottles of cava and a tin of shortbread on it. And two Christmas puddings and a jar of cranberry sauce from last year

Feeling pretty proud of my superior organisational skills actually! Is it too early to be excited?!

[SimplyNigella]

Wow, you are organised!

I am really excited this year. I have started my Christmas spreadsheet with lots of ideas but haven't bought much yet as I'm not confident on what DS will want, he's 2.5 now and I think he could be a very different little boy by Christmas as he's growing up so fast.

[KittensandKnitting]

This thread has made me smile

⛄️🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻

[PeggyMitchell123]

Not quite as organised as that but have bought a new notebook specifically for Christmas planning. I write down gift ideas, budgets, what I have bought etc. I do online surveys and get Sainsbury vouchers throughout the year specifically used for Christmas, got £40 from another online site coming in Oct, save club card vouchers and we get £50 vouchers for Icelands in Dec.

I also set myself a little challenge that I can not buy anything full price, last year I saved £200 so hoping to beat that. Yesterday I went sainsbury's and bought 2 turtle action figures, new minion boots, a pair of zootropolis pjs, two pairs of socks for dh and a Olaf face cloth. Retail value was £47, reduced to £22 but because I used vouchers, only paid £2

Like you I also bought cards, gift tags etc after Christmas. Also bought Xmas pjs, jumper, socks and craft/book bits for my son all half price. We are better off this year because my oh has got promoted but I still try and save and be careful with Christmas spending.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Once my DD Birthday (25th June) is here, that's the Half Way Mark reached

My £2 jar is doing well.
My Sainsburys Nectar Points are building up.
DH is saving our Nat West Rewards "For Christmas" (I'm training him well)

I got an email to book for Kew Gardens (we went on the Light Up Christmas walk a couple of years ago) so I need to think about theatre/ballet trips.

Once we get to 180 days (not long now) , I need to suggest at work about a Christmas Meal (I'll get the " Whaaaaaaaaat " response but I've got broad shoulders (which I'll shrug ) and make them have a think )

My lovely DS (who'll be 17 in December) was whittering on today about the fact I buy him Christmas PJs and make him wear them.
Truth is, I bought him some grey/red tartan PJs , very soft, which he managed to split beyond repair, then nagged me to buy him more. I bought him some new checked lounge trousers.
He was wearing them while he whittered on about me making him wear them

[MercuryRising]

Wow you are all very organised. I must confess to not having physically done anything yet but I am beginning to plan. I have my birthday and dds to get through and our holiday and then I plan to start. I go back to work after maternity leave in mid November and I plan to be finished by then.
I will be following the Christmas threads for inspiration

[SantasLittleMonkeyButler]

Wow! I thought I was organised for buying a Crayola colouring set for DD the other day .

It was reduced from £4.99 to £1.99 in Ryman.

I think I'm going to start my Christmas spreadsheet pretty soon though - otherwise I buy bits, put them away, and then forget what I've got!

[Scarydinosaurs]

The Christmas pyjamas I bought for dd have already been opened due to growth spurt but otherwise my small stash of presents have survived.

Photo books last year were a huge success, so doing mini photo shoots over the course of this year (of my DN too, on the days we look after him) and will be gifting those.

My DSIL gets married next year, so looking for cute wedding bits for her- anyone seen anything?

Yes, must start a proper spreadsheet...

[gamerchick]

I thought I was doing well with my first big present today. Bravo man

[SideOrderofChip]

Ive done part of mine now

And bought all the christmas jumpers

[DeltaSunrise]

I have ds2's birthday in September to get through first but I actually had his birthday present shopping finished in May so I may have already snuck some Christmas gifts in the house.

I found a brand new Battleships game in the opp shop for $6 so I picked that up. It's $30 in the shop.

We put ds2's bike on layby when it was in the sale with $100 off and have just $16 left to pay on it. I'm leaving the $16 on it at the moment because I don't want to bring it home yet and try to hide it.

And we have a Lego set for ds2 bought already too which was half price in the sale.

Nothing for ds1 yet

We think DMum will be flying to us for Christmas again this year so we'll probably do a BBQ and beach day again. I've been sticking $10 a week on a local supermarket Christmas card since January ready to buy all the Christmas food. The final amount will be huge but as we get our 6 week summer holiday over Christmas, I'm hoping for a good feast.

Oh, just remembered, I have got something for ds1. Another opp shop find, a tantrix puzzle travel set for his stocking. Looks brand new and cost me $3.50 instead of the normal $40.

I do love a good bargain almost as much as I love Christmas. I haven't paid full price for anything so far.

Anyone got any good app recommendations for keeping lists and storing all this stuff?

[BiddyPop]

The only thing I have done this year is replenished my Christmas Jumpers collection (I only had 1 and it needed freshening up - I found 2 more on sale a couple of months ago).

Well, I have rolled over my spreadsheet for gifts, and agreed with 1 DSis that we don't think KK is a good idea this year (it's failing for the past few) with the siblings - just stockings for all.

And I have booked our accommodation (I know we need to go "down home" this year, and beds we can retreat to are vital at Christmas, and not much available locally).

But usually at this stage I have a load of things bought and stashed away, and lots of bits for DD's stocking as well. I need to get cracking!

[QueefRichards]

Reading through this thread is making me even more excited!

I've just bought a couple of Christmas t shirts from JD Williams Clearance site for £3 each. I bought a hoover from them years ago and still get emails from them - usually I ignore them but the lure of cheap stuff on their clearance site was too great! They have lots of Christmas t shirts and jumpers really heavily reduced, and things which make good presents like hat/glove/scarf sets too. Obviously most people aren't thinking of buying Christmas stuff at the end of June don't they realise there's less than six months to go

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

I'm planning a trip to Ikea to buy some soft cotton plaid bedding .........

I didn't buy a proper Christmas Jumper last year, I wanted black/gold . I saw one in Asda online but they didn't have them instore

I bought a green/gold (non patterned ) from Primark for The Big Day and a winter scene cotton top (sequinned in places) from QVC.
Last year there were lots of pastel Christmas jumpers (just not Chrismas IMO, )

[Awoof]

Ahhhh such a relief to find my people
I bought 2 lovely knitted stockings on next clearance, reduced from 18 to 2 quid each yesterday.
It's going to be my first christmas as a single parent so little bit strange, but all the christmas stuff was done by me anyway so actually no bother at all!
Definitely going to to a m and s christmas dinner, and this year I'm going to treat myself to marzipan fruits and posh Italian biscuits.
This is a bit silly/mad but this year father christmas will be bringing me a nice posh present too! Obviously it will be me paying for it but after a few years of rubbish gifts from exdh, I am going to treat myself too

[attheendoftheday]

You're all very organised! I've only done a few things.

I have booked a very exciting holiday to Lapland just before Christmas and the panto between Christmas and New Year.

I picked up some tiny dinosaur rings in M &S yesterday for the advent calendar and I have a playmobil christmas set stashed in the loft.

I'm watching and waiting for a big Lego Friends set to come down in price.

[Ratbagcatbag]

Ahhhhh Lapland. I am super jealous. Me and dh are in a savings scheme at work that pays out when she's 6. The proceeds of that scheme are for a magical family Lapland holiday. She's 3 now so a long way to go. :)

Thanks to the Radley sale I think I've spotted a bag reduced to £30 that my friend will adore. Just need to check that she's not got a million duplicates of a similar style.

[SideOrderofChip]

The grand hotel has dropped dramatically recently attheend

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Awoof yes Treat Yourself.
Buy something you want and wrap it beautifully.
Buy yourself little bath treats and a mini bottle of wine to drink in the bath on a Christmas Eve Night Bath Treat.
M&S Dinner - order early and enjoy. (No cooking except pushing a few trays in the oven)

[HollyBollyBooBoo]

Love this thread!

Have bought a few stocking bits for DD, mostly stuff in the sales. Did an order from the Book People for DDs birthday and got a few Xmas bits as well.

Mincemeat was something like 50p on Ocado and our fave Prosecco was half price so bought a few of those.

My happy place is looking at Christmas in Pinterest - takes away the stress of the day!

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Ooh I can spend many happy days hours looking at Christmas decorations (and Hallowe'en ) on Pinterest

I found some Christmas crackers (cream and gold) from last year , hidden in the sideboard........forgot to put them on the table for shame .

I like to buy something that I love and plan my table round it. A couple of years ago it was some John Lewis crackers, so my table was white/pale blue/silver to tone.

I have some ivy in the garden so I'm going to cultivate some cuttings in water then plant out in pots with snowdrop bulbs to put in the front garden.

[QueefRichards]

Awoof I love 70's suggestions for treating yourself! Make sure you buy the biggest, shiniest, most expensive version of your favourite things - you deserve it

Me and DD have been feeling very festive over the last few days. We've had to sit on our hands to stop ourselves looking through the Christmas decs cupboard, a treat job we usually do late October. We have, however, decided on a theme - lots of gold and green, with plenty of natural foliage draped everywhere. We have twenty squillion tree ornaments which we've accumulated over the years, so we'll have fun sorting through them for goldy greeny ones. In October. Honest.

I had a sneaky count of my coin box earlier, which I start every December with the change from the Christmas food shop. This year I'm putting all the loose change I have in my purse at the end of every day in it - sometimes that's 8p, sometimes it's over a fiver. So far there's £198 (plus a whole load of coppers I couldn't be arsed to count) in it! By Christmas last year there was only £78 there. Blimey!

We've also made tentative plans to visit Edinburgh between Christmas and New Year, but tbh I'm not sure I want to be away from home/our tree etc. We'll see. Oh, and I've booked tickets for The Messiah and a carol concert!

By the way, Christmas UK have started their Christmas in July trade fair coverage... I'm already salivating over the Waitrose festive eclairs

[babsmam]

Gerrin.

I haven't done anything at all. Sweet FA. But that title made me very excited.

[smellylittleorange]

I've not done much except add on a Christmas savings account specifically for spends and treats. Bought a couple of bits in the dotcomgiftshop sale. Just shown DD the Ideal Home Show at Christmas site and she wants to come - she will be free so that is one Christmassy activity for us to do. Have just moved in to a New Build site - Site Manager knocked on our door the other day with a large carpet off cut that he managed to get for me - DH was like when I told him it was for keeping the area by the patio doors clean yeah of pine needles when I've got my first real tree.

I'm putting away £90 a month between now and Christmas but also using the account to just buy things as and when Isee them and need them.

greengate have released their christmas catalogue which is lovely for ideas.

[dementedma]

I planned to put money away every month in 2016...now in July and not a penny saved. Am too fucking skint. Have no idea what any of the dcs want so I'm beginning to dread Christmas

[smellylittleorange]

Sorry dementedma - its rubbish when you dread it rather than look forward to it - I added an instant access savings account to my existing current account and started a standing order I can always move it back to my current account if desperate but I kind of don't IYSWIM. Keep on this board because this is where you will know about the bargains. Also now is the ideal time to start planting ideas less expensive into the kids minds.