The Twitch - How much did it cost you last year?!

[NannyPlumForPM]

Now I am nosy intrigued as to how much the dreaded 'twitch' cost you last year. I probably won't start twitching until at least the second week only December when things are getting wrapped... But it cost £140 with oh I don't think dbil has as much as dfil etc etc .

Tell me your stories and make me feel better

You're welcome

(As dd's lovely nursery taught her to say in response to any thanks - when she was 3 - Ahhhh - melted my heart )

This is what you get when you finish your Christmas shopping too early.

i have the Twitch

i looked at all the presents yesterdya, yes they have enough, they relaly have enough. i cannot afford any more, but DS has all the wrong things. he has smellies but no X box game.
ordered, but now DD and DD both need extra
sigh.
but how much have i spent, i havent spent enbough on DD3, and DD2 has a whole huge present much wished for, which happened to be free

There should be a guilt emotion

[fthanks]

It doesn't matter how much you spend on each Lucy - as long as it appears roughly fair
(Golden rule of Twitch Busting )

Yes, you would think a parenting website would have a guilt emoticon!

I usually have the food twitch (although to be fair we always manage to get through it all!) but this year am a bit in denial as we are going to DM for Christmas so not really doing much food shopping other than stockpiling Aldi mince pies which are lush however I think this may come back to bite me when we return home on Boxing Day still craving Christmassy fare and it's just normal food for tea.

Present twitching hasn't hit me hard yet although I have had to stop going on Amazon. I will be getting all DD's stocking fillers out this eve to see if I need more though!!

DH makes Christmas most complicated, completely refusing to engage when I'm doing all the shopping because it's October and then magically producing a long list of 'although it would be nice if I got..' about a week before the big day

Yes DH absolutely does that too Pixie - we will be almost setting off to see his DBro and family when he'll pipe up with "Have you got something for DNephew1 and DNephew2 ?" Arghhhh!
Luckily I usually have but it's the lack of engagement and the expectation that you'll sort it all that drives you nuts isn't it!

I prefer it when dh doesn't get involved. He just buggers up all my plans. We do sort the food out together though as he cooks on Christmas Day.

I think merrymouse has a good point - those of us who finish our shopping too early get this twitch. I've got it in a huge way this week. I was on my laptop before 7 a.m. today getting extra stocking fillers from Claire's Accessories then another DS game....... 2 years ago I ended up with a whole other sack for DD in "extras" and realised I'd gone way too far. But am really trying this year!

I get the twitch with DH's presents too so he always ends up with lots to open and I have about three!

Food is a whole different concept. Until last year when my mum died we always went to her house fo Christmas and I bought the food shop fitting around her. Last year, I ordered my Christmas food then had the twitch the day after I picked it up, and had to buy all the extra goodies we simply needed from Aldi (fudge, mince pies, lovely German gingerbread treats etc etc). I have no willpower when I start to twitch!

Ok, I twitched. Now I wasn't clever and twitched in poundland... neither was i ingenious and twitched in home bargains - Oh No, No, No. In fact - Did I even twitch on the high street? Nope not me....

I twitched online.... seriously....

For DP: An iPhone 5s, An iPad Air (I know, I am bordering on a months wages and they are a bloody TWITCH) - but he will love them and his family aren't getting him anything because he supported me against them.
Also: a wok, clothes, 'funny' socks (even though I have never seen him wear anything other than black), oh and enough chocolate to support Brazils cocoa trade for a long while.

For DD: Despite the fact that she is 3.... 2 pillow pets - yes two as they were a bargain and clearly the twitch was angry at this, disney things totalling £93 minnie mouse perfume, lots of duplo, a baking set, aprons, and again the chocolate.... coins/father christmases/thorntons/milk tray - I repeat she is 3.....

What the hell is wrong with me?!?! help help
This is on top of their gifts that I had already FINISHED and WRAPPED!

Just about stopped myself buying anything for DC2 as I am only 20 weeks pg and they haven't been born yet

Still got the food twitch to come. This is the worst twitch yet. Bordering on ahem £1200

I don't get it? Have I been doing it wrong all these years

Our second Christmas with DC (they will be 15 months). We spent 30 on each of them. I spent another 30 on my nieces and nephews. 100 on DP (he needs new boots or wouldn't have bothered). We don't buy gifts for adults, as per family agreement.

The DC have started receiving presents sent by post (family all live abroad).

We are having a large organic chicken with all the trimmings, some Christmas pudding and we spent an extra 50 on the usually weekly shop for treats.

There is no twitch here, thankfully.

I definitely twitch. Badly. So funny that it now has a name

I am trying not to twitch this year as I have a LIST and I am sticking to it.

I think it's similar to packing too much stuff when going on holiday. That outfit that you would never normally wear or even be able to get into.

It's like this part of the year has a lot riding on it, it is to compensate for the rest of the year. If you can get this bit perfect, then nothing else matters. It then becomes highly stressful.

yes you are right, I have to remind myself that time doesn't actually END on xmas day, there is time in Jan to buy stuff and that if you REALLY wanted to or could afford it, you could always buy that ESSENTIAL thing later in the year

Be grateful, Neversleep. Be very very grateful.

I am possibly in line for a twitch at any stage now. I've most of DS1s presents wrapped and I have the "I thought there were more, that looks really mean..." pre-twitch.

if you think The Twitch has passed you by avoid the following shops-

Dunelm Mill
Homesense
Next Home

I have been in all 3 this morning. It was soo hard.

I have bought all my presents and The Twitch has turned it's attention to Christmas Decorations and festive tableware.

I am having a whothebloodyhellhaveIforgottentwitch and feeling the need to buy unnecessary boxes of chocolates and bottles of Prosecco.

Did I give one to the gym teacher last year? What about Brownies? The bin men? The postman? The hairdresser? The cleaner? What about TAs and prefects? The fruit and veg van? etc etc etc

FFS

Ooh look. a lovely cushion i might need one or two.

my twitch hasnt cost me anything so far..

id used my vouchers to double up when they first came out..

today when buying online it let me re use my vouchers. so i got planes dvd and a batman 4 flim boxset for free. must of been a glitz.

i like that sort of twitching lol

NannyPlum , you win!

My twitch has never been that bad.

I think I can't call it a twitch as I mustn't of finished buying if I needed all that. Maybe premature confidence in my buying abilities?

I feel the twitch every year. I am Queen of the twitch in fact.

I'm really glad that people are being honest about their expenditure on this thread. I know some people simply don't have money to spend at Christmas and that's that, but I think some people claim to spend £300 at Christmas without really adding up the cost of all the food and the presents for teachers and the stocking fillers and the presents that you forgot to get for cousins - and it does really add up.