Countdown to Christmas 2017

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365 to go

Hello all! I trust you all had wonderful Christmasses, what is everyones plans for New Year?
I have just got back from MILs and organised all the pressies, built some flatpacks we were given for christmas and started to tackle the washing mountain of doom! I have yet to find a home for most of my gifts, but I am sure it will be fine once the tree comes down next week 😭 and I have a little more space.

Have a lovely time, Woolly. 😁 We are all up in Glasgow, so nowhere near where you are right now (it's warmer up here, thankfully!).

I still don't have firm plans of any description for next year. I did ask my Aussie friend if she fancied coming over and getting a cottage in the Lakes, but I need her to confirm before I can plan. I wish she'd hurry up! 😂

361

Well that was a bit of a mad Christmas! We pretty much haven't stopped since Christmas Eve (I'm shattered!)

We've got a bit of Christmas food left still, so I really need to remember that I only need to get extra for 3 days next year!

We're having a quiet new year - staying in and possibly having a curry or a two dine in for £10.00. DH is working NYE & NYD so I imagine we will see in the new year and head off to bed!

I'm joining in. I got my wrapping paper and tags from card factory for 2017(can't believe I had to pay full price for some tags this year as ran out just before Xmas).
Off Sale shopping later so will look for stocking fillers for DCs. I found 8 gifts plus an orange and chocolate coins was the right amount for their stockings this year.
I save for the love to shop vouchers from Park so that Christmas is pretty much paid for.
We are thinking of going away next Xmas, so does anyone have recommendations of places around derbyshire/peak district.

Anyone else found the sales in the shops underwhelming? I went to my local M&S and retail park and all the sales stuff was out on 3/5 tables in the far corner of the shop and that was it. Lots of New season stuff out, M&S didn't have any discounted cards or wrap or boxed sets. I went with the intention to stock up my present drawer and came away empty handed.

Managed to buy half price cards at the card factory so they are stashed ready for next winter.

I found M&S had a lot of their Xmas stuff on sale for the few days before Xmas. I went yesterday and came away with some new pillows and I think that was best of bunch!

Next had been picked over and looked appalling, nothing in kidswear at all. Boots was crazy!

I agree i went to marks about 10 days before christmas and all gift stuff half price so i got a lot for next year then which is a bit mad before even having had this one!
Same with sainsburys. Went for crackers cards etc yesterday and all gone!
Is this the new trend ? Sales before rather than after xmas!?

Hello to new posters nice to see you. Welcome to the thread. Re sales - I think it probably is the trend. I got Christmas crackers in the House of Fraser sale at the beginning of December - and when I unpacked the decorations I found the ones I bought in the January sales!

I have enough wrapping paper, cards, tags and ribbons so I don't need to get those in the sale.

I am generally underwhelmed by the sales anyway. I've never found anything for me in Next and M & S is hit and miss at the best of times.

I might just have a browse on line

Did get the kids a new stocking each today from m&s, beautiful red felt with a snowflake for only £1.

I went to Aldi and hoped for reduced bits but nope. I've got another lot of the 19p veg as my mum, step dad and sister are coming New Year's Day.

We went to Kew yesterday, we will go next year so that's in my mind to book next year.

I'm going to have a look at the sales but I've done mothercare and next online before Christmas and got the children jumpers for next year.

Ventured out for the first time since Christmas today. I bought all next year's wrap, crackers (luxury, no less), cards and LED lights for under £15. Stick that in your pipe and smoke it, Sans.

I also bought DD's main present for next year and several Christmas puddings with a UB of August 2018. Over the coming weeks I expect to buy most of DD's 'extras' and get started on DH, too. I did exactly the same for this year and saved hundreds

All that said it's still very much Christmas here - I'm writing the shopping lists for our New Year's Day celebrations listening to carols (we don't do NY Eve but NYD is like Christmas Day - we even have presents ).

I hope you're all having a gorgeously lovely festive thing

Just to say that i have kept xmas puds that are way put of date for next year and due to brandy etc they have been fine . So worth stocking up even if best before is this year .

Okay, okay. You can stop slagging me off. You're right, it's a good idea to shop the sales for next Xmas. If you're not completely broke (as I am) from this year. But it's still sad and pathetic to anticipate Christmas this much in advance.

Sans, if you were planning something else you were looking forward to - a wedding or a holiday, say - would you not look forward to that well in advance? For lots of us on the Christmas board, Christmas is our 'big thing' of the year - holidays, new cars, expensive bags notsomuch. For a lot of us buying cheaply in the sales now, and through the year, eases the burden come December and/or allows us to buy nicer things than we could usually afford. Spreading the cost of Christmas - over a year, even - makes sense, and we like to share the bargains we find so others may partake. Above all, we quite like Christmas and if we want to talk about the next one in January or the July heat or whenever, we will. What's not to like about a time spent with family and friends under twinkly lights with good food and thoughtful gifts you've budgeted carefully for all year? What's wrong with thinking about something which makes you happy?!

By the way, if you follow some of the tips and tricks on here, you may well not feel 'completely broke' after Christmas 2017. That's the beauty of advance planning

Oh, and

360

by the way

When on a limited budget Christmas can take 12
Months to plan. I also sort birthday presents well in advance too

Our tree is coming down today or tomorrow.

And
In about may/June I shall start the prequel thread as normal

If you think we are so pathetic why keep coming back? Each to their own, no need to be down right nasty.

Waterstones have single Christmas cards 4 for £1! Some of them are upwards of £3 each usually so mega bargain - some really beautiful designs

I went to wilkos yesterday and came away with a better sales haul. I bought the following for around £20:

2 x hamper baskets @ 75p each
6 x mini hand/shower creams @ 50p each perfect 4 teacher's summer gifts
1x calendar £4
1x tags & ribbon box 75p
1x selection box 75p
1x set of 6 lego blox base plates £6
2 x wrapping paper (25p & £1)

The red and white candy striped wrapping paper in wilkos is reduced to 25p a roll. This is good to use for santa gifts because if it's easy to buy again if you run out. Most shops stock the red and white striped candy cane style design.

Christmas still very much alive here at the Late house....shortbread biscuits with a cuppa straight after breakfast and the tree still lit up and piles of games still be opened..(and I've just booked ice skating this afternoon just to keep the Christmassy feeling going for a smidge longer)

I've already started saving for 2017...for the past few years I've saved with Park (I don't work for them) and saved £70 with them each month...I find it a brilliant way of saving for Xmas as I cannot dip into it and because it's vouchers I don't spend time trapsing round the shops. Depending on how the month is going put another £50-£100 away for cash.

Next year instead of getting my friends bags of little bits I'll just do one 'bigger' present. This will save a whole lot of time and I hope be just as thoughtful. I usually leave my DH till last to concentrate on his gifts but I end up panic buying and not being really happy with what I've picked. Next year, he'I'll be first. The DC loved all the gifts especially the vouchers for events later in the year i.e. Cooking class and climbing wall session...they like having things to look forward to.

Sans, I don't mean this to be patronising but I do know how shit it is when you're broke but just because you wouldn't do what I'm doing or any of the others are doing doesn't make it pathetic.

Sans, be a sweetheart and go and post elsewhere.

Pathetic?? No. I don't think so

Sans I said before, either stay and be nice or go and be goady elsewhere. The posters on this thread like Christmas, we look forward to it and we like to plan for it so there is no need for name calling and spite.

The regular posters on this thread are a wonderful bunch of people who are kind and thoughtful and I consider myself lucky to have got to "know" them a little over the last couple of years.

Be nice eh? It is the season of goodwill after all.

I think Sans is a secret xmas lover, thats why they keep posting. They're drawn to the xmas thread like a moth to flame. Like myself to the xmas aisle in the shops.