Thread 13 - I do not need a baby for Christmas! I do not need a baby for Christmas!

[Reastie]

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Fitbit Inspire HR and Google Nest Mini smart speaker for £74.99 at Curry's.

The Fitbit is normally 89.99 and the Nest Mini is normally 49.99 so a decent chunk of saving.

Pop into mountain warehouse today and got 3 water bottles for about £10... Small ones are buy one get one free and the large are half price with another purchase

@moobar I still haven't done anything about it

It's all very well you all wanting thread babies but you don't have time to do anything lol

@smartiecake - yes! DH and I both have cards - they are linked to the same account but he is just a second card holder. We both have the app on our phones and have both been able to double up £50 worth of points each. Our points this morning were worth £131. I doubled up first, got my voucher through and the total went down to £81. DH then did it on his phone, got another £100 voucher through and our points total is now £31.

Having said that - I have been totally disappointed this year. Apart from the utter chaos in the store because the systems weren’t working (I was there for 2.5hrs and almost an hour of that was spent at the tills/customer service trying to get my voucher to work), there just wasn’t loads to choose from. Since they took over Argos there is definitely much less in store to pick from.

Oddly I was told that Christmas food items (like boxes of biscuits in the seasonal aisle) weren’t included, but a friend was told they were. I haven’t spoken to her since she checked out so I don’t know whether it worked for her or not.

We still have DH’s £100 to spend but I’m dreading it - this morning was hell!

book people have 10 Paddington picture books for £9.99 when you use code MARMALADE4.

@slayingdragons thanks thats really useful.
I was in sainsbury's before 9am buying one item with my double up. No one else was there and it took 20 mins and 2 staff to do it!

@Youvegotafriendinme no you can only double up the points you have. Your balance will go down. The posters talking about second cards have over £100 worth of points so getting round the £50 limit to double up to £200

@ PaddingtonBearHardStare thank you for clarifying that. I’ve never done it before so thought I’d get the Christmas alcohol with it
so I just Go into store, get what I want then double up on the app, go to the till and they take off the balance of the vouchers and I pay any remaining money?

Can't remember whether I posted this before but my children had these today (behaviour reward) and they love them. My eldest is 9,and my youngest is 4.

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07WPW3JCD/?tag=mumsnetforu03-21
Cultivate Kid Thinking Ability Toys Water Ring Toss Child Handheld Game Machine
Price: £0.38 + £0.46 delivery

@Notlongnow1 I was feeling stressed this morning and do feel slightly differently this evening We’re having financial issues (job related) and have pared down the gifts because of it. I was looking at it that a gift wouldn’t be missed by the 6 as they want for nothing and have disposable ££. But I’ll relook at the options for them.

Looking for a spare m&s code if anyone has one handy? Keep missing them xx

Whoever was asking about plates for candles. Lidl have gold plates from tomorrow for £1.99 each. Let me know if you don't have a local one I'm happy to pop in for you and post x

@doctorboo don't spend money you don't have but, in the same position, I think I would be more tempted to decrease budget for others in order to get them a tiny token rather than exclude them. But obviously depends on relationships and dynamics etc. I have a huge family. Some of my nieces and nephews i only spend about £2/3 on. I just make sure it is a thoughtful present i know they will appreciate x

@Youvegotafriendinme it's only on Taste The Difference alcohol, not everything

I've been struggling with this, and then I realised I knew exactly who to ask for help!
Ds's teacher has been amazing with him this year. She does, so I'd like to get her something connected with that. I don't want to get anything too spiritual, maybe something funny, but am completely stuck! Any ideas please?

Sorry, should say does Yoga with him!

pinkjam just to add to the game recommendations - pig goes pop, orchard toys shopping list, matching pairs, snap, buckaroo, fishing game. all popular with my girls and at the nursery I work in with that age 😁 personally would wait a year or 2 for the monopoly junior and other junior games unless you already play alot of games. my dd didn't have the concentration till she started school for those types. 5-10 mins were her maximum game playing!! there's also a lovely catching stars one which I got my dds last year that was fun, think it was a bargain thread one!

for person who was going to buy shh don't wake dad get the best bargain you can, it's awful. we tried a few times to play it and each time after 45 mins we were no closer to finishing and dds just got frustrated and it's gathered dust since!!!

@AndddddHerewegoagain,I believe that it was me who was after the candle plates, thank you for thinking of me and for your very kind offer - that is what makes this my very favourite thread!
In the end I bought five lovely glass star shaped little plates in HomeSense. My rationale on that was that after the candle was used the recipients could reuse the glass plate as a little dish for nuts etc or as a pretty trinket dish. Funnily enough I was assembling them this morning and have done them up in cellophane with silver curling ribbon and they look lovely. I think Mum will be very happy with them anyway. Thank you again.

@wornoutboots
Those little water ring things will make an excellent stocking filler! Thanks

Do you have to use self check out for double up points? First time using them this year and it reads like you do..

youscumbagyoumaggot I was also looking for an artificial tree and ended up getting one from Gumtree for £10. It’s around 7ft and not the poshest tree but saves it from landfill and I couldn’t face trawling around looking for one and paying £60 for a naff tree!

If you can’t get to Tesco then the Coop have Mars/Galaxy/Malteser advent calendars £3 for 2

@Redwinestillfine - no you don’t. And actually, in my store this morning, even the people who were on self service tills needed assistance to get the blooming vouchers to work anyway so it was a waste of their time going through self service.

Ds and I were in B and M today and he saw these Mega Construx Breakout Beasts for £3.00 and bought one with his pocket money. They're a really nice substantial toy inside. When we got home I looked them up and they're around £10 in other places.

(I may have made an excuse to go back and get three more)

Sorry I meant to say I don't know if it is just a glitch in our store. It was new stock out.

I went through the self service with my double voucher and apparently someone had to authorize it. Luckily our Sainsbury's was very quiet. Bugger all to choose from and I struggled to spend it. Anyway it was 'free' so I shouldn't grumble.