On your marks, get set, go...it's the countdown to Christmas 2020. Thread 1!

[ThatsMySantaHisBeardIsSoFluffy]

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Afternoon.

Here we go again! It feels slightly bonkers setting off again before today is over, but it's tradition, so who am I to argue?!

Hello cousin!! 👋

You sound very organised. 😁

And it's Friday, go for the wine. I think weight loss is a common feature amongst almost everyone I know.

I wonder if DH got bored with me being around after my op?! I imagine I got under his feet a bit. 😂

We'll come and house / dog sit for you if we can work round it. WhatsApp me the dates and I'll check. My parents would like to have us about for longer than one night!

I do need a good declutter Fluffy waves to your CUZ
Have got a bit of tummy ache tonight think it is from the profiteroles l scoffed earlier serve me right !

I'm working on Dh!!

I didn't feel organised last year, now I've got the job at the school I'm working 7 days a week during term time!! DD2 was off for 2 weeks last month with tonsillitis, conjunctivitis then something viral, so no chance to do anything!!

I do Park every year, means I don't have to find the money every year.

Would love my own allotment, I just don't have the time or green fingers

Hi 👋I'm just going to jump back in.

Emrys the allotment looks good 👍🏻

Hello PJ were you on the thread before? Welcome either way!

We had a disaster getting back from Scotland - the bus to the airport got cancelled but they didn't say, just left us waiting for ages then shrugged their shoulders.
We got an Uber but was v stressful!

Anyway, back to real life now. I've been back at work for 2 days (DH goes back Monday) and it's been a bit rubbish.
Have put the decs away, cleaned, done eleventy million loads of washing (🙄), got stuck back in at work and put together a new budget / money plan for the year.

I've decided I need a proper decoration plan for this Christmas - I have lovely decs but they're a bit haphazard and don't flow (mix of new, classic vintage style and cheesy vintage). But will have to see to that nearer the time as 🤞🏼 we'll be in a new house by then.

All this talk of de-cluttering

I have five bags (and counting) probably about 2 large binbags full ? of clothes sitting upstairs .

And some kitchen items (some are really only bin worthy) that are too knackered to go into the Charity Shop.

All the decorations are packed into boxes ready for the attic.

M&S had some gift bags ( The Snowman) reduced . I thought Ohh The Snowman never goes out of date , he's eternal but the bags were quite small - and I'd probably lose them before Christmas

Morning! No plans today apart from some exercise. But I'm currently in my new pjs and can't think of anything worse.

I've got a roast chicken which I might do today rather than tomorrow. DH isn't working today for once so will be easier with him about plus tomorrow there'll be lots of getting ready for school and work so left overs might work easier.

As of June we will be eligible to apply for a bigger house. I think most people are on the list for 4-12 months before getting somewhere. I will hold out for somewhere perfect because, unless we win the lottery, we will be there forever. I also have to think about the dc school. There's lots of new builds going up but they're £800+ a month which would be tight. This year we're going to be frugal. No day trips, no weekends away, no holidays until the credit cards are paid (they're not massive) and we have a little bit of money behind us. I've finished paying my overpayment off now and get a pathetic pay rise in April. In November my lease car is up and we will give it back and buy a cheap one but this one has scratches so I'm dreading the charges.

Anyway enough of my waffling ds is asking for breakfast.

Flouncy I just want everything to feel cosy and lovely when I switch all the lights on but I can't seem to pull it together. Not sure why, we're in a brilliant house for that right now (it has high ceilings, bay window etc).
Also, one of the first things I consider is where the tree will go!
DH has agreed that if we've moved we can get a real tree this year as long as it's potted so we can put it back outside. I'm happy with that, I love a real tree and don't like having to kill one - plan will be to hopefully buy a smal one, keep and grow it and use it year after year 🎄

Wreck we went through some of last years spending and it's awful. Although both our wages went up, we shopped around so our bills came down and we've saved a fair bit to move house, we could easily have saved twice as much.
We're having holidays this year but will plan better so we spend less. Main thing for us is to be organised and stop frittering money on meals out.
Also, our plan is opposite to yours wrt cars. We both drive old cheap ones but once we've moved DH will get rid of his and we want to get a small lease car.

I went to Tesco yesterday and picked up some cheap Christmas cards (60p). Almost got wrapping paper too but stopped myself in time. I have 2 half rolls left and when it's gone I plan to use fabric wrapping instead.

My plan for today when I get out of bed is to drive to meet MIL and do the dog handover (she looked after him while we were away), take him on a good walk, do the last load of washing, final clean and start crocheting a baby blanket for a friend who is due in February.

The first thing we consider when looking round houses is where the Christmas tree would go. Ours is 9ft so ceiling height is critical.

I feel so down about money due to DH's debts. We won't have the credit cards paid off until 2021. Reminding myself that we are lucky that it's the luxuries we have to cut back on not the essentials though. Am focusing on cheaper activities this year like the allotment and we definitely need to eat out less.

Just signed up for weight watchers online, again, let's see how I get on this time.

I need to be and want to be more frugal this year, so meal planning and sticking to it, no random spending, will be looking at switching gas and electric as the deal ends next month, will do that through TopCashBack, I'm in credit with the current ones by about £400 so that will pay for the kids new passports.

We are in our forever home, and it needs everything doing to it, so need to get saving to actually get it done.

Dh has a huge bloody desk in one corner of the living room, I'm still trying to convince him that when we should get rid of it when we decorate as the Christmas tree could go there, but he's not keen, I hate the blood thing.

Our only luxuries are the dc clubs. I couldn't cancel them. Our food budget is £80 a week including all toiletries and cat food. We can't cut back anywhere really. Luckily DH has overtime and that's all 'spare money' so will he used to pay things off instead of paying for holidays

356

Morning!

2020 is the year I take grip of my finances! They've - frankly - been out of control and we're still recovering from 2 lots of mat leave as well. My credit cards are a long term bloody plan, but within 5 years I hope to be in a much better position. I'm also cutting days out and weekends away as well as frivolous spending (good job I've enough cross stitches to last the year! ).

I have the original mortgage-style student loan so only started earning enough 2 years' ago to pay it back (just before I got to write-off territory!). I have 3 more years of that to go. But then that money will help pay off the other debt over the 5 years. Hopefully we'll buy a house by the time I'm 50! Told you it was long-term!

It seems like loads of us have similar plans.

Flouncy they don't have loads. They have a joint swimming lesson fortnightly, dd has piano lessons and ds does football. We're definitely not one of those families with something every night!

Ours only do swimming, Wreck. We can't afford anything else really. In any event, they're very much 7-7.30 bedtime (they're asking to go as soon as we get there!), loads of clubs wouldn't work with this!

Flouncy, I just do a price comparison and choose the cheapest provider (if they're not one I'm avoiding, i.e. nPower and EDF!). We're with BG this year and haven't been forced into a smart meter. We don't want one, so just wouldn't allow access / choose a tariff which forced one.

I think swimming is really important for them. I'm not sure how much longer they need to do it though? They love going but I suppose it's not a necessity as they can both swim well now. Good enough anyway

I'll do another comparison, flouncy, see where they are, price-wise. If they're cheaper, I'll swap. They weren't last time.

BG keep badgering me about a smart meter. I ignore them! 😂

Afternoon all! Hope you’re all doing well. Sorry that I’ve dropped off, I’ve been having some lovely time with the kids before they go back to school. My New Years resolution is to spend less time online too, especially social media!. I’ve packed away the decs and we’re slipping back into normality now

Neros, was it you who watched the Shaun the Sheep film when it first came out? We went this morning and loved it! The cinema was almost empty though (best way, I find!).

I've seen another job I could apply for but it's in the next county over and, although it's fine from our house now, if we were to move it might make an unbearable commute. I suppose I shouldn't apply

It's in a different county so we could only move further away. Will hopefully move in the next 18-24 months.

Afternoon everyone
l am vere happy to report the DEC'S ARE DOWN , dining room & front room has been decluttered and cleaned
I am taking Mum to Knit and Nat in a little while
Fluffy, EDF are after us all the time re a smart meter l told them when they get the right one in stock that we can swap to any service we will do it. They were the cheapest tariff for us here so l swapped to them , we haven't had any problems so far , fingers crossed
I am vowing to stick to not buying bloody Christmas presents even if they are a bloody bargain, l don't have to remind you of the state my dining room was in pre Christmas l am sure I am on the frugal site accounting for every damn day , l am not going to buy the damn stuff and clutter the damn house up again!
Crazy wonderful plans for the coming year I am following the lot of you here . l am going to get to grip with myself this year , it's money for Christmas & Birthdays from now on !
I better shift , l will say it again taking Mum to bloody KNIT N NAT!