Countdown to Christmas 2022: The January sales edition (AKA, 'Where the bloody hell have I put that?' come next Christmas!) Thread 1

[ThatsMySantaHisBeardIsSoFluffy]

365

Here we go, roll up, roll up!

I can barely move; I'm full of cheese and Bailey's. 🐷

Here's our new thread for the new countdown! 🎄🎅🏻🎄🎅🏻

Morning. I got up randomly early today so walked the dog before work but I've been struggling to warm myself back up properly since.

HeyUp the plan is to keep the candle until November then use it as something festive to have out before the decorations are up, but I'm not sure where to store it as it's so big and heavy.

Our fixed energy tariff is ending at the end of the month. So far the only deal we could get almost doubles the price (from £75 to £135 per month) so we're also doing nothing, but it's really stressful.
The only positive we have is that right now we have over £100 credit on our account so we'll get that back and it can help with the first month or 2 of the higher price.

Did any of you read Jack Monroe's Twitter thread about inflation and food prices? Was an interesting read but did make me worry a bit because all I can see are costs for everything going up and up and up

I did read that. I had a little cry at the elderly man eating toothpaste to trick his body into thinking he'd eaten a meal.

Our broadband and DH's mobile are going up 9.3% each on 1 April due to inflation being so high in December. Thankfully our water remains the same next year. Only thing that is though. Our energy went from £83 to £132 recently. Thankfully I'm locked in until Aug 23. Food is steadily creeping up though.

Thanks Fluffy. Martin Lewis (should be knighted IMHO) is fantastic at explaining things like this. I've sent the link to DH who is less fraught today.

Wreck - glad to hear you're feeling better, hoping that you're free of any lasting side affects too!

Crazy - sounds like a plan! I'm going to catch up with the twitter thread - it's genuinely worried me about how much it costs in the supermarket. I'm trying to weigh up the costs of ditching Sainsburys and potentially paying for chunk of Christmas with nectar points or switching to Lidl.

HeyUp, I don't save enough at budget supermarkets to compensate for the Nectar points I get at Sainsbury's. Plus I can't get everything in Aldi etc either.

I spent Nectar points on eBay for the first time last Christmas, so they were really useful (Switch joy con for £2, anyone?!).

You need to maximise your points haul though, with the bonus points offers combined with a linked card (two lots of bonuses, two lots of points promotions).

I thought as much - the offers are good at the minute, I got five coupons out of the machine today all of which I will use. To be honest, as long as the points pay for the majority of the food shopping I'll be happy, and you never know there might be a bit left for a couple of other treats (fingers crossed)

I have £188 in points already for the year. I spend them throughout the year on ingredients, such as all the dried fruit etc for the mincemeat, as well as on food nearer the time as well. I'll definitely look to spend them on gifts from eBay / Argos as well, especially now Double Up has ended.

I alternate between Aldi and Sainsburys weekly and we have an Iceland delivery and a meat delivery each month.

Main thing we're focusing on is reducing our food waste and 'cook clever' (as DH calls it) which is just cooking a few dishes using the same ingredients and batch cooking (like Monday when he turned 2 packs of mince into a lasagne, a bolognese and a cottage pie).

The Twitter thread is here

It's just so depressing watching the costs of everything increase. Work are also starting to talk about going back to the office for 1 or 2 days each week in the next month or so and I'll have to get the train so that will be extra costs too.

332

Morning!

It's finally pay day, whoop whoop! And, new year, new start, it's my first month (in about 7 years) of using a spreadsheet to budget rather than my memory of what's left to be spent vs what's left in my account. I'm hoping it revolutionises my money management. 🤣

Seems warmer today. Must go and reduce the heating!

My payday is tomorrow and DHs is Monday. I can't wait!

Budgeting is a fine art in this house Fluffy. DH & I do things completely differently so we sit down together at the start of the month and go through what's happening that month, make payments for some things (if we buy something big on the credit card we make sure it's paid off etc) then move money into savings and any 'spare' money into the account we have for that.
DH does it on a spreadsheet but I like to hand write it because the numbers don't go in my head and make sense on a spreadsheet (worrying considering some of my work is spreadsheet based)!

I logged on to work early as I was awake at 5:30 and gave up trying to sleep again by 6. Walked the dog, got ready and just got started. Lucky really as youngest nephew is sick so I'm not taking a break to come and sit in her house while he sleeps so she can take the other kids to school.

I bloody love a spreadsheet, me! 🤣

I paid a fiver for seed potatoes this morning, immediately logged onto my spreadsheet! 😇

Hi all,

I don't know if this is allowed (massive apologies if not) but I thought this might be of interest to some of you? If you sign up I think you get £20.00 (but cancel it so you then don't get charged). Twenty quid is Twenty quid!!!

Hey - check out gohenry, it's a pre-paid debit card for kids, with parental controls - great for learning money skills. www.gohenry.com/uk/referrals/?ght=RAF&utm_campaign=refer_a_friend_A&utm_source=activityMA#ref_act_goDA8933_Yh

Heyup DS has a GoHenry card and it's been great - especially since they added the option of texting the rellies a link so they can add money to his account for birthdays and Christmas. Now he's a bit older I think he'd probably be better off with an account from a high street bank but this definitely served the purpose it was set up for.

I watched DS play football for the school today. They got tonked but DS had a good game. Bloody freezing on the touchline though.

That's great to know Woolly - I'm glad it's not a gimmick :-) DD is 6 so we're introducing pocket money, and talking about spending and saving - I did laugh at the app though. It gives you the option to "pay" children for tasks...including brushing their teeth!

DS has a basic pocket money amount and then can earn more by doing chores - we don't pay him for basic hygiene though 😂. The only bit of advice I'd give is to keep a float in the parent part of the account as I think you get one free transaction (per week?) and then get charged for additional transactions if it comes direct from your bank account.

331

Morning!

I've been awake for a while for no good reason. Sigh. Time to get up soon.

Hurrah for Friday! No real plans this weekend other than haircuts on Sunday. And the usual cleaning.

I can't afford to give my dc pocket money. Plus they're bloody lazy and don't deserve it

My car was frozen this morning and ds came down at 5:30 saying he'd been awake since 4:30. Managed to make him a crumpet quickly before I left.

Thought I had a wax booked for today but it's actually next month annoying.

We don't give regular pocket money. Especially since having loose change available hasn't been a thing for almost 2 years now!

I don't like the fees aspect of Go Henry, though I like the concept.

I need to think about pocket money really. But they DS needs to be more helpful first!

What a horrible morning. Woke at 6 In a fair bit of crampy pain to realise period had arrived overnight so had to get up and shower and change bedding etc.
I've put clean pjs on though as they're gentler around my very tender stomach 😩

I only have 1 thing planned for the weekend which is a meal at a restaurant we've wanted to go to for ages followed by cocktails tomorrow evening.
Apart from that I'll be lying with a hot water bottle on my stomach watching tv, doing tiny amounts of housework (while DH does the bulk I hope) and crying hormonally at things that are a tiny bit sad on tv 😂

Eldest nephew had a GoHenry account but when he turned 11 last summer it was swapped for a Lloyds kids account.
The GoHenry one worked well when he was too young for an account at a standard bank but the Lloyds one has no fees as far as I'm aware.

I didn't have pocket money. Was a cause of lots of arguments in our house because my friends got some every week, not because I particularly wanted any 🙄

I had a NatWest Kids account when the Piggy Banks first came out, aged 11. It took ages to get Sir Nathaniel!

I'm so envious! I really wanted a natwest piggy collection but we had to have midland bank accounts. think my parents still have the dictionary it came with

What a busy day. Managed to spend over £90 in Aldi. Hopefully that'll stop dd moaning that she's soooooo hungry and there's nothing to eat. We're going out for dinner tonight as I won a £30 voucher for a steakhouse. Will probably still be pretty expensive.

Went to Costco with DH ( so he can push the trolley)

Costco has similar to Aldi Aisle of Wonder in that you go in and find things you didn't know you needed .....................we came out with a guitar we were going to buy one for DS for Christmas but never got round to it , this one was a pretty good price and I'll bet it won't be there if I go back next time ( usually 6-8 weeks between Costco trips)

My DD didn't get pocket money , she wanted the ££ iPhone (and used to take me shopping to buy her things ) DS got pocket money to make up for this (his phone is an old one )
Both their choice .
DS gets his gym membership paid instead of pocket money now .

I'm knackered. What a busy old week!

And it's only going to get busier. But for now it's not so bad, as I've mostly caught up.

I need to pop to Aldi. I was going to go to Sainsbury's, but the 5 mile walk is beyond me right now, and I DO want to walk it. I'll go tomorrow instead. I can't do much at the allotment tomorrow due to high winds making it less than ideal! I'll go to feed the birds on Sunday after my hair cut.

My friend is trying to get me to go to NY to watch Biffy. It's very tempting, but I just don't know. It's weird that after Glasgow, I now feel guilt at going away overnight. I never used to. Bizarre!

Heyup they're cheaper now than they've been for ages if you wanted to start a collection for your DD, obvs
70 That is about the only instrument (acoustic) that I would happily take a chainsaw to. It sets my teeth off and I can feel my neck/shoulders tightening typing this at the thought.
fluffy were the kids bothered last time you were away?
wreck enjoy!
Crazy Hope you're feeling a bit better now.

Puss, they weren't overly bothered, I don't think. But they don't remember it now. DS absolutely refuses to believe I used to be away for 3 nights a week.

If a) I wasn't committed to paying off debt this year and b) I wasn't going to Warsaw already this year, I'd jump at the chance. But I'm really struggling mentally with spending the money (even though my overtime would easily pay for it).

Crazy, how are you doing?