Christmas bargains thread 1 - just in the (Saint) Nick of time

[Reastie]

I feel like this year is going to be my year of terrible cheesy Christmas pun thread titles

Greetings and welcome one and all to a friendly and joyful corner of mn - the Christmas bargain thread. Here, we share Christmas present purchases, ideas, links and discount codes, with the aim to spread the Christmas magic and joy and reduce the financial stress.

It's a very busy thread, so see the tips below for helping everything run smoothly and avoiding repetitions of Cookiegate etc al. It's a lovely, friendly bunch and I'm so grateful to each and every one of you for building such a warm, fuzzy and generous spot on mn. I know I've save so much over the years and am so grateful to all of you for sharing.

Pull up a sleigh and relax with a mulled wine and mince pie, for Christmas has nearly arrived!

Some of the below is copied and pasted from previous years, so do @ me if the links don't work

Stock informer is a handy site http://www.stockinformer.co.uk/default.aspx?fullsite=1

Camelcamelcamel is a great amazon price tracking tool http://uk.camelcamelcamel.com

The following links compare price products including postage
www.find-book.co.uk
www.find-cd.co.uk
www.find-dvd.co.uk
www.find-game.co.uk (as in PS4/xbox etc)

@ me if you need anything or you want to let me know anything - the thread moves so fast I can't always keep up so this really helps

@hby9628 I bought a couple for gifts from ASOS last year, they were approx £10. That may have been with the seasonal discounts

Yes, I saw that too but reckon I can pop the USB into a standard phone plug to charge.

Not super Christmassy, but might be a practical gift. Tripp luggage have a big sale on. We got suitcases there about 8 years ago and they are still going strong.

@sherbertdibdab thanks for that I was literally only just looking on here last week and was debating ordering a new case. Definitely ordering one now

Thanks so much for sharing about the Monster High dolls! I also have MH mad twins so I popped into Asda this morning to chance my luck and managed to get the last two doll sets!
Did you also see they have a 4 set of MH blind bags reduced from £20 to £10? They're usually £6 each so another great bargain, and a good pressie to complement the dolls!

I just got a Virginia Hayward mag through the post. It's got a 20% off early bird code LANDROVERP

Got some lovely hampers from them over the years for family and they've always gone down well.

@Slater22 for walking boots, you’re probably best off getting a voucher for an outdoor store convenient to you that carries lots of brands so he can try them on and choose himself.

It’s also one of those things where the cheaper ones tend to fall apart quickly (the Sam Vimes Boots theory in action) so it’s better to look for ‘proper’ outdoor brands.

DH just got some new boots after his last pair finally gave up the ghost, and went to Cotswold Outdoors where they offered loads of advice about how the different brands fit, which he would never have considered. He came away with some Merrell boots for around £120 but they will last him 10 years or more. Also, he is a useless shopper and definitely didn’t look for a cheaper deal elsewhere 🙄

Thanks for this I got myself 2 pendant necklaces and a pair of matching earrings from a maker via this sale would have cost me £39 but I had all 3 items with free delivery for £13.25 really pleased with that.

For DD15 maybe something like Byoma or la Roche posay? Usually I’d recommend cerave but it’s not very gifty.

for DD7, spots + stripes is a good brand (my DD9 uses it) and possibly some gentle face masks from simple or the like?

Thank you!! We need an extra case and I’ve been waiting for them to be on sale!

On the walking boots front, my DH and I both work outdoor jobs and we have a dog so wear walking boots a lot. We used to favour Merrells for more casual boots alongside a more expensive leather boot (depends what you are walking in and for how long). However, last couple of years Merrell haven't fared well. For a good price boot, don't overlook Decathlon. The boots are a good price, fully waterproof and so far have lasted three years without any signs of giving up on daily wear.

Next VIP autumn sale invites are out for Wednesday 18th so the public sale will likely start on Saturday 21st. No previews yet but there’s usually some good giftable bits like fragrances/body sprays, candles, makeup, etc if you get in first thing.

Thanks for the skincare advice, Byoma seems the way to go with eldest, youngest will get token stuff to feel she’s not missed out. With that on mind, where’s the best place to buy Byoma? This is well out of my comfort zone, I only use moisturiser!

Thanks to the cellotape dispenser recommendation, I’ve brought one each for 2 teachers I work with as theirs are being held together with….cellotape 😂

I bought DH a contour gauge profile tool a few years ago. Amazon have a few ranging from about £10 up. It enabled him to cut laminate flooring and tiles to get a lovely finish around door frames.

Ah I'm glad my MH mention helped! You're a much nicer parent than me though, I'm making my two share one set of the three dolls! 🤣

I had seen the blind bags but decided against it, I've already got them a MH duvet set each from when they were in the Matalan Sale, and a Monster High Polly Pocket to share (from when that went down in price slightly on Amazon a while back)!

So I got them each one of the small vale blind bags which were £1.25 (instead of £2.50) and they will be happy enough with that!

I was very tempted by the £10 bags though I must admit!

For value, I’d recommend going through their website. If you buy 4+ things then you get 25% off

I got cleanser toner moisturiser and spf for dd for around £35.

I've been keeping an eye on the price of this nespresso vertuo with milk frother and pods. It's normally at £109.99 and it's dropped today to £88. Seems like a good deal. The frother on its own is usually around 70

Thanks @Yalz for the https://www.supersecondsfestival.co.uk/ tip. Just got DH to buy me a totally unnecessary, but hopefully lovely, mug!

I resisted the wax burner as I am sitting looking at the one I have already and I didn’t need that - never mind a second one 🙀

Off to have another look…

Thanks @Drawahardline Tcb give 12.75% cashback too 🙂

Re the replies about silk pillowcases:

Satin pillowcases don't give the benefits that silk ones do (for skin & hair etc.), so miss the point of buying them IMO (I found this out to my cost after buying a satin one by mistake last year). If someone has asked for a silk pillowcase, better to get them a silk one...

I got one for less than £20 last year from Amazon in the black Friday sales.

Thanks to those that commented about tips for New York, I pretty much planned on visiting 5 below and probably getting some sweets for all the kids and little stocking gifts.

Instead of silk pillowcases you could also try bamboo ones, they have the same benefits and don’t involve animals 🙂

@Daisychain789 there’s a good thread on adult stocking fillers there https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/christmas/5069479-adult-stocking-filler-ideas-all-year-round?page=10&reply=138174768

Great idea! My kids only forgave me for going to NYC without them because of all the American sweets I brought home!

I've gone for the silk pillowcase on TK maxx. Down to £16 in the sale. Says it's mulberry silk so hoping it's good. Will check it when it arrives.