Thread 2 - the one with a round of Santa-plause for all of the bargains

[Reastie]

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!

@ 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

A few pointers to make everyone’s life easier and the thread be as useful as possible:

• It’s handy to put in bold the bargains so they’re easy to spot
• No affiliate links
• No need to place mark or post messages of hello or thanks at the start of a new thread - use the ‘watch thread’ button
• Be nice or leave

The current referral thread for sharing referral codes https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/christmas/4940918-4940918-bargain-referrals-thread-6 . Please use this rather than this page to share referral links to make the sharing fair.

To make clicks links, you set it up like this only without any spaces apart from between the website and the word(s) you’re writing: www.bargainsahoyeveryonecomehere.co.uk

Thanks @RainbowZebraWarrior for the instructions below.
To make something bold, put this star * either side of the word you want to bold (with no spaces in between)

So starhellostar would look like this.

hello

Obviously use the * not the word star

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)

I just bought a Christmas duvet set (king size) from Matalan for £16

Sainsbury’s had put out all their Halloween bits this morning and it included some Beetlejuice bits (I think one was a cup).

Primark often do bits based on films so may be worth checking in a larger Primark.

Scentish have some nice bundles on bath/shower gifts. Code Save20 on first orders works for an extra discount

scentish.co.uk/collections/bundle-save/products/mystery-bundle

Sorry it's NEW20 not save20!

@psuedocream3 lush had brought a few bath bombs out which are beetlejuice and one was Bob as my little boy is obsessed too if that’s
anyhelp.

Bah, dithered over which QVC hand creams to get and the Liz Earle ones have gone and no free shipping anymore for the other.
Lesson learned, don't dither!

A wooden doorstop she can wedge under hotel/hostel doors for extra security - or if you want to be fancy they sell ones with alarms too.

All in one travel plug that works in all countries and has extra charging points for USBs.

A battery pack.

Chillys water bottle.

Hand sanitiser.

Tevas if she’s going to hot weather countries.

Go pro if you’re willing to push the boat out.

If anyone has any difficult to get for people like I have 😆this might be an idea - my mil is 92 and we have been struggling for ideas as she's got most things but we have noticed in the past year or so she has been forgetting birthdays/anniversaries etc despite having a book with the dates written in and has been getting upset about it. She lives in sheltered housing and doesn't go out much anymore so getting cards means having to remember to ask someone to get her one. I have got her a birthday card book which has pockets for that months birthday or occasion cards and a diary for you to write in the name and date & occasion for that month - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BQN469ZW?ref=ppxyo2ovdtbfedasintitle&th=1 they have different options some of which have discounts but this was the cheapest version at £12.99 to go with that I have bought a set of 20 birthday cards for £5.99

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09FKRXLTJ?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

they have bigger packs for various prices and then I did the Whistlefish offer and got a range of different occasion cards such as get well, sympathy, anniversary and thank you etc I used the code so 10 for £7.25 delivered and I'll get a book of first class stamps to go with it all. Before wrapping I'll go through and write in all the family birthdays, anniversaries etc and after Xmas when we visit I can transfer over all the dates from her book so she will hopefully have all the cards ready to go for the next year.

@psuedocream3 there was LOADS in home bargains yesterday. Didn't really clock it as I've no idea what it is, but yay for memory sparking when I saw your post.

Matalan have some Beetlejuice tops and PJs

@Gracesquirrel thats a great idea, my late grandma would have loved this. I’m sure your MIL will be touched by such a thoughtful gift

Hobbycraft have an art sale on. No mega bargains I don't think but 25% off posca pens and a few other things on 3 for 2.

Totally guilty of dithering, there was a perricone moisturiser on at Costco for 19.99 but it was 5.99 delivery. I was peeved at the delivery fee so didn’t order but the cheapest I could find it elsewhere was 70 quid. Bit the bullet and went back on last night and it was sold out grrrr

That is such a thoughtful and kind thing to get her! Love gifts that are surprising and useful, especially when people notice a specific and perhaps 'trivial' thing that really matters to someone. PS. Good call on the stamps! Their price is rising by a LOT very soon!

@Dreamingofwalden @okayhescereal @Nospecialcharactersplease Thank you! Some great ideas, particularly like the sound of the solar power pack!

I just discovered these threads guys and they are amazing. You are all really doing the lord's work 😅.

I was wondering if anyone new of anywhere that did deals or discounts on Stanley cups?

just posted this on the 'presents for men ' thread - but repeating here in case it's helpful
Masters of Malt doing buy one get one half price on selected bottles of whisky, with a fairly decent range to choose from

Ahhh @Gracesquirrel that is possibly one of the nicest ideas I've heard for a gift. You are a lovely DIL 😊

Hi everyone

I’ve had a request for Palm Pink Puff hoodie - any one know anything about them?

From looking online they look around £60 which I share over budget for it’s a friends child - I’d pay up to £40 at a push. There does seem to be ones on Amazon very cheap, I presume these are fakes - but maybe they’d do - it’s for a 10 year old.

Any thoughts or other makes - not white fox though

back packing ideas:

micro towel - ive bought lifeventure ones
backpack lock - one with a wire for securing your bag to dorm bunks or to a chair in airport while dozing
battery pack
travel laundry wash, plug & line (look at lifeventure again)
packing cubes
dry bag liner
a load of US dollars (depending on where she is going?)

im going backpacking next year with 3 tweens so buying all the above at the moment. plus bags. ive bought the osprey fairview 55. id let her choose her own bag.

my.kids are getting lots of bits for Christmas.

Did you get a code?

I was going to suggest the laundry items (also an eco egg or something) then I remembered that having things laundered in asia/africa/mid and south america is SO cheap, even laundromats in america were pretty reasonable. Preferred that to washing and carrying a line around!

A line is good for drying towels though I guess. @FeltCarrot Another good one is a travel pillow and a large lightweight sarong/scarf. My colleagues bought me one and I used it every single day. I sat on it on the beach, bunched it up as a pillow on buses and trains, used it to cover myself when sleeping in various places, used it to cover shoulders and heads when visiting temples, had it as a scarf on planes when it was cold, wore it as a sarong on the beach. Most versatile item I packed. And now 10 years on when I wear it it's so full of memories. I love it.

@DeathStarCanteenGal do you have a link to the presents for men thread

For anyone who has a Phoenix comic fan PF24SAVE takes 20% off in the shop. Still wildly expensive mind.

can't do links @Retiredearly61 as am on my phone on the app - but it's in the Christmas topic, with title along the lines of 'presents for men that are not shit'