Thread 13 - the one where I'm dashing for the school run!

[Reastie]

Apologies for the rubbish title - I'm trying to get the kids ready and don't want my daughter to miss the bus!

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

If you have any voucher codes to share (or want to check for any) then have a look https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/christmas/5212144-sharing-voucher-codes

The current referral thread for sharing referral codes here . 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)

What are the tickets for ? Might not help but my friend did tickets for her teenagers one year - one was really into horses and she got her tickets to Royal Badminton (?-just remember it was badminton) and she wrapped her tickets in a shuttlecock, her son was a ruddy fan and his was in a rugby ball shaped tin. Could you do something like that ?

Has anyone the Black Friday code for Hobbs please?

@VolcanicProtectorMan both John Lewis and The Entertainer have things in that budget.
The Moana squishmallow is £13 at the Entertainer, if the budget could stretch, or the secret journal is on offer for £10 from 15.

John Lewis has had some great prices recently on Barbie-sized Disney dolls.

Are there ever bargains on crimpits? I can only find buy one get one free offers - but I don't need two?!

Thanks @nothingcomestonothing, they look good but a few posters have mentioned delivery issues with OHS so I’m a tad nervous.

https://www.interismo.co.uk/boarti

was looking for something else and came across these shelves for keeping your tonieboxes on. No idea if these are good value but they are cute.

edited to add they obviously could be used for any sort of small items or characters.

I think that's the only deal I've seen them do. I bought two wrap ones last year (which are crap) and gave one to a friend. They used to sell on Amazon, but I see they are currently unavailable. Lakeland with a £ or % off voucher is likely your best bet.

On the shortbread chat, I've been eating Dean's shortbread for years - having grown up in Scotland I ate a lot of different brands of shortbread and Dean's is the runaway winner for taste for our household. I got the hamper last year plus bits for the Christmas snack cupboard/nursery gifts etc and it went down a treat as per usual!

@OatFlatWhiteForMePlease they have some cuddle cushions in Amazon Black Friday deals for around £21

cushion

I'm ordering a Deans Hamper but also tempted by these cute tins - a choice of colour, £6.99 for one.

I'm with you.
Previously we have given;
Cinnamon buns kit
Creams set
Personalised items, vase/ mugs etc
Slippers
Jumper
Gloves
Photo frame digital
Boots voucher (that was given back to me)

She's difficult every year.
This year I have no idea.

Thanks for this idea; I'd not heard of these frames but they're perfect for MIL and DM.

I'm looking for these too.

I'm sure last year boots was the cheapest...

I need inspiration and bargains...I feel this is the place :)

My best friend and her 7yo are visiting for Christmas, they live overseas and are combining the visit with selling the house they used to live in here. They'll be with us for a few days over Christmas and then will be at her (mostly empty as tenants just left) house for about 3 weeks after.

I want a few gifts for them to open but they are limited on what they can take back with them so ideally things that can be used within the time they're here (e.g. food or bath products), or a small present that's so good they're happy for it to take up space in the suitcase - and can keep the 7yo entertained.

I'm not worried about budget particularly, but friend won't be pleased if I've spent a lot, and I don't want her to feel as if she needs to reciprocate.

I'm beyond excited to see them, and I'd love for them to have some thoughtful gifts to open Christmas morning:)

I have relented and bought the Deans Black Friday hamper. I’d resisted earlier as it had the coffee shortbread and the Black Forest, neither of which I was bothered about but now there’s no coffee ones I’ve decided to go for it. We love shortbread in our house.

@mumsm

How about a voucher to take her out for afternoon tea or a meal? That way she gets a nice time with you x

@SharonMack17 as a family, we all have the app, so my nan gets updates several times a week lol.
And now we are getting 3 more for Christmas for myself and husband, Aunt and Uncle and then my dad.
I know they aren't the cheapest, but it is amazing.
And it also turns itself off when it gets dark! So my nan doesn't need to worry about turning it off!

@Iwanttoputmytreeup could you please tell me - is the cow shortbread in a box or in a tin? Trying to resist twitching 😀

Lots of offers in my inbox today.

Elizabeth Arden no minimum spend to get The Blockbuster. 30% off other items, free delivery and two free full size gifts when you spend £75

Wool and the Gang 25 % off everything

We are Knitters 30% off sitewide

OK Beauty Box Advent calendar for £90 plus two mystery boxes

Popsa BLACKFRIDAY 50% off everything and a free gift box

Just caved and ordered the Deans shortbread Black Friday offer including 10% off for new newsletter signup, so price came down to £20.48 and P&P was free! Challenge now is to not eat too much of it myself....

@Inspirationfailure
The cow shortbread is in a tin about 7" × 9" with almost duck egg blue base :)....I was going to gift ot but we have to keep it just so I can use the tin afterwards!

All the deans people, can I ask how quickly yours was dispatched please? I ordered last week but no sign of a dispatch email as yet. Maybe they’re just busy but just checking!

This just popped up, a great buy for younger DC.

@MidnightMilkman - how about a charity shop "hamper" of books/toys for the 7 year old to play with for 3 weeks and then gift back?

@MidnightMilkman when we went on holiday this year, we bought my daughters Polly pockets (eldest is 7, nearly 8) and they were such a good idea! A little world with all sorts of imaginative play possibilities and plenty small enough to take home in the suitcase. We also bought some colouring books and cheap pencils which we thought we could throw away when we were leaving, but again, they were actually small enough to slip into their suitcases too. The monkey one someone posted recently looked really lovely and a bargain! I almost bought it for my daughter even though she’s just had some new ones!