We'll have a good one this year!! Come and save for Christmas with me!

[MsOnatopp]

OK I promised myself last year that this year I WOULD afford a Christmas tree and not have a last minute panic about having enough money.

I have written down what I will spend on what and on who, and included birthdays for the rest of the year, then decided what I have spare each month til Dec, and decided what I need to save each month til then to give us a good Christmas.

Anyone else want to join me in my quest for the best Christmas we've had in a few years?

I failed again, think I'll have to leave it until I've sorted DD's birthdays in a couple of weeks. Can't really get my head around Christmas properly until then.

Can't do anything til after ds2s b day next month but then I will start...
Have already got my mil a gift and my uncle.
It much but a start.
Think my bro will ask for money for my dn which is fine by me.
I would like to spend £100 each in the dc and then everyone else gets £20!

I'm back, DDs have had their birthday and I've managed to save £10 this week.

The supermarket stamps can be quite good, esp when they are giving free cash eg spend £50 on a card and get a few quid free.

Thats a better return than the banks offer at the moment.

Hi, can I join you? We are really cutting down this year. We have recently bought out little one a special needs bicycle (£2200) this year I am concentrating on our children, other family members will have to go without!! But I am putting money away each month to cover our children Xmas presents and food!!

I've already bought the DD's main present, 1 last week, 1 today. So that just leaves me OH's and 1 sister. OH will organise his side of the family. I will get a few small gifts for friends, but not expensive. The dogs do not get gifts in this house because, well they're dogs. We don't need to buy decorations, can't get Christmas crackers here, so it's really just those few gifts and the food for this year. Still need to save for it though as things are getting tighter by the month here.

Great idea - i'm in!

I'm in - I have been putting aside £20 a week cash since the start of August along with other bits and bobs of money that's come our way.....vouchers, £2 coins etc. So I'm hoping to have around the £500 in cash by mid December.

This won't cover everything as I have a ridiculously large family but I have been buying presents since May when I see some good bargains, so hopefully this will help too.

Adults are getting something homemade as well as a small bought thing - got raspberry gin on the go and will have sloe gin brewing come the end of the month. Am seriously quite excited about some of the previous years' homemade Christmas threads and the prospect of this years' one too .