Dec--k--(ember) the halls with discount holly,

[economymode]

New thread, complete with tenuous title, to help us keep track of finances this month. Come be a Scrooge with me!

Mum2Fergus I used TopCashback - hope it helps. The deal is still on. X

got my CC bill, takes ages to arrive here, too much went through in Nov (bad planning on my part) and it's too much to pay this month. And it's on full payment DD. so I'm going to have bank charges, and missed payment charges and it's all my own fault

Good news though is when OH was going through the joint acc online asking me "what's happened here " it was all his business costs.

OK, so have made all one-off purchases that we need to for the month. Bar £30 that we need to pay the carpet fitter next week. I feel slightly sick at the amount we have spent, but we still have £600 to spare (I hope). I just spent £99 on a fake xmas tree, reasoning that if we spend £30 or so on a real one each year, this will work out more cost-effective. Several years of toddler-dom to come, so I think a real one would be asking for trouble.

Evening all very spendy day for me today! However all of DS and DP Christmas presents had been budgeted for throughout the year, and are now safely in the loft! I had some budget leftover so DP and I had a very rare DS free lunch together

Very excited as received a call a few minutes ago...someone enquiring about my car which is for sale on Gumtree for £6.5k...and he's coming to view it in the morning!! Fingers crossed for me folks!

Good luck with the car

Fingers crossed here for you Mum2Fergus

Good luck Mum2, I shall be keeping everything crossed for you.

Ooooh folks...I think all your finger crossing has worked! Garage going to do inspection for buyer, if ok he's happy to pay full price!!

Fantastic news, Mum2Fergus :).

Great news Mum2Fergus

Do we all know about superdrugs MUA make up? most items are only a £1 and it's actually quite good.

Perfect for the party season.

£11.00 yesterday in Sainsbo's.
£21.00 in Post Office - did include Ebay and Christmas stamps.

So glad to hear at your car looks to be sold Mum2Fergus - what fantastic news.

Just £1.50 on bus fares today. A necessity, as our footpaths were ice rinks and totally ungritted.

Ooh, some rare access to a PC so can do a proper post for a change!

HelenaGrace ? how did the house move go?!

INeedALieIn ? how has your listing gone? I?d suggest some really good pictures and very descriptive text for Ebay. Watch your listing and keep fees as low as possible, and remember the Final Value fee which can be a rip-off IMO! I?ve only recently returned to Ebay as had been using Gumtree (and continue to do so) but I?ve such a load of stuff to work though Ebay seemed easiest option.

Buddy80 ? thanks for cashback site. Going to have a look at that tonight!

Fluffy/Adora/Rogue/Crème/ToOld ? thanks for your messages!

So ? have spoken to buyer again this afternoon and he?ll be round on Monday to collect the car! He?s paid deposit today, and I?ve agreed to have it valeted for him ? least I can do given he?s prepared to pay full asking price. I also had the old MP3 player I had on Ebay sell today for £32 ? to think I was going to chuck it in the bin!!

So between one thing and another, I?m well on my way to house deposit so have made appointment with Bank of Tuesday to go through approval in principle. Please god the wee house I?m watching doesn?t sell in the meantime! Oh, and NSD today for me.

That's brilliant news Mum2Fergus - what a fantastic result. And congrat's on the MP3 player sale as well.

Fantastic news, you must be over the moon.

Professional fees for Podiatrists next year are £370, due on 01.01.13. Something to look forward to good excuse to be frugal over christmas too and rein dh in

You never know what things will sell for on eBay. It's always worth a punt isnt it.

Now, where do I get a cheap roll of blank stickers from? I want to re-use envelopes people send you and I need to blank out the return addresses on them.

Thanks Rogue/Fluffy...very happier, and happier still when balance transfers to my ac lol

Try Poundland stationery aisle for printer labels, they should do the trick!

Or would a run over with a black marker pen not cover return addresses for you?

Ooh I can get to poundland in the morning. Black pens not cutting it, they have to be neat and frugal.

Love poundland. We have poundworld which according to them is the Harrods of the Pound shops. I can get soap for my laundy gloop, I just need somewhere to hide it from DH now.

You all try and hide your jealousy of my upmarket shopping trip now wont you?

fluffy, I am green with envy

NSD here however tomorrow we have DS1's preschool Christmas Fayre and Thursday to have to venture into town.

Fluffy I am so jealous

Given the day I have in store for me tomorrow, Id much rather be in Poundland lol

Fluffy not sure I can keep up with your heady shopping trip

Mum2Fergus fantastic news, good luck with the house

Helena how a things, hope the move went well.

Today I bought DDs a bottle of water each after school, it's 33C and they'd finished their all their water. That was about £1.20. Roads were £3, but nothing else today. Need to take DD2 for a check up later, that'll be £60 - I think.

Tomorrow I'm hitting the supermarket. I have a voucher that will give me 3,000 Nectar points if I spend £30 , which I would have spent anyway.

Was someone here looking for an Octopod? They're currently £23 on Amazon (rather than the regular £36 ish price).

Just catching up...

Mum2, big hurrah for the car sale. HURRAH!

Fluffy, PoundWORLD, eh?

Helena, hope the move went well and was as stressless as possible.

Yesterday I spent £33 on, ahem, WI membership. Yep, that's right. I'm not yet 30 but was lured in. It's actually one of the new-fangled, younger branches and it's right on my doorstep, doing things I like.

50p today at playgroup but that should be it for the day.