O come all ye festive frugaleers, gather round for festive chat and frugaleering

[northender]

Haven't been on the old thread for a few days so thought I'd start a new thread as it's nearly full.

Hi all just catching been working all wend.

Welcome juggling

Needa glad the op went well, you can buy cocodomol over the counter so am sure if his hand is still really sore that would be fine (unless he is allergic to codeine obv!) 3 weeks is a long time but at least you have christmas by way of a distraction. I think its fair enough you tell your dh what the reality of him working all hours is!

So spends this wend ummm

Ystd wasn't too bad, posted a parcel which was about £3.

My dd did her first ever riding show today, was gutted I had to miss it due to work but my mum took her. It cost £21 in the end and dd did very well won 4 rosettes and came 2nd and 3rd in 2 classes

Got my Morrisons shopping being delivered by Jesus tonight (I kid you not!) very apt for christmas I thought

Day off tomos thank God will try very hard not to be gripped by Christmas madness!!

I can't even see the vagon, it is all but gone! Spent £30 in Tesco on books and chocolates.
£25 in JL on crackers, a cute toy for my friend's daughter and a present for my DD's best friend. And stopped with DD for a drink,£5.20.
Monday NSD, but Tuesday...hmmmm....I will probably spend at least £100 on food and drinks.
Oh well.

Haha Girlie I randomly saw Jesus riding a tractor down the A30 today.

Fluffy mmmm Chambord! Now I want some too.

It's that time of year isn't it fluffy?

Thanks ipsos, hoping you enjoy your flash, so to speak!

Any better spotty, your DD?

Well done to your DD girlie, start saving, it's a slippery slope Bet you are glad to have a day off, at least no school routine to have to negotiate.

I am only moaning about DH as I felt the Dubai trip was at the whim of the client and not necessary. It's what he does, but he sometimes puts the needs of the business over the needs of his family.

I do regularly tell him to f*k off though!

She's asleep and managed a toasted muffin I think I'll see how she is over night hopefully she can fight it without antibiotics.

Anyone watching bear and Obama?

Frugal wagon,what frugal wagon? [Sprinkles festive glitter in the dust cloud from the wagon in the vain hope it helps]

Spotty I watched it!

I love Obama

Dd is cool to touch in her sleep which I'm pleased about.

I'm off the frugal wagon a bit but not too bad.

Well done girlie's DD!
I'm off the frugal wagon too. Wrapped last few gifts last night and realised my poor mum has hardly anything. She does so much for us I want to get her something else. Thinking maybe some really nice gin as she likes it but thinks it's too expensive. What sort is good? (I haven't touched gin since unfortunate teenage incident!)
DD would not go to sleep last night and screamed until about 11.30. She then woke up and started again at 5.45. CBeebies is on! I'm hoping it was due to teething and not some dreadful new phase she's going to have.

pointless we've had similar one off nights like that recently. Tiresome isn't it.

Well done girlies DD and hopefully spottys DD is much better today.

I went stargazing last night and it was fab #nerdalert

Watching Peter Rabbit on Cbeebies. It's so festive and lovely!

So it should be a NSD today. But our Christmas lights blew up and they need replacing. Some stores have already ditched Christmas stuff so we can't find any locally. Homebase has taken down it's Christmas department last week. So miserable!!

That's so miserable collie. I hate shops being out of season.
Hope germs are better today

Em I've had issues with my mil but they don't come close to that, sorry you're having to go through that, glad dh is being supportive but hard for him too.
need hope your dh is okay and doesn't have to wait too long for the results
luxy I feel for you and your issues with your dd. We've had (and still have) issues with our Y6 dd. it has been really traumatic and takes its toll on you as parents. Dd's issues seem to finally be being recognised now and she is getting the support she needs which will continue in high school. I hope you can get a positive outcome.

I'm feeling better reading about others falling off the frugal wagon. In our case there has been some frittering but not much, most has been unavoidable. This December (and November come to think of it) have just been a nightmare. Car maintenance £380, football boots & trainers £80, holiday deposit £160, new waterproof for dh (replacing one which could have made it onto Antiques Roadshow!) £125, boots for me £55 (when I realised my only shoes that could be classed as suitable for winter were a pair of Skechers ). That's not counting the cost of Christmas meals out, a weekend away and probably other stuff too. Our driveway replacement/renovation fund has borne the brunt of it!

I'm feeling a bit down as I've gone and got a chest infection just in time for Christmas. I have a lung condition, bronchiectasis which means I'm prone to infections, but I recognised it straight away and got antibiotics so hopefully it won't linger (in the past it has taken weeks or months to get properly cleared). Dh & DS went out and did the Christmas food shop yesterday so all that needs doing now is the meat, cheese etc which I tend to do on the 24th. I'm resting up and will definitely take tomorrow off work sick and maybe Wednesday too. I need to finish cards for posting today and will maybe get some presents wrapped, nothing strenuous.

Sorry to hear you are poorly north.
collie I really hope it was a one off. I think it started with teething pain but she got herself in a right state and couldn't settle even after Calpol and Nurofen! That's a shame about your lights, can't believe Homebase have already taken down their Xmas stuff. They will probably have all the bbqs in next week!
Xmas food shop was £108 inc 2 bottles of fizz, a nice bottle of wine, posh gin for mum and a DVD for DH as a little surprise as he chose his other presents. DH still has to collect the meat but apart from that there should be no more shopping this week! Going to try and give DD a break from shopping for a few weeks, we've been such a lot lately and she finds it really boring.

Thanks pointless hope it's a one off for you, I hate interrupted sleep.

£8 something on polystyrene gliders and a Christmas card

£10 something on coffee and cake

Spent £16 on groceries yesterday, plus another £25 of personal money on bits just for me because I felt the need to. Today should be NSD.

Had a frugal fail though. Chicken pieces for the dogs leaked blood into the hydrator drawer. Luckily only 1 cucumber needed binning. Need to sort a Tupperware or similar to keep raw meats now.

Fab gifts from boss em and glad DH has stepped up and told MIL to stop. Mine never will

Glad DD seems to be on the mend Spotty

I though Bear and Obama was great. Good for people in power to see 1st hand the damage to environment.

Fluffy sometimes it just needs saying.

DH is en route, should be here this evening. No idea what to expect as PILs told him they are coming here but MIL is ill again. Don't yet know if she is up to the journey. I think they've already booked accommodation though so probably will.

We just had a nice day out, which was great. I'm between viruses again and trying to stay that way until Christmas.

The town is not the place for frugaleers just now. Full of all kinds of sales, and I really don't want to spend any more money. Managed to get home with almost no spends and then only frugal ones planned months ahead.

Sorry to hear about lurgies going about. Take care there. Well done north for taking time off to recover.

North hope you feel better quickly. I suffer from a lot of chest illnesses and they are so painful and draining.

Too many tempting sales and stores taking down their Christmas displays is making me not want to go near town.

I've had my haircut and it looks lovely so I'm pleased. £56 but it's so short I save on shampoo!

£5 in hobby craft. Wel £20 but £15 was on a gift card. I bought some food colouring and bits to make chocolates look pretty and some thread for the Christmas craft I haven't done! And some pva glue, pritt stick hasn't cut it recently.

I then went to pound land and bought some sticker books for Christmas Eve and a nice Christmas book for ds1 to have now as he's been so good.

£11 at the butchers. Finalised my online shop £84 but I should need no more until 4 January. Meat to pay for £30 ish

Hi all, greetings from down under! Just to update, the Skype interview went well I think - so v soon after we hung up, they rang and asked to see me in person. So here I am. Flights booked and hotel and driver booked in an hour and they flew me out here on Monday am. Meeting everyone tomorrow. They will get to check me out and me them.

Eek.

Merry Christmas all!!

Wow NK that's amazing, good luck!

Oh my goodness nk!! Well done! They obviously really like you. Bil is in Melbourne atm and said its super hot and lots of bush fires about. Keep us updated I'm ridiculously excited considering I don't even know you

Exciting indeed! I hope you like them!!

Thanks spotty and north!! Well it was apparently warm yesterday, but of course, the day I fly in, in summer clothes no less, it was rather windy and cold!!! Argh.

When they rang and we had to organise visas, flights and all that, my first thought was, dang, I don't have a hand bag!! And double dang, do I have enough 'work clothes'?? Remember, I'm here on holiday... The Skype interview was the only work related thing I was doing, and because it was Skype, I figured I only needed a decent top and a suit jacket!!! So I've scrambled and got loans of handbags off my aunt. Go frugaleer!!

Will let you know how the mutual feelings go tomorrow. Night all!

Haha NK I was thinking of you earlier as I was job hunting in Australia! for me its just a dream though. That's amazing! Such good news. Look forward to an update.

north get better soon!

My hospital appointment was a success! I think. Ha! I'm so anemic, various vitamin deficiencies and a change in thyroid levels. My consultant was surprised that I was even awake. He said " I bet you could sleep for a week!".

DS is so hyper today. And its heavy rain. Not a good mix.. I wish DH was home :(