Festive frugaleering - Merry Christmas, and a happy 2019 to you all.

[AutumnLeaves12]

Welcome to the new thread!

No unusual gifts here. Love hearing about them though

True happier. I was so grateful if was a huge box containing something useful!

I am going to my Slimming World weigh in at 8am this morning (rearranged as our usual venue is a church so in use this week). I am not expecting great things after yesterday’s pig out . Then we’ll take the kids out somewhere, maybe drive to a good play park that DS likes and dd hasn’t been to. Or a walk in the forest (we are in London but still local to a forest - it’s pretty nice!). Not sure how far DD could walk though and she will refuse the buggy. So maybe the park. Other than that it will be aclaid back day, easy dinner and hopefully just all playing with our stuff. I want to get my photo stash imported into my new computer.

I hope you all have a lovely Boxing Day x

Morning!

No random gifts here...we all spent out Christmas budgets on ourselves this year. It seemed more sensible than stressing about buying something that may or may not be wanted. Having said that I miss the idea that someone was thinking of me.

Is anyone braving the sales today.... It looks as though each predicted mega busy shopping day is a bit of a squib.

Hi can I join in!! I hate waste and always try and save money where I can (getting married in June..) but mainly I hate waste tbh!!

We had a brill day yesterday and today the DC are off for Xmas Day 2 at their dads house. So me and dp are having a mega tidy not quite sure where to start...

Hi blueskies.

No sales here. Can't be bothered, don't need anything, hate shops being open on boxing Day.

Welcome blueskies

fluffy will no doubt be along soon with the links

My DP has bought his brother and family all laser guns... including the adults. I may hide when SIL opens hers later!

No sales here. Cannot be arsed. I’m back at work tomorrow so May have a bimble around the shops at lunchtime.

I had work emails yesterday. Clients in Israel are emailing a lot at present. Have ignored until tomorrow. I don’t get notifications on my phone so actually had to check. But checked at 930 last night.

A lot of them are of the “???” Variety - client tends to send this when he doesn’t get a response after an hour or so. He will have got my out of office. He will know that the office is closed. He will know it’s christmas here. So no work. He will have to wait. He hates waiting.

2019 goals. Non financial.

• use phone less. Try and get useage down to an hour a day.
• read more books.
• Be more organised. Need to get a start on this early as once dc2 arrives I’ll be stuffed if I’m not!

I hate that em. I get some customers who chase all the time.... Drives me potty.
We are back at work tomorrow too. Nyd my next day off after the weekend, which reminds me I better charge my phone.

Agggghhh! Lost a post of really thoughtful replies to everyone, having reread every single post since the beginning of time and sorted them on a long complex spreadsheet mind map combo. Can you all do me a favour and consider yourselves valued. TIA. 😁

Blueskies welcome to the friendliest part of the interest.

Unescorted thank you

You are welcome happier. Where did the trifle end up? I firmly believe that the only good trifle is a dead trifle so I am hoping that it was put somewhere uncomfortable.

I put it into a shopping bag when the dc were going to stay with him but I also put it the box of church envelopes with his name on that he's purposely left here every time he's collected his post for past two months so they were like the sting in the tail

Ha! You are too kind. You can probably get another couple bites if you remind the kids to ask if he got them.

Sorry for your loss @CurvyInAllTheWrongPlaces.

Survived Christmas Day here, thanks in part to the excellent MN tip I read which was "use tissue paper not wrapping paper for Santa sack gifts". Wrapping for 3 DC completed in under 30 mins! This will be repeated next year!

We went to DM's for lunch yesterday along with DB and his family. Lovely day with way too much food. Today we are hosting DParents and DB's crew, so the Boxing Day ham will be in the oven shortly. I am also avoiding the sales. Must be a sign of adulting.

Have also started to think about 2019 goals:

• find the time for exercise again. I used to be such a keen runner but with 3 small DC I struggle to get the time these days. I'm going to aim for 2 runs a week.

• we've become so much more aware as a family of clutter and so we're going to try to minimise the amount of stuff that comes in, by only buying what we need. DC gifts and treats this year will be experience based rather than plastic based. The annual pre Christmas toys clear out this year generated nearly 10 bin bags of crap to throw out which made DH and I feel rather crap ourselves!

• frugality - this year we want to focus on cash savings. We're lucky to have a good wage coming in but after mortgage, nursery and childcare costs we don't seem to have much left over. DH is feeling his mortality very acutely all of a sudden and wants to have more family time, ie holidays, playing games together, days out etc. To afford those we need to keep an eye on the everyday costs so we'll be starting 2019 with a family budget.

• wifework - I am SICK TO THE BACK TEETH of organising everything for everyone so DH and older DC have been firmly told that 2019 is the year of self organisation. And everyone pulling their weight around the house. So we will be creating a family home plan for 2019!

Have a lovely day all!

😁 Happier.

Merry Christmas folk. I haven't logged on for a couple of days as it's been busy here with RL. Plus, a bit like Em, it's one of my goals for 2019 to cut down on internet browsing. I was sitting downstairs the other day on the iPad and teenage Dd was reading a book!

Hope you've all had a super few days. We had a busy day yesterday but lovely too - dsil was a pain all day but everyone else was lovely. The dc fully pitched in and we went to bed with absolutely everything tidy and cleared up - it's usually weeks before this happens.

DH came up trumps with presents, despite us expressly saying we were cutting back. A archeological dig in the summer for Dd to go to and an entry to the world cross country championships next year for me - weekend in Denmark.

Right - washing, and a run. We are out this afternoon.

Thanks unescorted.
I hear you on the wife work lily.

Love it happier.

Like the list lilly

My list is

• cut down on tat, buy only if necessary and isn't packaged to the nines.
• internet browsing.
• plan training better.
• spend more time with DH.

We all laid on the bed last night and read the children's stories that had been the DC's bedtime stories when they were little - they are 19 and 17. Dd cried at the end - happy tears!

DS was less impressed!!!

Frugal goals.

Less unnecessary stuff
Try and buy quality things which will last even if more expensive.
Use up what we have

Right, for 2019.

Money goals:

• once I’m back on a fixed term contract, work out a new budget (with travel, childcare, savings etc factored in) and stick to it!
• set a budget for things like clothes (for me and the kids - my weakness) and stick to it. I buy too much . But also need to be realistic about them growing and me shrinking.
• once I’ve done my tax return for end of jan, make a decision about putting a lump sum into my pension (hope that’s possible!)
• do the kitchen and conservatory refurb with granny’s legacy and definitely not using additional money from savings! Hopefully replace our leaky en suite within that budget too
• buy a small piece of jewellery with Granny’s legacy too. She left me her own mother’s wedding ring but not any of her own jewellery. I’d like something to wear and think of her.

Other goals:
-continue to declutter, and especially all the baby stuff. I am getting there

• lose at least another 2.5 stone. I am getting there...
• go away for a weekend with just DH - we need to feel like a couple and not just a job share!
• get back into reading books.
• try to go to bed earlier at least a couple of nights a week!
• reduce single use plastic

So many lovely posts yesterday and today

em what a gorgeous bracelet from your DSis. She sounds lovely.

Cag poor DD. It's hard when they stop believing. They lose a little bit of the magic for a while. Sounds like you handled it very well though. I was talking to my DSis last night and she mentioned her eldest son (now 23) and how he seemed a little disappointed or flat after he opened his presents. Now, he'd asked for some things and she got him what he'd asked for. She reckons she should have surprised him with a big box of Lego or something.

Love my Dad says that too - "Well, that's Christmas over for another year". Although he usually says it when he's going to bed on Christmas night.

Seacow delighted to hear you'd such a lovely day yesterday and that DS coped so well with everything. Your post was really heartwarming. As for emotional moments, that's inevitable. I would give anything to spend another day with my DM and to show her my beautiful teenage girl who was only 6 when she last saw her.

life I share your sentiments about the shops being open on Boxing Day a.k.a. St. Stephen's Day. I worked in a department store one Christmas and I hated having to go back to work on the 27th. None of the shops were open on the 26th back then. I feel so sorry for the shop workers - a frenzied few weeks in the run up to Christmas and then straight back in for the sales.

Unescorted thanks for thinking of me.

lilly sounds like both you and your DH have put a lot of thought into your goals for 2019. I particularly like the ones re: wifework and prioritizing experiences over things.

Jam the weekend in Denmark sounds exciting. Looks like your DH put a lot of thought into his presents.

I'm going to get something small for breakfast in a minute and then I'll make up some Lego with DD. We have a big get together with all my family this afternoon, so we need to prepare the veg. for that. About half my family are sick with colds (including DH). We probably need to buy some more Lemsips and decongestants.

Thanks Unescorted!

I got a funny present. It's a handbag made of cork. I have no idea what to do with it.

Morning all, not caught up with thread at all!!

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, we had a lovely day 😊 dd and my mum loved their presents and I got some really nice bits as well. I ate wayyyyyyy too much though 😶

Back at work today 😞

Will catch up properly later.

I'm still churning on the 2019 goals...I think just to keep on keeping on.

With work being (relatively) new, and my debt sorted out...I'm still adjusting. I would like to organise a week away (perhaps at easter) somewhere like Flamingo Land, this will be paid for upfront. Similar to sort and pay for christmas in advance. Other than that, just to make good choices spending wise.

Buy less, and declutter as much as I can. To this end I have the next fortnight off. There is a lot to do. I think it will mean a daily trip to the tip!

We filled 6 binbags LLL just from 2 kids rooms and the living room! It mounts up doesn't it.

I want to start a savings pot as well. I want the front garden tarmac-ed block paved really we could park 6 cars we think if it was (we already have 3 and dd1 is 17 next year) and would fix the stig of the dump look we are currently rocking. I'll get quotes. And the roof...need 4k for this (mates rates via dishy race guy), but it needs doing soon-ish too. So savings required!

But I want the loft fully boarded out, floor and slopey bits, with a velux. There is not enough height for rooms (5'5" ridge height) but decent dry storage is v appealing. We can do this ourselves, but not the felt and tiles.

I think thats it goal wise. Just to be careful. Not fritter and waste money on things we do not need.