Festive Frugaleering

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[[https://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/4340188-Savvy-savers-sashaying-through-September old thread]

Opppppps - we nearly filled the old one

TBH with you Happier & Yan my DH and l feel the same . We normally put the tree up by Dec 1st at the latest but this year we put it up last Friday and that was only because my DDs helped
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North so sorry about your Dad getting frail it's so sad getting old and seeing their gradual decline
Martha it's horrible seeing them get weaker and not being able to do anything for them
NSD for me thankfully

Hold the phone. Nsd today

Well done Mrs and life on the NSDs - I had one yesterday, too. But I'm finding them hard to come by, this close to Christmas. Need to be a bit more careful because like Gen, I get December pay next week and then January will be a very long month!

Last day of teaching today. Will try and go in early enough to buy candy canes for the students.

Wow, it’s quiet here. Must be all the frugaleering going on 🤣

Got my booster today, so have cancelled the 7am appointment after Christmas 👍 phew!

Dad’s care home has two staff members with covid so only the essential care giver can now visit. Dmum forgot to tell them it is her. I hope they let her visit next week. Feeling quite sad about not seeing Ddad at all before Christmas now 🙁

Toying with bringing mine forward but busy next week and can’t face side effects. Think i will leave it
Going out today for gym Christmas do buy all paid for

£6.10 on mince pies and clotted cream, £15.35 on a veg box which hasn’t arrived yet. If it’s not here by 6 I’ll email them.

Exhausted today, as is DH. Went to the gym this morning and DH is laying turf in the garden. I did the ferrying from drive to back garden yesterday but today I’m back to clearing boxes.

DH bought stamps and extra Christmas cards, paid for the gym lesson and then coffees.

We have been trapped in after positive covid tests - two more days of iso left. We have been eating too much and ordering too much online, not very frugal!
Praying that we get to NI for Xmas but it is looking increasingly dicey.
What Christmassy stuff is everyone doing? I need some festive ideas to get me in the mood!

love it is real life getting in the way. We are bonkers busy at work.

Hope all the teachers here have had a lovely last day. Moidid you get candy canes in the end.

Gen, hope you aren't leaving scratches in the back of the door.

We have been anything else than frugal.... I sent DH and DS out to buy kitchen cabinet doors. Since the dishwasher died last weekend we have had a mismatched kitchen unit because someone took the door to the tip with the dead dishwasher. They needed doing but I could have done with more of a plan.

Fell off the thread again. Too busy spending money 🙈

I have really blown my budget this Christmas not sure I even had one It gives me anxiety thinking about it, even though I have the money. I just hate that feeling of having lost control. I think I am overcompensating as I'm working a 12 hour shift on Christmas Day.

Well done to all the "boosted" people. I'm dreading mine as I was unwell with the last 2.

north I suddenly see my mum looking old. I mean she is, she's 79 but she's always been fit and healthy. She is walking funny as her back is sore and this whole pandemic has definitely taken its tole mentally on her.

I've also fallen off the thread and have also been spending way too much, I need to give myself a real kick up the arse in the new year as planned new kitchen is going to take all of my savings.

love you're bound to be feeling it re your dad at this time of year. Hope your mum is able to visit at least.
unescorted kitchen refurb not what you need to do in a rush & just before Christmas.

I'm in the Christmas overspend category. Normal seasonal spending on food & drink, but over on presents for the dc. Everything we've got them will be used & appreciated & I think there is an element for me of compensating them for the shitty couple of years they've had through covid.

Dd has got tickets to go to Devon on the train tomorrow for a quick pre Christmas visit to grandparents, coming back Wednesday. They are happy still for her to go and are so looking forward to it, but I'm envisaging a potential last ditch drive to rescue her if Boris announces more pre Xmas restrictions. So hard to plan anything at the moment, I think bring in restrictions pre Xmas will push a lot of people over the edge.
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Small fortunes spent in aldi and pet shop but just need fresh stuff next Friday more

Looks like we're all in the same boat about overspending, and for similar reasons which are understandable given the last couple of years. I feel in limbo about Christmas- hoping to meet with DSis and Dparents but logistically not sure if that will work out. DDad is quite poorly so I really hope it comes off - a family Christmas is special to all of us. Have cancelled a couple of social things - people have been understanding, I think many people are doing similar.
Just ordered a Turkey crown from the butcher in case we end up being here.
born how are you feeling about your Christmas Day shift? I take my hat off to you at the moment.
About to go to Tesco, I'm feeling myself I'm going to rein it in but you know...was speaking to a friend earlier about the dopamine hit of shopping - i can hold back on things like clothes, make up, holidays but I think for me it's purchases that feel 'justified' like food and stuff for the DC.

Thank you Moi l am afraid l have rather blotted my copybook today and have spent a fortune today £30 George clothes, 26 Asda food, 72 Lidl, 32 Approved foods , bought only just OOD Hotel Chocolat for us here
New B/P machine 15, Lovely perfume & a book called Class for 8 pounds , all from Amazon l haven't even done the big grocery shop yet
Martha we are doing the same getting a Turkey in case our Christmas day is cancelled
Born l used to have to work Christmas , it was awful l hated every minute of it , bless you
Love l am so sorry lovely
Adora can you put your feet up and watch theSCD final , do you good lovely
Gen hope you can still go to NI sweetie , glad you are ok re Covid
North hope your Dd enjoys her visit hopefully nothing will be bought in before Christmas
Wolf a new kitchen sounds wonderful. l am wanting one but it isn't a necessary spend booo!
Unescorted that is so frustrating!
Hope everyone is ok , l am spending like there is no tomorrow , l really don't need the Hotel Chocolate Chocs but l thought 'oh what the hell' ! l must do better

There is so much uncertainty about various important things right now, it's no wonder we're getting an urge to overspend. I suppose the only good thing is we're usually paying attention and careful, so hopefully can ride out a tricky period like this without ending up seriously in debt.

£6 yesterday for candy canes and some chocs for our administrator, and £4.50 on coffee for me and a work friend who I'm unlikely to see again until at least January.

NSD today because I accidentally left my purse at home this afternoon when we went out to the local market/park. Ds had fun on his bike, which he hasn't had a chance to do in ages.

Hope everyone is having a nice weekend so far despite the spends and worries.

mrs you deserve the chocs, treat yourself - you work so hard looking after others and caring for your mum, and you seem to get little thanks for it.
Our last day of quarantine tomorrow, we both remained asymptomatic, thankfully!
moi I find the uncertainty really stressful, I hate feeling anxious about stuff I would normally look forward to, like Xmas or holidays - it’s so wearing. I think I won’t book stuff for a bit after this holiday is over as I end up worrying the whole time that it won’t happen!

Well I didn't do too badly in Tesco. £130 including wine and will see us through to just before New Year. 10% off as I have Tesco Clubcard plus. DS1 came, which is cute on one hand as he wants to spend time with his mum still and less cute on the other hand...he is off his Xbox because he smashed his controller when he got the rage with fifa and needs to save up for another one. He's been much better company since!

Thank you Gen that is so lovely of you
l will be sharing them with the others
I don't blame you re not booking anything , l am sure l will be having a cancellation for my Fat friends tickets end of January
Martha you did extremely well , something tells me l am going to be spending a lot more unfortunately
Moi l think you are right we just need to plough on through this til the bitter end
So just had my parcels from Superdrug , lovely Revolution make up set for 30 from 80 for my DD l am really pleased with it .

£40 riding.

Took the kids to the park this afternoon by myself as DH went out to his friends for a bbq. We are aware it’s December….

At the park my back decided to give up on me. Toughes it out for as long as I could then persuaded the kids to go for hot chocolate (£6) and home. Phew.

Somehow muddled through bath and bed largely thanks to ibruprofen) and am now in bed.

Have just discovered DH has left his keys here. So hoping he’s taken the spare. Otherwise he won’t be getting in without waking me up.

I have me up, but I can’t even think what SCD is 🤦‍♀️ More spends today, DH paid for garden stuff, about £120-ish, then bought dinner. Local Italian restaurant, we had desert so probably about £45/£50 I’m not sure. I kept the cost down by just ordering coffee and not Amaretto as I have an open bottle at home.

I spend £8 on seeds, £12.50 on DEC, donation for the crisis in Afghanistan, apparently donations are being matched by the Gov. today.

Gen could you write cards, or write plans, decorate the house/tree/do some baking for Christmas?

One of my DDs send me flowers today 💓 and she’s coming home tomorrow. The other one is waiting on results of a PRC test as 2 flat mates have Covid. So she might not be coming home for Christmas 🤦‍♀️

I love Hotel Chocolat, you definitely deserve them Mrs

Ok. So.

DH ended up in a&e last night. He fell at his friends and put his hand on a wine glass. Apparently it bled for ages so a friend drove him to hospital they stitched it and he had to be admitted. Thankfully this morning it doesn’t need surgery.

I found out first thing when I switched my phone on.

I’ve just had my booster. So am hoping I can time my leaving here with picking him up.

Dm came to my rescue and has the kids. As I’m not allowed to bring them here with me.

Good grief Em that's not what anyone needs on a Sunday morning

Oh no em, hope he’s home soon.

I feel horrible after the jab. The dressing gown of doom made a brief appearance before I came back to bed. Yesterday was the same. Head feels really weird, feel sick but also feel starving

Oh no, em, that's awful! I hope he's okay soon. At least surgery wasn't needed and it's great you got your booster.

Love I hope you feel better very soon. Take it easy if you can.

Gen I find baking Christmas treats puts me in a good mood. The smell of gingerbread, mmm.

Love I was similar. Hungry not hungry. v.Odd. DGOD came out too.

em just what you don't need.

Adora My fingers are crossed that you have both DDs for Christmas.

Wolf it is doors only not a whole new kitchen. They went to Ikea, realised their sizes aren't the same size as our ones so came home having bought a jar of jam and some sample handles. Armed with a drill they can put Ikea handles on any doors. YaY - DS is so practical. Me: Hey sweetie can you sort out plumbing the dishwasher and fitting that tap please. Him: yeah sure. An hour later it is all done.

DH is in charge of rat catching.... Some things I am not going to become educated on.