Mince Pies, Mulled Wine, frugal festive frolics. Yuletide budgeting banter & Merry Saving Shenanigans for all 🎁🎄🦌🎅🤶☃️

[MaryGreenhill]

Welcome to the Christmas Frugal thread . We are a super friendly group here & everyone is welcome 🤗 .
☃️🤶🎅🦌🎄🎁

Thanks for the well wishes about DD. DH also smiled at the parrot reference @needastrongoneagain she had the day off and rested, now missing her friends so ready to head back to school tomorrow.

You're sound so well organised @MaryGreenhill

I've just put another parcel up in the attic @RumBananaSundae it does get more like Narnia every day!

I'm the same with DD and DS @Johaanah DD been told she's up to her limit, going to give DS the Argos catalogue to look for ideas (he is 19 so not toys but they have electrical items.

@Thanksforyourlackofthought honestly this time of year - I'm trying but every day I remember something else I need to buy!

Well done on the NSD @Frugal25

Pleased you feel okay @FurForksSake

The Christmas shelves in The Range were decimated on Saturday, it was crazy in there! @Rainbow1901

Good news about the snug @BigSkies2022

Tonight I am doing a financial review and deciding what is priority before Christmas. We have DHs 60th in a few weeks; meal out, weekend away and tickets for an observatory all paid for although there will be one further meal out when we are there and it does feel like everything is coming at once. Have an additional three meals and a day out in December. So I am list writing and spreadsheeting it all!

I’ve made lots of pickles so going to make fabric lid covers with a Christmas spoon attached and I’m making bottles filled with matches with a striker on the back and tags made of clay with initials on. I’ll probably make clay tags for other gifts too. I make up hampers with the pickles, home made food and a few shop bought bits.

@FurForksSake oh l am pleased for you that you got more sleep 💐
The blankets sound lovely and bless your DH , the hygienist is money well spent 🤗
Anthropologie have some lovely things l hope the candle comes through for you 🤗
@Johaanah well done in your Christmas shopping , l totally agree with you re prices it's rocketing through the roof every week.
l do not blame you one bit not having anyone for Christmas day , good for you !
@RumBananaSundae that Bailey's sounds lovely . l bet there isn't much difference in the taste in the Aldi/Lidl one to the Baileys version.
Have a good lunch with your friend on Weds 🤗
@Thanksforyourlackofthought that's not fair your work doesn't give you much for your expenses. You should not have to use your own money bless you 🤗
Your plans sound absolutely wonderful 😊
@Frugal25 oh bless you 5 hrs on a train that's awful 🤗
Well done on the NSD 😊
@BigSkies2022 sounds like things are coming together for you 🤗👏
@Rainbow1901well done on restraining yourself from buying in Dunelm! 😁
Ah thank you for the vote of confidence @Mochi1fudge 😁
I had to do them , God knows what the weather is going to be like 😱. I think the flooding has made me shift myself tbh.
Sounds like you are very well organised too bless you well done ✅ 👍 🤗

I have a lot to do still before I can let the flat Mary and my pot is diminishing…I am going over tomorrow and I fervently hope to see a big stride forward! I so want to get in there, clean, put up blinds and curtains, arrange furniture, get the new carpet in, test the new appliances. Clean some more and put new lampshades up. I also feel an urge to buy some more lighting for us here - luckily the ones I want are currently out of stock and probably just as well.

I must make a plan for a few Christmas meals, write a list and place an order at the butcher. I’m thinking, confit duck, boeuf bourgignon for the freezer, a couple of chickens jointed so I can make coq au Riesling and Toulouse sausages for cassoulet. I’ll get the home recipe book out and see what went well last year. I just CBA to be hanging out in the kitchen for hours on end this year, or doing the endless runs to the shops!

I went to book group tonight- wrong night! Duh!

Do people think it would be misleading to’dress’ rooms when the photographs are taken for marketing a flat to rent? I haven’t done it before but from the pictures I see in marketing materials it seems to be done all the time. People don’t think they are getting cushions and pictures and lamps if they’re in the marketing do they?

On my last post I said I've taken £390 out of savings. Well.... that's corrected to £590 as my mum transferred £200 gift for one of my DC birthday presents and I didn't notice, it got absorbed in bills😦. 😥 That was for the annual farm pass and a bit extra...

£85 on a John Lewis order. 3 mattress protectors, 2 tension rods for cafe curtains (flat) and a tube of NARS tinted moisturiser (very much for me). I will be collecting from our local Waitrose tomorrow and I think I will pick up some fizz, if the still have their offer on cremante. And a bottle of olorosa for affogato- I’ll buy good ice-cream, some ALDI florentines and that’s puddings sorted. I’ll probably make a tarte tatin at some point since I see that went down well last year.

I spent £180 in the butcher last year for Christmas and New Year catering. I’m aiming to halve that this year. We’ll see where it lands! As I won’t be cooking big joints, I can probably get away without getting the oven cleaned as well. And I will do my own windows, bring in greenery and berries from the garden and use up my existing supply of tea lights rather than buy more candles. I don’t buy wrapping paper and ribbons as I just reuse boxes and ribbons and bags, and I already have a stock of cards for the very few I send. Fairy lights and baubles we already have. Clean the house thoroughly, turn up the heating, sparkling windows and glassware, nice clothes on, nice food that is mostly prepared, minimal gifts, and I reckon that’s a nice cosy Christmas without too crushing a burden of work and expense.

eating down the pantry until DS gets back. Soup, frittata, roast veg. Need milk and yoghurt today, is all.

@BigSkies2022 l think you should definitely dress the flat . It's almost expected l think tbh.
Well done on getting everything sorted out .
You have worked your fingers to the bone doing all that !
I have been to town and the library just picked up this book 😁 . I didn't spend a penny just went around the market then to the cake stall , DH was there so he bought what l wanted 😁
They do come in handy bless them .
@Alwayslearning25aw bless you it's easily done don't beat yourself up sweetheart 🤗
Hope everyone is ok and enjoying the sunny dry weather that l am so lucky to have here ATM ❤️

Well it’s not done yet Mary! But thanks for the advice- I know how I’ll be spending the last weekend of November then!

just back from Lidl where I swooped on their goose fat- that’s the confit duck sorted (bar the, er, duck).

Spent lots today. Spent £90 in Uniqlo on a hoodie and some thermals and then £120 on a cardigan.

How are you today @Thanksforyourlackofthought? Your pickles sound lovely.

Well done on the NSD @Frugal25. Did you make three in a row?

Absolutely sounds like you’re making progress with the flat @BigSkies2022. I would think I was getting everything in the pictures but I don’t know how it works really. I am assuming it’s property to rent. Ignore me if it’s not.

That’s an unpleasant surprise @Alwayslearning25. But easy enough to do.

Is that your road flooded @MaryGreenhill? I did see something about cold weather and snow being on its way so I hope you avoid that after Claudia.

Things went a bit haywire after paying the contractor yesterday. I did also order two shirts from Marks and Spencer yesterday evening but given today’s shopping I think I’ll forget about them and let them be returned for a refund. I am hoping that yesterday and today will cover me clothes wise for the cold weather. I have a meeting for work in ten or so days that I’m hoping I’ll be able to go to and I opened the wardrobe and thought it’s really not the weather for linen.

Not heard from the contractor that said he’d come on Sunday. Arghhhh. I hate chasing people.

DH posted another pair of trousers I sold on vinted. Tomorrow I’m going to go through my wardrobe and see if I can pull out ten things to list.

While he was there he picked my up a croissant.

Dinner tonight is pulled pork wraps, I bought a 2kg piece for Sunday and we have tonnes left.

I spent £57 on a years connectivity for my car. It allows me to warm it up in the mornings and cool it remotely in the summer. It’s well worth it as I never have to defrost it!

Thank you for the reminder @BigSkies2022 l want goose fat for the roasties. l will get some from Lidl . I saw it in Tesco but it was mega expensive 🤗
Oh God that's too bad of your Contractor @RumBananaSundae my friend is in the exact same boat as you waiting for her contractor to get back to her messages , she's so fed up with them poor thing .
Your new clothes sound lovely and warm good for you getting them .
Re the flooding, we weren't flooded here we were so lucky but my town and Monmouth were flooded badly .
I was talking to the Monmouthshire community liaison manager in the Library.
She was very encouraging and said that Monmouth community were all very supportive and have really come together as a community to help everyone affected by the terrible flooding there .

That sounds amazing @FurForksSakel have never er heard about this where have l been 🤣
Well done on the Vinted sales 👏 🤗

Starbucks £10
Butchers lunch £11
Food shop £5
Bits for my daughter's hair for dance class etc £5.

I am also wondering about the car connectivity @FurForksSake - it sounds magical! Tell us more!

I am updating my finances tonight and will find out what I spent at the festival on Sunday - I think it was less than £100 so we’ll see if I am right!!

Today I had a PT session first thing (killer!) and then a trip to the garden centre this afternoon with my photography class. My phone battery almost died but I only spent £7.30 on cake and a coffee as I was absolutely starving - probably something to do with the morning PT session….

Nearly back from a day in Birmingham. And yes @RumBananaSundae I made it a hat trick for the NSD!!! First time ever. Everyone else in my team was spending but I've kept my card firmly on my bag

Ooohhhh the chutneys for Christmas sound amazing. Well done!

So glad you're not flooded Mary. I saw on the news just how bad it was, heartbreaking.

I've never rented so I can't really comment on the dressed flat. Although I'd probably think that what I saw on photos is what I'd get.

Sold another item on vinted. Hoping to post all tomorrow.

Ooohhhh you can heat cars up remotely???? I need this

Glad you are nearly back from the run to Birmingham @Frugal25 well done on not spending again & the new Vinted sale 👏
Thank you re the flooding it's been terrible for people but the community has rallied around like they never have before. ❤️
Not a bad spend for the festival l would think @chimichangaz👏🤗

I’m good thanks. Did a quick trip to the supermarket tonight that cost me about £65. But I did pick up Christmas treats like wine, biscuits and chocolates. I’m stashing them all away because otherwise they just get eaten! I’m working away for the next two weeks so will have to spend some of my own money. Our expenses aren’t terrible but when you are travelling, especially in the cold weather, you want to be able to get a cup of coffee or whatever and that’s never cheap. And obviously you can’t really walk into Starbucks with your travel cup and say can I just have some hot water please? I will add my own coffee.😂

Sorry, pressed send too soon. I feel your pain with the contractors. We are renovating a house ready to move into early next year so I totally get that. Hope it’s not too stressful!

Glad your expenses aren't too mean for you @Thanksforyourlackofthought . Your renovation project must be costing you an arm and a leg. l am in awe of you having the guts to do it well done to you and your partner 🤗👏

Not had time to catch up fully so just stopping by - disrupted night's sleep so I'm thinking of bed with my book soon.

@MaryGreenhill it's lovely the community have rallied round and I hope the dry weather continues.

Well done on the hat trick NSD @Frugal25

Forecast to snow overnight and in the morning! I live on high ground so hopefully I can get out to work!

Today has been
£14.99 gift for a friend
£1.55 IKEA
£32 Shein x 2 jeans. The saga continues as I need to return the Next ones for £38 as they are too tight. So really a saving of £6 although I may need to pay to get the Shein jeans taken in!
£4.29 Lidl for fruit top up

@Mochi1fudgeits absolutely wonderful how the community have all responded , very heartwarming to see 🤗.
Fingers crossed those jeans fit and you don't have to get them altered 🤞☺️

I've totted up and total spend was £102.50 for the festival including travel and lunch but not including the entrance fee (£15). I bought two books (I normally only buy from charity shops/Amazon so £36.99 was a bit of a shock!), some aloe vera deodorant, some crystals, some 'menopause muesli' (although I had a shock when I looked at 397 calories per serving....) and I signed up for the monthly Alzheimers draw.

It was an interesting day out and I'm glad I went - although it does strike me that there are a lot of people out there selling all kinds of stuff/services that might not be totally 'authentic' (eg there was an area where there were about 20 people sitting at tables to do psychic readings - didn't feel genuine to me, more like a production line). I went to an interesting talk by someone who used to be a policewoman and now is a 'galactic channel' and can talk to beings from other universes - wasn't one I'd planned to do, I got there early for the following one which was about inheriting money trauma.

There was certainly a packed day of talks and workshops (although some of those were chargeable - I think one was about £200 - sold out...) and the vibe was nice, everyone very polite and kind to each other. I had a bit of an emotional moment in one of the talks and the lady next to me was lovely and gave me a hug!

Ah @chimichangazthat sounded like you had a brilliant experience 🤗

I made it to three NSD also - hooray! 🥳

I’m not sure about tomorrow- but I will try and see how it goes. I have taken 750g of beef mince out of the freezer and I’m planning on making both lasagna and cottage pie out of it, I’ll bulk both out with lentils and veg and make veggie versions for the non meat eaters. Dd2 is home from uni so 1 may even manage to send her back with a portion of each.

Bigskies - your Christmas sounds perfect, my only decoration purchase this year should be a fresh greenery door wreath which I will jazz up with some foliage from the garden and maybe some dried orange slices. I will also be on the hunt for goose fat at a reasonable price so will check Lidl.