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 all for the birthday wishes and happy birthday to yoooouuuuuu @Johaanah 🎉🥳🎂🎁🥂

Feeling strangely emosh at reaching 60! Not normally precious about birthdays 😊

Good work on slipping in a £4k spend, @FurForksSake - I didn’t notice…..

Sorry to hear that you’ll be in hospital for Christmas @PearlTeapot but as Fur says, hopefully sets you up for a better 2026 💐

Thank you both.

I managed to get my sneaky hands in the middle of the night on a card we don't use on a limited edition Jellycat from Selfridges. Then I confessed to DW and she was really upset me with me. My dad came to visit yesterday and offered to give me the money for it, but out of principle I said no, and he is posting it off to InPost for me today. It made me feel really sad but it's the right thing to do.

Morning.

I’m not sure I fully understand @PearlTeapot because I don’t know what a Jellyfish is but I think it means you’ve spent money? Are the clinicians aware that this is happening and putting in any strategies to help? Does is help to remember in that moment of getting the dopamine hit how DW feels? It does seem you need strategies to help, and and genuinely hope that you get there ❤️.

Happy Birthday @chimichangaz - 60 is but a number, I genuinely and honestly believe that. Theres life in your years and years in your life!

Happy Birthday @Johaanah too!

I feel the pain of the boredom of posting Vintage and EBay items @Holidaysandchocolate but that’s an amazing total!

Apologies - I only posted a few days ago but lost track a bit. I think we are nearly there re the Christmas shopping, bar a few small stocking fillers. Going to get some stuff wrapped next week and put up the decorations. It feels like money just pours out of the account at this time of year doesn’t it? I know we’ve saved it but still..

Quiet day today, I’m hopping on the treadmill in a few minutes and have already made a huge impromptu chilli for tea as DH inadvertently invited Dsil over yesterday without realising what he’d done. Could really have done without that as she’s a bit of an energy drain sometimes and I’m tired but hey ho.

Happy 60th birthday @chimichangazbless you for being emotional but it's a huge achievement sweetheart 😘

Omg @PearlTeapot do you think you relapsed and bought the Jellycat because of the disappointment over not going home for Christmas sweetheart. Aw bless you l am so sorry.

Aw bless you @needastrongoneagain nevermind, these things happen and l suppose it will tick a visit by your sil off the list before Christmas and l expect your DH will enjoy seeing her bless him.

Happy birthday to you @Johaanah🎈 🎉

NSD for me today thankfully,been to see Mum who was fine there and back to finish off the Christmas cards phew!
Hope everyone is ok and having a lovely day ☺️

Ah pearl. Sorry to are in longer but you are in the right place.
i might be back in for Christmas as being referred to neurology.

know what that’s why we are frugal so we can spend in what’s important.

lovely day in Edinburgh with DS £££ but I don’t rate the Christmas market
booked to take DD to a castle that has Christmas stuff on and she is doing a college project on £67

Sounds like a lovely day @lifelongfrugaleer.

Thanks @MaryGreenhill, we see plenty of them tbh!!! I’m just shattered and wanted one day without having to do anything, that’s all 😊

Apologies for the typos in the last post!

Sorry I haven't been very well so not really keeping up with the thread. Hugs to @PearlTeapot and @lifelongfrugaleer . Hope you both have a happy, healthy and safe Christmas wherever it ends up being 💐

Friday: was at work but popped out for an audiology appointment. £15 at Waitrose including some Lindt Advent calendars reduced to £2 each.

Today: picked up lots of parcels (black Friday Christmas shopping). £22 Sainsbury's, paid with Monzo card and nabbed one of their cashback deals (only £1.10 but every little helps). Resisted paying for a fancy coffee. £60ish on petrol.

£13 today in Asda and Sainsbury. Most of it was vanity shopping. Really need to snap out of it.

Ohh @PearlTeapot I’m so sorry. That’s not the best news. I hope your eyes are on the prize and that it will be worth it in the long run. Sending you the warmest of wishes and a big hug.

Happy birthday to you to @chimichangaz and @Johaanah. Have marvellous days filled with all things fabulous.

Hope you managed to find some time to relax today @needastrongoneagain.

Sorry you’ll be back in @lifelongfrugaleer. I hope things are as ok as they can be.

Did a bit more in preparation for the carpet fitting. My worry is that the fitters will arrive and say there’s too much furniture and they can’t do it.

I have found Smallville on ITVX and have started watching that. I had forgotten how much I liked some of the music from it. I’m only on episode three but am rather enjoying it. I feel it may be taking up quite a few hours for a while.

Happy birthday @chimichangaz and @Johaanah !!!! Enjoy the cake 🍰

Oh @PearlTeapot I'm so sorry. Let's start 2026 in a better place and a fresh start for you.
@lifelongfrugaleer oh that's not good news. But I'm glad you're being looked after.

@RumBananaSundae I bet they have seen far worse and will be able to haul furniture about. Fingers crossed it's done soon for you. Absolutely love Smallville !

@needastrongoneagain sorry you're not getting time to relax. Hopefully she won't stay long and you get time later on.

Found a cheap version of YSL highlighter in super drug yesterday so that was £3.
Went to a shop to buy some £1 decorations they had but they had sold out. But did get three gifts for OH and that was £36.
Then tried to find a photo frame in a charity shop as I broke one on Friday but was not in luck but did find two glass Pyrex baking trays for £10 so I can throw others out that aren't very nice.

Hugs @lifelongfrugaleer here's hoping you will have good news sweetheart ❤️

The flat has now been ‘dressed’ (denuding our house in the process), photographed in its dressy glory, and should be listed this week. Not expecting much activity before Christmas, but at least the project has been brought to market. Brought our things back home yesterday and DH made dinner, including a delicious apple crumble.

Manky weather today so plan to do home workouts, put up shelves in snug, clean, iron and organise a return of a chair to La Redoute. Turns out 2 chairs was excess to requirements, so that’s £138 I can count as a frugal win???

Trying not to notice that DDog needs a haircut and his allergies seem to be creeping back. Both require money I could do without spending currently.

Early start and potentially long day tomorrow for appointment for Ddad’s scan, dentist for me on Tuesday (2fillings). DS away until Wednesday probably so food is a simpler matter for a bit! Can live off weekend leftovers, eggs and potatoes! Must get over to see DMum as well- she needs company, and curtains putting up, and is angling for a shopping trip (to add to the wardrobe of clothes she never wears, sigh) and I have been busy and avoidant of late!

will also get the Christmas decorations boxes out today- tiny steps!

Pearl, need, Frugal, life, Rum- all frugal friends facing challenges right now: let us breathe, run a nice bath, go for a good walk, listen to a podcast, read a good book, watch a film, clean some windows, do a home manicure - whatever it takes to take care of ourselves. We have nearly made it through another year and 2026 lies ahead with lots of promise!

Happy birthday @Johaanah and @chimichangaz i hope you had some lovely celebrations.

@PearlTeapot that is such hard news to get sweetheart. Hugs

ive fallen completely off the frugal wagon and can’t see myself fully getting back on before Christmas but I’ll try and minimise the damage. I had a very cheap staff party on Friday and only spent €10 on parking as a friend drove. Lidl had some great offers on crisps and sweets so I bought those. DH then went and got more but completely missed the fact the crisps were buy one get one free and only got one🙈 I need to ban him from Lidl. He goes there when bringing small child to gymnastics as it’s one of the few places around. We probably didn’t need any of the extra crisps or sweets anyway.

yesterday I was on vinted again. And bought some casual dresses. Then we went to the local market and spent a small fortune on cheeses, crepes, lunch and other nice things. Also bought a couple of extra gifts. Then we got a Chinese takeaway for dinner. It was for my mum too and was €50.

im going to bite the bullet and move some cash from my savings into my spending account to account for Christmas nice things. Definitely going to look at the annual budget idea and try to account for these types of overspends.

I feel much better after a big sleep. Going to audit the freezer today as the home ready meals were depleted while I was away.

Hope dsil wasn’t too draining need.
I’ve got some bits to list on vinted. Will make the most of time off work to do that and the post office is walking distance. (Not allowed to drive until I’ve seen neurology)

pleased the flat is listed for you and win in sending the chair back.
I’ve a load of Amazon parcels waiting to go but that shop is about 30m walk away.
I’ll stay for is nothing else.
the gym is 50m walk away.

Spends today £39 in Aldi's the had some lovely things gain there l picked up mens socks with an Aussie theme on themand my DH loves the blue after shave they do. So picked all that up .

Glad the big sleep helped @lifelongfrugaleer it really does reset everything. Auditing the freezer sounds like a good plan, especially if the ready meals got wiped out while you were away. I have everything crossed for you re Neurology 🤗
Hope DSIL wasn’t too draining @needastrongoneagain
Well done on getting the flat finished @BigSkies2022🤗
Unfortunately it's that time of the year @pistachiosanscream.
Well done on realising the way things are and accounting for the extra spends great job ! 👍

Why are families so difficult?! Won't go into it really but my god. Next year I won't bother with Christmas and the little get togethers and either spend it on a beach somewhere or locked in our own home away from it all.
Plenty spent all in all but budgeted from pots of pre planned expenditure.
I have a couple of days off work next week as we're off to Norwich (snore!) sooo we shall see.

Why are families so difficult?! Won't go into it really but my god. Next year I won't bother with Christmas and the little get togethers and either spend it on a beach somewhere or locked in our own home away from it all.
Plenty spent all in all but budgeted from pots of pre planned expenditure.
I have a couple of days off work next week as we're off to Norwich (snore!) sooo we shall see.
Have a good week everyone.

Thanks @Frugal25 and @lifelongfrugaleer for the budget tips, I’m definitely going to get one sorted before the new year, I do like to be organised if possible, plus I’m sure I’ll save loads if it’s all written out in front of me.

Also a big thank you for all the birthday wishes, ate far too much, but hey it’s only once a year - just before Christmas…

@chimichangaz hope you also had a lovely day.

Thoughts are with all the posters having a tough time right now, I think winter and Christmas are hard enough anyway with added extras to deal with 💐

@ChipshopPickledEgg I know exactly how you feel about family - especially at this time of year, I’ve gone ahead and planned a Christmas Day at home with only us this year, no added extra guests and it’s such a weight lifted. Stress free is the way to go.

@lifelongfrugaleer home made ready meals are the way to go, DD takes out back to uni with her and yesterday she messaged to say she’d had my butternut soup for lunch and a roast dinner for tea ☺️ I’ll have to stock up for when she’s back over the holidays. I hope it’s positive news at your appointment this week.

"Pearl, need, Frugal, life, Rum- all frugal friends facing challenges right now: let us breathe, run a nice bath, go for a good walk, listen to a podcast, read a good book, watch a film, clean some windows, do a home manicure - whatever it takes to take care of ourselves. We have nearly made it through another year and 2026 lies ahead with lots of promise!"

@BigSkies2022 this made me cry. SO TRUE and so needed.

Hope everyone has had a nice weekend and @lifelongfrugaleer good luck at your appointmnet. xxxx

Yay for the dressed flat and photos!!
And yummy soup and roast, you're such a good mum.
NSD today. Saw a friend for lunch. I took nibbles to her house from bits I already had in.
Slow cooked veggie chilli for dinner tonight. Nom

£4.26 in Waitrose today.

Good find on the highlighter @Frugal25. I really do like Pyrex. I’ve bought a few dishes in TK Maxx recently. Enjoy your soup.

Thank you @BigSkies2022. That was lovely. I’m hoping for a better 2026 for us all too. Manky weather here as well. Very windy and wet.

I think my frugal wagon flung me off and is running me over @pistachiosanscream.

Glad you’re feeling much better @lifelongfrugaleer.

Sorry @ChipshopPickledEgg. Things are never simple are they.

Have been trying to think of something I’d like to do next year to give me something to look forward to and focus on. The rehab is going ok but it would be good to have something to aim for. And also to sort the eating out for. I know I have a big bill coming before the end of the year so I’m hoping that once that and the carpet are out the way spending might settle down.

Am going to a friend tomorrow for drinks and snacks. She’s supplying the drinks and people are bringing food. Will have to think of what to take and pick it up tomorrow.