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 🤗 .
☃️🤶🎅🦌🎄🎁

@lifelongfrugaleer That's a bit of rubbish news! But chemo although it's not a pleasant experience with all the other things planned for you will go a long way to putting you on the road to recovery.
There is also help out there if you hit financial walls on your journey tthrough this difficult time such as ESA, PIP and even some of the cancer charities will help if you urgently need a new fridge for example. 💝Sending you lots of luck and positive thoughts.

I have the dubious pleasure of knowing @lifelongfrugaleer a little in RL….

Proper trooper she is and will kick this thing in the ass like the badass Northern Lass that she is.

❤️

So never mind her and her tumour…. I’ve (and I do mean me…. here’s looking at you siblings….) have found DF a nursing home. They have assessed him, seem genuinely lovely and he’ll be discharged today or tomorrow. His partners daughter is staying at the moment and I get on really very well with her, so the numerous calls a day from DF’s partner have abated too. They were very draining.

So I’m a bit more on track and will keep up from here.

I’ve nothing major to report re spending. I’ve only really spent what needs to be spent, with one outlier - some luxury mince pies from M&S - balanced beautifully with the organic jumbo rolled oats I popped in for….

Oh bloody hell life. That’s…big. Now, because I am a trivial person, I have always thought that if I were presented with news of this nature, I would first make sure that all paperwork was in order so Fam would be fine. I would then sort out a hair replacement system, of the expensive kind that Kylie had when she had her touch from the Spanish dancer. So: wig up (except you never take it off, so not a wig), eyebrows and lash extensions. Yes it would take a chunk of rainy day money, but if a tumour is not a rainy day, I dunno what is. And I would not have to be confronted with my bodily treachery in quite the same way.

Good luck, take care of yourself, however you do it.

As for you, need: bloody well done on your dad. I have been blessed with a supportive brother who lives nearby, but if yours are a bit pants in the energetic organisation department, then commiserations. I suggest you eat all the mincepies.

@lifelongfrugaleer well that's a crap Christmas present. Sorry to hear. Having done chemo-albeit for breast not brain, so likely different drugs- it's no fun but it's doable. Take the drugs to counteract the side effects and rest on the days of no energy. I found the chemo nurses the loveliest team I met long the way so I hope treatment goes smoothly x

@lifelongfrugaleer thank you for sharing this news with us. I hope we can help support you virtually in this lovely corner of he internet. It really is awful Christmas news but also there is a new year coming and that is a fresh start for your fight with this tumour.

You make me smile Big. Thank you.

In fairness to my siblings, they’ve been a bit crap with this one even objectively, but generally speaking are much better than this last week or so might suggest. DB1 will gladly do anything asked of him, but needs to be asked… he just wouldn’t think… which isn’t always helpful. DB2 has just finished chemo himself so I’ve tried not to ask too much (he coped really well life, far better than you might imagine) but ducked out of dealing with DF’s partner on the grounds of patience not being his greatest virtue by his own admission re DF’s partner and her cognitive decline (she phones a lot and repeats herself….)… He’s happily agreed to help sort any administrative load.

I don’t even like mince pies… but will watch the family happily indulge, while I eat my bowl of porridge with pistachio nuts, mango and pumpkin seeds.. or something….

That is big news life, but as said previously said you will kick this and we will be here along the way too.

Currently procrastinating looking at a pile of presents to wrap. Not excited to do this 😂

Also waiting for the tradesman to come round to do a couple of repair jobs. Will be £300 lighter afterwards though. Feel sorry for them though as it is an outside job and it is heaving down with rain.

£20 in Tesco on cheap veg and Christmas bits

Got to get off my phone for something so will post later, but big hugs @lifelongfrugaleer

Back from Tesco spent £113 but still need stuff 🙄.
Aldi tomorrow morning it is then 😁

@lifelongfrugaleer you're incredibly brave and strong. Thank you for telling us all, we can now support and love you every step of the way. 2026 is going to be a fresh start and amazing for you. Well done for sorting everything out and good luck with the forms. How did the printer go?

Pay day today. So;
£102 in Lidl which should see me through two weeks if not 1.5 weeks and I'll get OH to pop out and top it up (cheeky me)
£10.65 on swimming session
£1.60 on vending machine Christmas cookie
£30 on a real Christmas tree
£25 on a gift card for mums present
£21 on last Amazon gifts
£20 on a deposit for a night out. It's tonight, and I've been dreading it if I'm honest. I don't want to go. The lady I was going with has now dropped out and although I like and get on with the other ladies going, I haven't clicked with them as easily. It's £70 for a two course dinner and bottomless prosecco, but if you remember, last time I did bottomless prosecco I was a mess. And I have work in London tomorrow so I can't even drink that much. So I may cut my losses, lose the deposit, cancel and at least "save" the rest of the money I would have spent. Hoping tomorrow is a NSD.

Thanks need that’s exactly the reaction I knew I would get from a fellow northerner. Love you too x. Please about dad and partner update x

So I’m working through the paperwork right now big. Have done my Poa today £184!!
Sorting files and password
dd has helpful said she is getting me a rainbow wig but I should shave my head now as they need to shave part for surgery. She then proceeds to send me pictures of people with patterns dyed on their scalp. Good love her

thanks for the chemo tips

i rang them and 45m later have surrendered my licence.
I’ve also cancelled the gym so should get a refund.
Will contact car insurance as not sure I can be insured without a license so will transfer both to DH for now

@lifelongfrugaleer. Well. Behatzlcha to you x. Goodspeed for surgery and chemo. Do take care of yourself as much as you can and hold on to that sense of humour. Hope you got the printer to work.

That’s good on the nursing home @needastrongoneagain. I hope it goes ok moving forward and well done. The porridge sounds good.

Great news on the nursing home @needastrongoneagain1 thats such a relief for you all 😊👏.
Well done in getting everything sorted @lifelongfrugaleer.
You are so organised especially getting poa sorted that's not an easy thing to do the forms are horrendous 😱
My friend has had chemo for breast cancer recently and lost all her hair of course and wears the little turban hats , she loves them so much and they really suit her that even though her hair has grown back she still wears them 🤣

@lifelongfrugaleer I’m sorry to hear of your news, but pleased you are able to be stoic and the prognosis seems positive. Shit tinting, but good for the refunds!

Today has been insane for spends and I feel a bit low about it.

I had to buy a block of hydro sessions, I only bought one last week but one is for 121 at one pool and the other is for group at the other. Still £700 for 6/8 weeks feels painful. It’s to get me through the initial rehab and hopefully back to work. But bloody hell.

Then ds2’s clubs were released for next term, £130, they’ve put prices up but he loves the after school clubs and it means he does an extra hour. When I go back to work it will mean he probably doesn’t have to go to after school club, we’ll manage with just two mornings of breakfast club.

Then there was £35 for ds1 school trip in January.

add in £33 breakfast for dh and I and £45 in Primark and I could just lay down and weep.

We have savings, we are bouyant, but bloody hell.

Oh and we’ve invited people for nye and they are all coming and bringing a guest. My Tesco trolley for catering is at £200. I’m going to have a hard think about how to make a delicious and budget buffet and drinks for 15. I’m wondering if I could do it much cheaper really or just suck that up.

@lifelongfrugaleer that is big. You sound really organised and bless DD for supporting you. Lots of support here too. It sounds like a positive prognosis - 2026 sounds the year to kick cancer's butt.

@FurForksSake some months feel overwhelming don't they and then Christmas puts that on steroids! At least you are fluid and it will slow down. I'm avoiding the shops and then worrying all the cheese I have not bought will run out!

@needastrongoneagain good news about the nursing home.

Sorry to whoever has a difficulties with DB or other family members - I can't even start to explain the negative impact my alcoholic DB has had on my family. I am so grateful for DHs family and my Dsis.

Lidl £9.32 - top up plus bought several bags of veg for 4p - Lidl app discount! Will need to peel, chop, parboil and freeze some.
£13.55 Starbucks - met a friend and had a proper good catch up for two hours!
£6.55 Morrisons. Got DH a good selection box for £5 on the More Card.

Did the Lidl Unwrapped on the app yesterday. Didn't know whether to be proud or mortified that I'm in the top 10% of shoppers in my local Lidl. Its on the drive to work and the gym so kinda handy.

Bought some of the 5p veg in Morrisons. I've frozen the sprouts, made carrot and swede mash (portioned and frozen) and made curried parsnip soup. Wasn't part of my pre going away plan but it's done.
I did buy some other bits while I was out. Like someone else, I can't remember my last NSD!

Good morning everyone as you can see l can't see sleep , hey ho 🤗
well done @Vinorosso74 that's excellent work very frugal 👏.
@Mochi1fudge think that being in the top 10% of Lidl shoppers is definitely something to be pleased about well done you 👍 👏.
@FurForksSake l think the money you have spent on getting yourself well again is an investment and you are spending money very wisely on your health . As the old saying goes it's money in the bank and you are that bank sweetheart 🤗
Re NYE can you get the booze from Tesco 25% off 6 bottles of wine ATM . Stick to the Bucks fizz/Prosecco/booze on offer and do a buffet , lean heavily on nuts , crisps , mince pies , sarnies, sausage rolls , pork pies etc . Unless you want a higher spec party food/drink.
Good luck l hope you have a great time 😁🎉.
@lifelongfrugaleer hope you are managing to sleep despite all this crap that's going on 🤗
Have a lovely day everyone 😊

@lifelongfrugaleer thank you for sharing your news with us - it’s really tough, but you sound like you’re getting organised to help ease any admin burden during your treatment which is a gift to yourself and your family. I’m sure you’ll have support in real life but also lots from us on this thread. Sending big hugs ❤️

@needastrongoneagain well done on sorting the care home for your DF - that must feel like a huge weight has been lifted.

well done to everyone tracking spends and finding bargains - I need to catch up on my finances to make sure I don’t overspend this month. I was doing so well with putting money in pots but then it’s gone a bit adrift……

Had a meal with some friends last night so had a wander round town beforehand. Picked up some bargain books from the library sale for 1p each, even though I promised myself NO MORE BOOKS!!! Also treated myself to the 4k disc of Aliens for Christmas which is one of my all time favourite films so I will watch that over the Christmas period.

Got a night out tonight to a gig that I’m not looking forward to as I’ve found out lots more people have been invited to the group that I don’t really like. I’ve ducked out of the overnight hotel and really wish I could drop out of the whole thing but I can’t because it won’t be worth the fallout.

If anyone has any tips on not being a people pleaser send them my way. I ended up paying an extra £9 for my meal last night because someone (who’d had more expensive food and more drinks than me) suggested we just split the bill evenly rather than pay what we had and I went along with it 😬

Anyway, putting my big girl pants on for today - finishing off the wrapping, getting organised with finances and home and then out tonight.

Hope everyone has a great day 😊 (the rain has stopped here too so that’s good news!)

It's a gorgeous day today isn't it @chimichangaz . I hear you on the people pleasing and also need a lesson there. I didn't go out last night but felt awful for letting them down all evening. But I really couldn't afford it.

I've done my budget for this month and I'm into overdraft and using credit cards to survive it looks like. Christmas. DD birthday. Mortgage has nearly doubled. It's all hitting me. I'm going to cancel a few bits that I can cancel and see if I have dresses in the wardrobe that I Def won't fit into anymore. Anyone else holding onto size 6-8 when they are a 12?!

LSD today. £1.60 on a croissant as I didn't have time for brekkie before I left. I nearly spanked £30 on the competition to try and win £500k tonight. I nearly pressed the button. And then put the £30 in savings instead. If I'm going to lose it, lose it to my future self...
Night in tonight without the OH so bath and facemask (99p from Lidl!) and Gogglebox for me.
Going to treat myself tomorrow morning and vax my carpets downstairs ready for Christmas day when people will be over. I know how to live eh.

Sorry you're not sleeping @MaryGreenhill , I noticed the other posts were early too and wondered if you were ok. Anything we can help with?
@needastrongoneagain well done on the nursing home and having help with your DDads partner. You have so much going on and always cope so gracefully with it.

£150 Ocado coming later
£3 on a lip balm for ds12, his lips are suddenly looking awful!

kids are singing at the council offices, dh will take them and then pick up a take away on the way home.

blue skies no rain thank goodness! I can clean the floors without feeling instantly demoralised by spaniel paws tracking mud in.
£13 in Lidl, mostly dairy for the Christmas fridge. £10 in bakery, bread gone in the freezer.
DS about to go into town to buy the items he saw last week for his Christmas present. Assuming he gets them and they haven’t sold out, I will be on the hook for £200. Which isn’t an unreasonable amount for a Christmas present, and he does need to build up a wardrobe of smart-casual stuff for the job he doesn’t yet have but which will come in 2026! Send good vibes, comrades, for him and all his fellow job seekers. Where are you, growth???

£90 to the electrician for fitting a security light and camera out the back. We can watch the foxes dig holes under our fences on our phones now.

DH took a deep breath and paid £2k to get the garage roof completely redone. On the one hand, yay, sound roof. On the other, you have a garage with a roof, much as you had before. (Albeit the best one in the block now.)

heading towards a spaghetti and tomato with bay leaves sauce for dinner tonight. It’s a Rachel Roddy recipe and very simple but hits the spot when you CBA to do much cooking ahead of some days when there’s going to be a lot of cooking.

supposed to be going to a Jane Austen event tonight, but I fear the tickets, being free, may not weigh enough in the balance against dinner and Stranger Things, followed by a bath and early night with a book.