General Chat

I saw some nice cashmere (mix?) cardigans and such in Tesco's last week, £35 and £40 I think they were, am hoping they have a special offer period, with a percentage off or might ask for one of the jacket/cardis for Christmas. Bhs often do nice cashmere things too, have a sweater I got reduced there once, which is so nice and snuggly as long as I wear a thin top underneath as it tickles..
I won't be going mad this year, think my son might be getting a dishwasher and microwave lol - a friend is having her kitchen done end November and wants to sell her worktop dishwasher, will let my son have it cheap and for another tenner will throw in the m/wave, which will be better than the one he has at the mo. The dishwasher will be a godsend as he is hopeless at keeping up with stuff and ends up having to have a blitz when he runs out of spoons or mugs and things. I said I would pay my friend as his Christmas pressie, rather than like last year, get him things that, two of them, he wasn't keen on so they went back and he never came out with me to get replacement towelling robe etc, is still wearing his old one.
No idea what to get o.h., he is the most difficult man to buy for and have almost run out of ideas except his slippers are getting tatty!

Bought lots of boxes of toblerone chocs earlier this year they were down to 60p or £1, think it was 60p but the use by date is Feb 09! Will be great for my elderly neighbours who like chocolate and who I like to remember at Christmas even tho I don't see so much of them now I don't live at my house.


Lizx

Woolworths had toys and cards etc --3 for 2 -it was quite busy

Finding nice warm jumpers is a real pain, Mo. We got a nice arran knit one for mum from Bon Marche but it's really not my style. And with the temp down to 4c today I'm already feeling like thermal undies are gonna be on their way LOL. Love me some warm snuggly bed socks :-)

Talking of the special meal, mum said turkeys were £40 in the shop the other day and it wasn't a huge one.

Went into M&S West Quay, Southampton, today, and they do not have a lot of Woollen Jumpers in. Where are they all? OH was going to buy me a Cashmere jumper for Christmas.

He did get himself a very nice pair of shoes, but poor old Mo came home empty handed. Except for the Bed Socks, bought for the cold nights, when OH puts his cold feet on mine.

Mo

Think I did all my Christmas presents, cards, wrapping paper etc for under £50 last year. (Admittedly I only had about three presents to buy - for the family - but I've found that somewhere in the house there are bound to be:

1. Leftover rolls of wrapping paper
2. Ribbons and bows for trimming (I bought loads of ribbon when I was younger and never seem to be able to use it up)
3. Sticky tape

So, as long as the presents aren't awkward sizes, I can get away with only buying wrapping paper every other year!

I've taken to questioning people in the run-up to Christmas about what they really want - my sister is very image-conscious, for instance, so everyone buys her toiletries for presents but she never uses them. There was a very nice gift set somebody had bought her last year which was never opened and ended up going to the jumble sale, which is a pity but I'm sure somebody will have seen it and got it as a present for someoe else.

Yeah Island

I have to agree, i don't think its the actual day that gets my back up its the months of pressure before hand that does it.

I actually enjoy spending the day with my loved ones after all the present giving is over with.

X

HERE HERE!! I'll second that lol

X

Yeh i've also noticed that Halloween is now becoming and event that seems to last nearly as long as Christmas.

Used to be for just the one night when i was little, noticed on tv too that people have been dressing up in costume for the past week or so. Whats that all about then ? LOL...

X

Christmas on a budget - I've been managing this for years as someone on benefits with several nieces and nephews.

You don't have to answer these questions on here but on a piece of paper.

The thing to do is work out how many presents you have to buy. How many are essential (ie your kids & immediate family)?

Work out from now until the week before Xmas how much money you have coming in and how much going out, is there anything that you can do without (such as sky tv, magazines, budget your food so you're not buying luxuries, etc). How much is left? Add these amounts up and divide by the number of presents you 'must' buy.

Stick to the amounts you've set yourself and plan what you're going to buy for each person. Write a list. Sometimes it can be cheaper to buy one bigger present, but kids can feel they're getting more with lots of smaller ones. DON'T get sucked into the 'must haves' buy something that suits the person/child you're buying for not just because the media have hyped it up and they've "want that'd" you to death.

Before xmas explain to them that things are expensive right now and you's don't have much money so christmas will be a small affair but it doesn't mean you love them less. The older kids are big enough to understand.

Anyone who is not essential but you'd like to buy for budget to get them a nice tin of biscuits or cheap but nice bottle of wine (Tesco do a nice Muscato by Brown Brothers - australian wine, for under a fiver).

Some stores are doing saving stamps so if you know you're going to get lots from there you could get the saving stamps and some you get an extra pound after so much; it's not much but every penny helps.

It's not how much money you spend or how many presents you give it's how much thought and love goes into buying them. I was horrified to learn a few years ago how much debt my parents had put themselves into in order to give us more at xmas and still they feel bad about not giving us much...but they were there and that was what mattered to us.

A lot of the staff in my local Asda have been wearing witches hats...just in case anyone happens to miss the one entire aisle dedicated to this event! Many of the other aisles have a few xmas paraphanalia scattered here and there, not to mention the floor to ceiling tins of Roses/Quality Street along one wall!..

Tor

I know it's only October BUT i have friends who have actually FINISHED their Christmas shopping, it makes me feel so behind.

I wouldn't mind at all if they decided to cancel it this year!

X

We've just had a Homebase built here (after about two years of letters from local residents to the local paper arguing about why it is a good/bad idea, will bring people into the town, will take custom from the family-run department store here which has a good DIY section etc etc) - big signs have been up for ages saying "Open Autumn 2008".

Now it's practically November and the place is finished, but there's no sign of it opening. So, as Bella Donna suggested, that's a lot of students who won't be able to look for weekend work just yet (we have got a sixth-form here with about 600 students, plus one secondary school and also the pupils from the Catholic primary school have to travel to the nearest Catholic high school, but generally stay in the area).

Dare I say Tealy, I feel exactly the same. Its all about spend spend spend.

57 more sleeps... now that does hit home even more, no there doesn't seem to be as much seasonal work around unfortunately.

To be quite honest and i hope i don't sound too miserable but i don't like Christmas at the best of times. I think all the meaning seems to have gone and it's turned into a money making rackett.

X

SHUT UP or I'll have to report you for swearing.

It is STILL October.

TOR x

No doubt stores such as Currys and Argos will notice a huge decrease in sales this year...not much work opportunities for the seasonal student workers either.

57 more sleeps i belve lol

AW MY GOD...

i can't believe Christmas is nearly here, not long since been finished from work and the thought of it looming is depressing to say the least.
Doesnt make it any easier when we have a 13 yr old who's birthday is 2 days b4 and a 19 yr old whos birthday is 2 days after .....

Me thinks father christmas will be feeling the credit crunch this year too.

X