General Chat

With Christmas fast approaching is there anything you will be cutting out this year. I for one will be cutting out on.
Nuts (the ones you crack) dates and figs for starters.
We have them each year (well it's traditional to have them) and now they just don't get eaten, such a waste. Now to get my thinking cap on for other things.
Anyone got any ideas?

Pat

Presents. Its all about recieving and not giving for me this year!! lol

Pat, Good Morning. I know just what you mean. Over the years, I have cut back and cut back on the kind of things you mention. So, this year, I have only bought 2 tins of chocs, and that is mainly for the OH and any visiting grandchildren. I have spent years of packing them off with things just before they expire, because we just don't eat that sort of thing anymore.
Because I make most of the things we eat, I manage to do this in stages, to spread the cost. I already have jars of various pickles stored away (please do not tell that Merlin chappie as he is always trying to get his hands on me pickled shallots). This week, I am making mincemeat for the mince pies, though I am a little late this year. I will also make a large piece of Ruff Puff pastry and freeze until needed. We do not eat Christmas Cake or Pudding, so that is a no brainer in this house. I also have different stuffings and sauces already in the freezer.
Fortunately, the grandchildren, with the exception of two, are passed having presents from grandma. As for ourselves, well I always tell the OH that I would sooner have some money around Easter time, to pay for the start of the gardening season. I think this year we are both going to share the cost of a small aquarium and fish for ourselves.
It is not easy I know, but we have all got to try and find a way.
Take Care
Julia in Derbyshire

no xmas cake pudding or mince pies ..no figs no dates ..only two tins of chocolates and other sweets for my grandchildren ..plenty of fruit ..xmas isnt xmas without a orange ..lol

grandchildren will get their normal prezzies ..

With all this stuff not being brought the shops will be full of christmas stuff at Easter.......lol

Pat I agree, OH always insisted we had nuts until I pointed out some years ago they were still there at Easter. Dates, he eats all year round, figs we got sick of them with our fig tree.

Stopped baking the trad. cake as it also was still in tin at Easter. Each year, buy less because we don't use it and it is waste. Always a tin of QS, large bags of salted peanuts and ginger wine, mince pies etc and satsumas!

We visit relatives and they come back to us over Christmas for meals.
All the families have enough food to feed a small nation so we have suggested that who ever visits takes either the deserts, or choc, mince pies etc. and this saves everyone buying everything.

Its nice to have a taster of food but everyone buys far to much and is eating chrismas goodies for weeks on end and then trying to loose weight after.
My Daughter who is a student works part time in a supermarket and said at the weekend christmas chocolate logs were being sold half price because they were near the sell by date!

When I was a child in the 19960s and 70s Christmas food was a treat and nothing was allowed to be eaten before Christmas day.
Maybe we should go back to that way of thinking.

I have also realised many years too late for the eldest child that all the toys and games bought for them are long forgotton, and special events and times with friends and family are remembered more.

I think the shops media, and television whip everyone up into a frenzie of buying to provide the "perfect" Christmas and we all go along with it.

Im not a bar humbug, just a little fed up that I have been sucked into the whole hype over the years and spent hard earned cash trying to make the perfect Christmas"

Teresa

Julia
Gosh you are organised and well ahead. I,m sure I did a lot more when I was working full time than I do now. Used to do pickled onions, chutney's etc. but I made two Christmas cakes last year and there is still one in the freezer ready for decoration.
I have about £60 in vouchers from a supermarket so that should help to cover a lot of food costs. Will only buy one box of chocs (meanie) as I might be tempted to scoff the lot.
Jgee
Oh yes must have oranges etc at Christmas. Blast from the past I used to have a tangerine as a child not seen those for years.

Kemp
Yes hope they aren't relying on me to fill their coffers.

Susan
Really like your idea a lot LOL

Cooper

I agree we eat and buy far to much over the Christmas period. I am staggered by people in supermarkets filling often 3 trolleys. Another thing every holiday the amount of bread people buy staggers me when often it's just an extra day.

I too think it might be a very good idea that Christmas goodies are saved for Christmas day this makes it more special.
Am I getting old? Answer Yes, wiser maybe.

Pat - I too am appaled at the amount of food people put in their trolly's, in particular bread. As you say, the shops are usually opened the day after Christmas Day, so why all the panic buying. As I look at them doing this, I also think of them about the end of January - when the credit card statements pop through the letter box.
Julia in Derbyshire

i dont bulk buy at chritas i buy the usual stuff, and a few tins of sweets n posh biscults, which are not allowed to be opened till christmas day or after, thats all, i live a 10 min walk from a major supermarket, so have no need to bulk buy lol

i am guilty of spending far to much on littleman at chritmas, but i like to make it speacial , x

Old habits die hard with me I am afraid - I have a DD each month into a separate account and at the end of November draw it all out. Covers all of Christmas expenses, from food to presents. 50 years ago I used to put some away each week in a tobacco tin!! I buy wrapping paper, gift tags and cards after Christmas!!!

I too am cutting out all the things that dont get eaten over christmas,figs etc but my little tip is this
over the course of the year I try to put £1 per day from the change in my purse and save for christmas that way .I start on 1 Jan and by november have enough for pressies for all and extras for christmas.

ann

the smell of oranges and whisky in tea reminds me of xmas long ago..

ya cant beat the smell of a real chritmas tree, it gets me int he christmas mood, i no there expensive, and a fake tree is better money wise, i dont think it would be the same without one x

Most of the foods now can be got all year round,so christmas time is no special deal.

dates were only saw at christmas,a stash of oranges and the like only hit the shops at christmas,turkeys aswell.mincpies. decorated cakes,

do something different and have chips and egg.}}}}

we always have chips and cold meat on boxing day. my hubbie does everything that day.Its my only one day off a year and a real treat. :):)

i do kay .. not keen on roasts ..but still do one for oh..if we dont go out to family meals ..

steak egg and chips .. lol

We do something different from turkey - we have goose and have done for many years - I used to have to order in June from the butcher as he could only get hold of so many goose eggs for incubation! Becoming more popular now then. The only meat I can think of that you can get at Christmas time.

I actually love christmas cake, (home made), pudding, chocolates etc., We eat nuts and dried fruits all year round so no different there. Loads of fruit and Veg.
I can leav e the crisps and we do not drink spirits, mainly real ale, and not in great quantities.!!honest.!
Some peoples trolleys are laden with booze, and frozen sausage rolls and stuff like that. Yuk.! Still we are all different, thats what makes the world go round.
Try not to buy useless presents, usually something that I know someone would like or something useful, without being too boring. You can keep the sets of smellies, too, .
When my children were older, and wanted something in particular, and I knew it would be in the sale just after christmas, they waited and sure enough, we saved money. Sue