Winter is coming.

Bob

Bob

Well-Known Forumite
Autumn is my favourite time of the year, I love it, the leaves changing colour, early morning mist, darker nights that mean lighting the fire and snuggling on the sofa, stew and pie and roast dinners, warm woolly jumpers and wellies and I've got mine and both kids birthdays to look forward to, then it's time for Santa to come.

Now it's a bit early even for me to be using the C word - though the kids have been asking when they can put the tree up.

I've been here long enough for you lot to know I am a little Christmas mad and the first tub of miniature festive chocolate bars have already been purchased and consumed to there point that all the good ones are gone.

I know I beat all you lovely lot by more than a couple of weeks with the decorations and what not but I'd be very interested to know when everyone starts to think about/plan for the festive period.

Last year we moved house mid October and that put me in a bit of a spin that resulted in most of Christmas Eve still wrapping presents and that will NOT be happening this year. It's looking like we'll have 14 for dinner so I'm getting the prep in as early as I can.

Prezzy shopping has a small dent in it - the spread sheet is a mass of multi colour and I'm currently looking up boozy fruit cake recipes, the temperature seems to have dipped a bit so the fire was lit for the fist time last night, the warm cozy glow is definitely the beginning for me.

Eldest will be 9 soon and I figure there aren't many years of 'believing' left, then I'm sure she'll go and ruin it if for the smallest one.
 
Glam

Glam

Mad Cat Woman
I have got 4 presents so far, holding back on buying one, cos the male of the couple might be out of the picture after this evening, tho I doubt it, we rnt that lucky.
Waiting on 2 to be delivered..
 
jacs

jacs

Well-Known Forumite
So far I have got all my cards and paper, and presents for 5 out of the 11 people I buy for. I like to have finished shopping by the 1st November as i can't stand the madness in shops in the run up. Normally put the tree up 1st December.
 
Trumpet

Trumpet

Well-Known Forumite
Mrs T was buying presents for this year before last Christmas. Most are wrapped and labelled.
 
Bob

Bob

Well-Known Forumite
jacs said:
So far I have got all my cards and paper, and presents for 5 out of the 11 people I buy for. I like to have finished shopping by the 1st November as i can't stand the madness in shops in the run up. Normally put the tree up 1st December.
Click to expand...

My buying list is 53 people so far I have 11 ticked off most of them are kids and token presents. Nieces, nephews and god children total double figures but I've reigned the budget in a little this year and I'm sticking to it.

I tend to buy to the value of the budget, my 11 that are done were allocated £120, the value of the gifts are £147 but I've only spent £36 (or (29 if I include the cash back) for kids I LOVE the Book People, plus I save cash back for Amazon and I've got Tesco vouchers to use, total budget including hubby and kids is £988 and by December I want a spend of half that with a value of double! One of the reasons I start so early is so I can shop savvy.



Trumpet said:
Mrs T was buying presents for this year before last Christmas. Most are wrapped and labelled.
Click to expand...

That wouldn't work for me especially with the kids and what they want one year is nothing like what they want the next. I couldn't begin to predict what's going on the list this year, they put 7 things each on their lists and I try to make sure they get 5 of them. Lists are done before birthdays so they often get a couple of things before Christmas anyway. Last year we skipped out on the Hatchimals and it wasn't even mentioned on the day.

Glam said:
I have got 4 presents so far, holding back on buying one, cos the male of the couple might be out of the picture after this evening, tho I doubt it, we rnt that lucky.
Waiting on 2 to be delivered..
Click to expand...

What's the verdict @Glam ? Is he gone?
 
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Trumpet

Trumpet

Well-Known Forumite
Bob said:
My buying list is 53 people
Click to expand...

Mine is 1, Mrs T.
She sorts the kids out, the neighbours, their kids, various of her old friends etc. My immediate family opted out of Christmas present buying years ago.
 
Glam

Glam

Mad Cat Woman
Glam said:
I have got 4 presents so far, holding back on buying one, cos the male of the couple might be out of the picture after this evening, tho I doubt it, we rnt that lucky.
Waiting on 2 to be delivered..
Click to expand...
Bob said:
What's the verdict @Glam ? Is he gone?
Click to expand...

She says they're finished. He hasn't left the house yet cos neither of them have anywhere go. He's accused her of some really nasty stuff, none of which I know is true, like cheating on him. Yet he's the one with another womans phone number and just waiting for my sister say they're done before he acts on it.
But they will probably kiss n make up by the weekend, so I shall have to get the knobheadwankstaintosserarsewipe a small token for Christmas after all :(
 
Bob

Bob

Well-Known Forumite
Productive morning!

For those of you buying for kids, The Entertainer Toy Shop has some fab deals on now, up to 75% off, just got all the kids smaller bits and all their birthday prezzy's plus another two off my buying for list.

Spread sheet is certainly filling up now and I'm chuffed with my bargains so far. So far I have spent £155 on Christmas gifts with an RRP value of £431 and a whopping £276 saving!

For the 13 people I have finished completely and crossed off the shopping list - the budget was £140, I have spent less than £42 (£67 if you include the amazon voucher) and the RRP value is £181.

On top of that little lot I have accrued £23 in Topcashback
 
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