17 Weeks to Christmas

[kallis3]

I don't mind the shopping bit - might be different this year now I haven't got plastic to fall back on!

I will be looking at all the survey sites I use and taking all the vouchers I have earned.

A lot of them will be going on Christmas pressies, a bit mean perhaps? It does mean that I don't spend a lot of cash though.

Mom and Dad come for Christmas and always give us £50 for the food. That, coupled with my Tesco and Sainsburys vouchers and the fact that we buy the bare minimum food (don't stint on the booze though) should see us through. I can't see the point in buying loads of food which will never get eaten.

I doesn't seem to matter how much I cut down though, we still have waste.

[Skippy]

I hate Christmas shopping - that's what the internet's for!

We've been saving our Nectar points, and so far we've got £27.50 towards our Christmas food shopping. To be quite honest we don't really buy much extra. Christmas day is just Dave and I and our mums, and if I don't eat it, we don't buy it, so no Christmas cake, mince pies (I did get some last year and no-one wanted them!), pudding, sprouts etc! Neither of them drink, so it's quite cheap really! Boxing day Dave and I go to my mums so that's a free day!

[aguise]

My daughter is doing chrissie dinner this time so , should be a bit cheaper this year. I have learned not to buy all the unecessary suff now and saved a load last year and didnt miss anything. I used to have stuff still in the cupboard in july left from christmas before the iva.

Ang x

[kallis3]

We have my parents from Christmas Eve to the 27th, then again on New Years Eve. They don't eat or drink a lot either. We like to make sure we have enough alcohol in for unexpected visitors (well that's my story and I'm sticking to it!!)

We do have mince pies, but they are home made. Mom makes the mincemeat - has done as long as I can remember, and it is sooo much better than shop bought.

I usually make a chocolate truffle torte (Delia Smith - thank you!).
Viki would love it!

It doesn't last long!

[Viki.W]

You can save me a piece Kallis......please.[:p]

[kallis3]

No problem Viki - you can drop in anytime. Just let me know so I've got time to make one![:D][:D]

[Wizzard]

No problem Viki - you can drop in anytime. Just let me know so I've got time to make one![:D][:D]

One won't be enough for the choccie monster kalli ... silly girl[:D][:D]

[kallis3]

They're very rich though - might be to much even for Viki![:D][:D]

[debtmountain]

Mmmm, I smelt the "C " word, Chocolate that is not Christmas [:D]

I love Chocolate Torte [:p] Can we form a disorderly queue Jan? [:D]

Haven't even thought about Christmas this year [:(] until I read this. Will probably be just the two of us at home on Christmas day and visiting family on Boxing day, the usual. Like Skippy, have about £26 on Nectar Card which will help towards Food and Drink.

Jan, that does make me laugh seeing people loaded up to the hilt with food shopping and like you say, half of it probably goes to waste, you would think that there would be no Shops open for a couple of weeks. When i was a young lass back in the 70's, Shops would be closed over the Christmas Period so people would stock up. I think most have just got into that old habit from years back.[:)]

[Wizzard]

I buy a Ringtons Tea £5.00 voucher every week so food is never a problem at Xmas. visitors aren't a problem either ... we never get any. In fact I tend to spend Xmas day on here [:I]. We have a Xmas at Easter when we see the grand kids.

[debtmountain]

Are you a Teeholic Ray? [:D][:D]

I will probably look in on the forum as well to wish everyone a Merry Chrimbo [:)]

[Wizzard]

You betcha DebtMountain .... I lurves me tea[:D]

[debtmountain]

Me too, [:D] PG tips is me fave [:p]

[kallis3]

Debtmountain, I was a kid in the 50's and 60's. Once 6pm on Christmas Eve came, that was it for at at least two days. If you hadn't got it then, tough! Nowadays, you can usually find a small Spar open on Christmas Day.

The banks used to shut at lunchtime on Christmas Eve as well.

As for the torte, I'll just put in one of those machines they have at the deli counter - just take one of the tickets and wait for the number to come up![:D]

[debtmountain]

That sounds like a good idea Jan [:D]

I think personally that back in those days, the fact that shops closed made it more special. Nowadays it's too commercialised and all the fun of Christmas is diluted over too long a period.