Thrifty Thursday: Christmas countdown 33 days

The super-six at Aldi today are tomatoes (6), broccoli, swede, chantenay carrots (500g), onions (1kg) and lemons (3). They are all 49p.

The Thursday special buys includes various clothes for winter and other special buys. The bed socks might be a good idea with energy bills going up again. I had some thermal socks to wear with my boots when it snows. I went to Aldi yesterday and the chicken thighs and drumsticks were still 50p off so I had a couple of those. My freezer is well stocked now.

The Sunday special buys include thermal clothing for children and several items that might be good for Christmas presents.

There are now 33 days to Christmas and I’m still getting my Christmas presents and thinking about food and drink.  I still need some decorations. I saw tinsel in Aldi, but I think I’ll check out Poundland for decorations.  I think I need garlands to make my house look a little Christmassy!

It’s much colder now, in fact it’s freezing here. Try wearing more clothes to keep warm. I saw the postman yesterday still wearing his summer shorts! If you wear a sweater and maybe a body warmer, you can save energy by turning down the heating thermostat a little. Remember to turn it down if you go out for a while too.

We have to save money even at Christmas. So look around now for cheap presents or even make your own. Think what the person might like or find useful. Look around too for food bargains and spread the cost. I can’t eat things made from wheat, but I’ll probably buy mince pies and biscuits for guests. I’ll buy those early and I tend to think of quality rather than quantity. One nice liqueur chocolate is much better than a box full of cheap ones.

GiffGaff

I’m getting used to my new phone now that I have on GiffGaff. I think I’ll just use my credit for a while and then have a £5 ‘goody bag’ to last over Christmas. I check Facebook and Twitter with it, but via Wi-Fi, so I don’t use my data allowance.  I also get free calls to friends on GiffGaff too.  As I write this I’m using Skype to chat to someone in China, which is free. I can use Skype on my phone or laptop.

Credit card transfers

There are a lot of offers now for credit transfers on credit cards. If you’re in debt on your card this can be a good idea. There is a limit to the number of times you can transfer you balance though. You can run out of banks to transfer to. Treat such offers with caution. Banks want to make money from you, not fund your Christmas spending spree… Spread the cost by buying things early, not by getting into debt.

You can also have a word with friends and family and tell them that it will be an austere Christmas, because you have to cut spending. You might be able to post Christmas greetings on Facebook and Twitter to save on Christmas cards and stamps. Send your friends text messages at midnight on New Years Eve! Try repackaging things to make interesting gifts. Make up a jar of sweets using loose sweets or even have a go at making a Christmas wreath with holly and ivy.

Have you seen any bargains? Do you have any good ideas for cheap Christmas gifts? Please comment and share your thoughts. You can also follow me on Twitter.

Related articles

• Aldi and Lidl mince pies beat Fortnum & Mason’s in Which? taste test (theguardian.com)
• Cheap and cheerful – Discount chain Aldi trumps Fortnum & Mason in mince pie taste test (telegraph.co.uk)
• Christmas Countdown Starts Now!!! (the-ripple.co.uk)
• Thrifty Thursday: Christmas countdown 40 days (mike10613.wordpress.com)

Advertisement