The Big Christmas spend!

 Today I spent the money we have saved all year for Christmas gifts.

For those people who don't know me, I am a complete saver.  I don't have loans or credit cards, and genuinely enjoy saving - and spending - for a purpose.  

When we moved into this new house three week ago, we needed to buy a fridge-freezer.  We knew we would be moving house and that we might need to purchase something, so set an amount and saved.  that amount was my budget for the fridge-freezer. When we went to the local electrical shop, I had that figure as a top amount; we browsed fridge-freezers up to that limit and bought under that figure.  I love it!

As for Christmas, we save up for 364 days.  Little, regular amounts.

It was a bit simpler when cash was the currency more used, but I use an app called PLUM now most things are online.  This is an online gadget that helps you by squirrelling away small amounts.  For example, if I spend £9.10, the app automatically moves 90p into my account.  I don't miss the additional 90p - that's nothing is it, really? - but these little amounts builid up.

I used to do this with cash in jars and envelopes.

Nowadays I have several saving accounts with my bank, and this app.

Today I bought the 'big' gifts:

Man Wonderful - he also has a birthday at the end of the month

Gorgeous Daughter - her birthday is in December

Son-in-Law

Grandkid 1 - her birthday is in January

Grandkid 2

As you can see, it is an expensive time of year, but it's not a surprise or an emergency.  I am totally aware that Christmas is the 25th of December, and I know the dates of the birthdays: so I save all year.

Today there were savings offers due to #blackfriday, so I took advantage of these.

I knew what I wanted to buy, and visited a few websites to get the best deals.

Now all I have to do is wait for them to arrive and finish my gift wrapping.

Have you finished Christmas shopping?

Do you plan and save all year like I do?

Take care,

Tracey xx