Friday 11 December 2015

Christmas insanity

It can be an expensive time of the year this Christmas lark. 

We don't go mad, we buy gifts for the grandchildren between £10  and £20 a head. 

We buy extra food so we can feed the family when they visit.

We budget for all this and do it without using plastic or going into overdraft.

But then there is work, 5 people leaving, would I like to contribute £3 towards a leaving gift?

Two Secret Santa's, £5 would I like to join in? Yes to one, no to the other.

It's traditional to contribute to a gift for the line manager, £6.75 this year.

Two Christmas do's, would I like to go? One is £30, the other is £45, plus fares and drinks, no thanks to both.

The end of term buffet, could I please donate some cartons of fruit juice, just a couple of quid.

Lets all dress up on the last day of term, lets all spend £16 in Primarni on matching dresses that we will never wear again.

This comes to about £50 without the Christmas do's.

5 comments:

Jill said...

Oh, please tell me that the matching dresses idea was said in jest....please, please!
I don't know it I should laugh or cry.

Some people are certainly free with other people's money, aren't they?!


Everyday life at Number 38 said...

Those leaving present collections used to drive me mad at school. OK, if you've worked there for years it's a different matter, but it got to the stage where we were being asked to contribute for supply teachers who had covered a term of sickness. And not a token contribution either, a full on proper collection. Stupid. xx

Sue in Suffolk said...

Ha Ha, matching dresses, like a hen party for 20 somethings?

TrishWish said...

Be brave. Say NO. Become the office nark and break the cycle. Be your own person. Own it. Explain you are Hard Up and that is the end to it all. I did. I just no longer cared what they thought at work(or a distant family who wanted a lot from us and gave us no support) and enjoy every jaw dropping reaction when i said "paid off the mortgage, paid off the debts, leaving work to retire years early, bye, thanks for all the fish and I am off...."

Justine said...

Christmas at my work is a £10 secret Santa and that's it. Work pays the party. My choice to buy a new dress but I haven't bought one for years so I don't mind!

Wardrobe

We have a wardrobe in the bedroom that was left by the previous resident. It is perfectly sound but it smells of stinky feet. I've tried...