Tight budget

[Baldyant]

Hello.. First post on here!

I have a 7 year old son, almost 8. For the past probably 6 Christmases I have spoilt him as he lives with his mum, and i only see him 2 days a week. This year I am on a really tight budget, but I don't want him to feel like he hasn't had a lot etc. So I'm after cheap ideas for presents etc so I can get him a few.

I really am a hopeless shopper so any ideas would be great!

[dancinginthemoonlight]

Art stuff. Most kids love paint, paper, felt tips, fuzzy felt etc

[BeaLola]

I'm new to being a Mummy but mine is 5 so not sure re 7 year old ..........

• is he outdoorsy ? Maybe a kite - something you could do together.
  
• is he into BATMAN, Spiderman or similar ? I picked up some lovely BATMAN pj's in ASDA for £8 & they had them for older children too.
  
• I got a make 200 planes (paper) from the Book people for I think £5 - when my husand saw it he got really excited until I toldh him it wasn't for him ! They have lots of great books on there as well for discounted prices.
  
• do you have him at weekends ? My local Cineworld do KIDS films at weekends for £1 each (90p if you book online) - perhaps you could make him a voucher for 12 visits in 2013 (take your own sweets /drink if you do go & you will save a lot)
  
• Christmas DVD - favourite film
  
• I see HEXBUGS mentioned a lot by people who have 7+ children - not sure really what they are but they seem popular
  
• maybe doing great things together - is there a favourite attraction that e loves visiting with you - maybe buy membership - before you do see if they have a Discounted offer if you buy with a train ticket or 2 4 1 offer etc
  

-Bowling voucher

[Baldyant]

He's more an indoor tech kid (probably my fault there...) but I don't think he's eve owned a kite, so that is a good idea!! He does need pj's for here actually! Who are the book people? I normally have him in the week for 2 days as I have one of those horrid jobs which requires me to slave away on the weekend . Yeah I got him a hexbug thing the other day, strange little vibrating things!

Thanks for your help BeaLola!

[Beamur]

We got my DSS one of those paper plane books when he was younger and he loved it! Book People is a company that delivers books usually to work places, leaves them for a bit to browse and then you can buy them.
You could get something similar from a big bookshop - if you've a discount type shop near you that's well worth a try.
Does he like boardgames and similar? Google 'bananagrams' and see if that's up your street, DSS and DSD like 'liar dice' too which you can pick up for a £5 and is a fun bluffing game.
Poundland is always worth a look - I went in one last week which had these voice changing microphones - make you voice a bit loud and echoey - for a measly quid.

[Binfullofgibletsonthe26th]

How much can you spend op?

[DameEnidsOrange]

You need to have a good root through this thread - some brilliant bargains

[BloominMarvellous]

Bealola I love the cinema idea, a present that allows them to be excited all year round. Something to look forward to every week!

Thank you

[Binfullofgibletsonthe26th]

I have a ds7 who sounds like yours, do a stocking:
Small magic kits
Horrid science kitchen experiment set
Grow a crystal set
Reconditioned games from Game
Fingerprint/spy kit
Science museum intruder alarm kit
Horrible Science build a volcano
A smallish Nerf gun and foam bullets
Flashy yoyo

All can be bought on amazon.

Then off to WH Smith with you for:

3 for 2 on paperbacks - Captain Underpants/Dinosaur Cove/Horrible Histories
2 for 1 on annuals - Beano, Dandy, Top Gear, Doctor Who, football teams
Top trumps
UNO playing cards
Rubber bouncy balls
Make your own comic pack

Look out for deals in Argos, 3 for 2 and get some mid sized Lego kits

Lego minifigures
Lego Ninjago sets
Mecchano.

Hope that helps!

[Baldyant]

I'd say £100? But I want to maximise the amount of presents I could get for that.

Thanks everyone.

[Beamur]

You can get loads for £100.
I won't be spending more than that on DD and didn't think of it as being a tight budget
YY to Nerf guns (apparently) and UNO.

[Binfullofgibletsonthe26th]

You could get a fair bit off my lists for £100, especially if you get some 3 for 2 or BOGOF offers.

[showtunesgirl]

£100 is a tight budget?

[marriedinwhite]

Tiger Tiger is your friend. Is there one near you.

[ZigZagWanderer]

Home bargains are very reasonable.

[Baldyant]

I know people who spend crazy amounts! I've always spent more, maybe to try to make up for the fact I'm not living with him and I don't see him often etc I suppose. Which is wrong I know :/

Binfullofgiblitsonthe26th - thank you, I have a week off next week so
I shall start the search for those things! :)

[BloominMarvellous]

showtunes I would struggle to get more than three Presents for £100 if I bought conventional games at £25-50 each.

If it wasn't for these threads I'd say £100 was tight.

Especially when kids want wii, Xbox and all of the stuff to go with it.

[Baldyant]

I always find when I go into Home bargains I come out with £20 of sweets and rubbish!

[BloominMarvellous]

I just don't have the imagination that some MN'ers do

[Baldyant]

True BloominMarvellous my son normally wants Lego, and that's priced from £5 to stupid amounts!

[showtunesgirl]

But that's the thing, when I was a kid we got ONE present and that was that. Do kids REALLY expect three or more presents these days?

[BloominMarvellous]

I'm afraid so, when I was a child I had one big present and lots of smaller ones.

I'm ashamed to say I'd have been gutted if that changed and just got one present

[Beamur]

I still work on the basis of one big present, a few cheaper fun things - toys/games etc and stocking fillers.
The kids all get further presents from their GP, their Mum (2 DSC's) my Mum, and so on - so they do all right and are happy with their loot!
My Dad is buying DD Lego for Christmas and I've suggested 2 kits that cost £30 in total and I'm happy with that and so will DD be.

[showtunesgirl]

I didn't even get any smaller presents. It was one smallish present and that was it and I was grateful!

[3bunnies]

You can order from the book people online, there are free delivery codes on the bargain online shopping thread, think festive and rudolph. There are loads of books on there, bound to be something of interest.

[spottymoo]

We have got ds a snowboard it's only a cheap one from argos £15 but thought I'd be something different to play with when it snows we got a cheap sledge the other year and put presents in that. Went down really well