Hows' this for a plan

[Ormirian]

Adult relatives and friends are going to get some home-made preserves.
Child relatives will get a tenner in a card.
Cards will be home-made
Wrapping paper will be last year's left overs.

Because we are broke and I can't quite face the spend-fest that christmas shopping seems to be every year inspite of my best intentions This way I won't need to shop apart from family.

[Coca]

Sounds like a plan

[girlywhirly]

Good plan. Nothing more frustrating than a shopping trip where you come home exhausted, with hardly anything to show for it because all the stuff was too expensive/tacky/unsuitable.

[Schnarkle]

Good plan, doing something similar myself.

[Haribojoe]

Sounds good to me.

We just give something homemade to the adults and have cut right back on things for nieces and nephews.

As well as saving money I'd rather spend what I have got on my DC.

I enjoy Christmas so much more when I haven't got the guilt/worry/dread of overspending and or paying it off to worry about.

[Ormirian]

"I enjoy Christmas so much more when I haven't got the guilt/worry/dread of overspending and or paying it off to worry about"

yes! And the worry for what to get for everyone.

in fact this might be a damned good plan to enjoy christmas properly again.

[cadelaide]

Hi Orm! I'm doing exactly as you describe (hence my recent request for best strawberry jam recipes). DS also made some cracking chocolate "fudge" last year, something to do with condensed milk, no long boiling nonsense. Looked great wrapped in those sparkly cellophane bags you can get in Lakeland. It's easy to make the preserves look lovely and the best thing is you can have it done ages in advance.

I've also decided what to get for my Dad (a rose with my DD's name) and that's a major tick off the list.

Ask me again in mid-december, see if I'm as smug and laid-back then

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

cadelaide really like your chocolate fudge idea, especially as Lakeland has opened in our area recently.

Also love the Rose idea. DD has a pretty unusual name though, just wondering if you know how I would go about finding out if a rose has been named after her.

[acsec]

Good plan!

[DoingTheBestICan]

Sounds lovely to me,i've been to Costco this afternoon & bought a lovely book on Christmas goodies,i made chutneys & vodka last yr & they went down really well,aside from my neighbour who never mentioned the lovely chutney i had made her,when i asked if she had received it (i had had to leave it on her doorstep as she was out) she told me no actually it wasnt very nice as she hates chutney!

So she will be getting chuff all this yr.

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

DoingTheBest how do you do homemade Vodka? Am wondering if you have a distillery under the stairs

[DoingTheBestICan]

Ha Ha, dh wishes i made christmas pudding vodka,it was lovely.

[cadelaide]

JiltedJohnsJulie, DD also has a very unusual name (poncetastic, much reviled on here!), but there are thousands and thousands of plants with girls' names. I just googled.

I think it must be quite a new rose 'cos previously I could only find an aubergine!

[cadelaide]

I'll try to dig out the fudge recipe, it was lemon-squeezy.

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

at the thought of your dad opening an aubergine on Christmas day and trying to look pleased.

Am curious now as to what poncetastic name you have given your DD, but then I was always a sucker for a poncetastic name .

[BikeRunSki]

JJJ of roses here, or name your own! www.worldofroses.com/

[BikeRunSki]

Aahh, lot of roses here, or name your own

Roses

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Thanks Bike.

[Ormirian]

Hmm. I am named after a potato

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

[SquishyCinnamonSwirls]

We'll probably do something similar this year too. Last year we suggested only buying for the kids and it went down like a lead balloon and dh's brother still insisted on buying us something so we looked stupid not having something for them.
It'll have to be small somethings this year as time's are rather hard. Have made some batches of jams and chutneys and sloe gin and blackberry vodka so I think I'll try to find some cute little jars/bottles and make some more goodies and give the grown ups small hamper/boxes of things.

[sieglinde]

Guys, I need advice...

There are

11 grandchildren - so that would be £110 - and most of them are now at uni

8 adults - sils and bils plus partners and ex partners.

3 elderly aunts who give dcs presents

plus the two parent in-laws, who tend to demand presents at 50 quid plus, or produce the Look.

plus my own papa.

I can't afford ANY of the suggestions cash- or time-wise; December is my worst time at work so can't make fudge etc. I tried the Secret Santa idea on my vast straggling in-laws and was rudely rebuffed. I nearly slew myself making presents for them. Yet the continue to show up with unwanted teatowels etc. They won't stop even when I say no. We are ourselves reduced to one second hand book each because of the outlay on the in-laws.

[Treats]

With DS on the way (due 26th November), we are also going down the home-made route - mostly to get the bulk of presents done and dusted before the baby appears. Although I'm probably going to stick an appropriate gift voucher into the gift bag/box as well. DH made some strawberry jam at the weekend, and we picked some damsons from the hedge at the campsite we were staying in for damson gin. We also scrumped a heap of apples from the same source, so will be tackling some apple chutney this weekend. Will make some (freezable) biscuits nearer the time to tie up in cute little (lakeland!) cellophane bags.

sieglinde - . Can't believe you have to buy for EX partners of your SILs and BILs - that's one grabby family....... And so irritating that you have this huge outlay in return for a teatowel! Not sure what to suggest - will think on.......

[pengymum]

stuff the ex partners sieglinde!

And I would upcycle and regift the tea towels - make them into doorstops!
Google how to make fabric door stops for lots of ideas!
I think that present giving has gone too far - everyone can afford to buy themselves stuff these days so pointless cycle in my view.
I give to children and that's pretty much it. For adults, I make some jam or something. I will give small hand made presents to friends/family when I visit or if they are visiting me. I might make someone something like pot up a hanging basket or bulbs or a cake or a basket with a batch of samosas or pakoras or brownies.
It is the presentation that makes it 'gifty' I find! The same thing in a plastic carrier bag doesn't have the same impact!

[sieglinde]

The exes all show up. with teatowels . So the problem is that it's embarrassing not to buy for them. idea used to be that this was inclusive and nice for the children, but said children are now at uni, as said. I love the idea of making the teatowels INTO something, pengymum!!! Will await further ponderings - gratefully :)

[aftereight]

sieglinde how about £10 iTunes voucher for each of the grandchildren, often on offer leading up to christmas in Tesco/Superdrug so you may get a bit off if you buy a few? Or only buy up to the age of 18?

Quick trip to Dunelm for some tea towels for the adults and if your ILs demand expensive stuff, have a laugh at their expense by buying them a hideous wall art type thing so they are forced to display it , they may be grateful for a box of chocs next year!