To use the kids Christmas money to get me through January?

Good for you.

I've rarely got over 40mpg with my last 3 cars, and never around town. None of them have been Ferraris either.

Of course it's fine. I can't believe the sanctimonious posts on here. The children will benefit more from spending time with family at Christmas than from having £50 in their accounts for a few weeks longer than otherwise. It's absolutely ridiculous to think otherwise, or to recommend using a credit card when OP is already struggling to pay off debts on those. OP, If you can't pay them back by January it won't be the end of the world either and I do think you should stop saving for them until the debts are paid off.

My parents have always given me a lump sum for Christmas but give it a couple of weeks before and tell me to spend it how I like. Over the years there have been times when I used it all to get our Christmas treats rather than buying toys or giving the children money. Not recently but when I needed to that was what I did. I think if people want to save for children they should do it themselves or ask for the account details and transfer it directly rather than expecting parents to be the middle men.

In your opinion.

Morally, and potentially even legally, it is not.

Cut yourself some slack and borrow the money, from the way you talk about the children's savings you're going to prioritise paying them back. The way you talk about credit card use, it's the last thing you should do.
Short / medium term, stop saving into the children's accounts and prioritise the credit card debt, £50 × 2 x12 months is £1200 of credit card debt reduction this time next year and think of all the interest you'll save. You've got time to save for the children's future, although personally I wouldn't put it in their accounts (unless you're trying to ring fence it from the mysterious DH)
I've put some money in children's savings accounts, they'll get a small amount when they turn 18 but most of it is being saved in mine and DHs name so it's safe for a major life event (wedding / house deposit / uni) if they need it. That way it's there when they need it but they cant squander it, and being totally honest I'd find it hard to forgive them pissing money up the wall that I'd scrimped and saved for although I know full well that's what most teenagers would do.
As others have said this is an expensive time with 2 in nursery, I earn well but 2 sets of nursery fees is crippling, it was almost half my salary each month and we do dip into savings to pay the bills some months, but know we can start to save again when both are in school.

You seem to be sure you can "re-pay the children" quickly, and given the fact your already have CC debt, I would definitely say to use the cash if you need to.

But also please do consider pausing with the children's monthly savings until you've cleared your cards. Make that a priority so you're not wasting money on interest, then you can go back to saving.

Go for it. No point sitting waiting for pay day when there is £100 you need and can repay.

I can’t see any problem with this at all as long as you pay it back.

Unless she drives a Ferrari, I can't see a car requiring £70 of fuel to go 120-ish miles. I get over 50mpg with mine even around town.

OP your priority in life is to give you kids a stable home.
Maybe you're in a housing assoc. accommodation, but if you're renting privately, that's not secure.

Surely, rather than paying rent you need to clear your debt, get a better credit rating and look long term and perhaps buy a home?

We never gave our kids monthly money to save. They saved money given as gifts, and then later on when they had weekend jobs at 16.

One thing I saved was child benefit. We didn't touch it (didn't need to) so when they were at uni we had plenty of savings to help with their living costs then.

You sound resigned to living in a situation where your husband is part of the issue.

It's very clear that either he is part of the problem, or he doesn't trust you with money so withholds it, even when it's for his kids' benefit.

Why aren't you discussing this as a couple?

Fuel is much more expensive in some areas though. We pay well above the national average where we live, and we have no choice.

Come over to the money board and get some advice on your budget, how to budget, as many people do it successfully but in different styles.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/debt-and-money/budgeting1/work-out-your-budget/

this is a link to a good budget tool - it lets you input all your bills etc but yearly monthly etc and then works everything out for you on a monthly basis

Oh you’re fine. The kids will be completely unaffected by this as you will pay it back.. but will be impacted by a stressed parent who is struggling to put fuel in the car
Dint let the judgement of Mumsnet make you feel guilty- we don’t all live in the same world

But using the credit card is even more of a slippery slope if she has had issues with overspending on the 4!!! she has. Better to do the slightly immoral thing than risk ending up in all sorts of debt.

Just make sure you pay it back at the end of the month.

She has money in her account though.

OP it doesn't make any financial sense to be saving money for the kids when you have credit cards debts that will be accruing much more debt through interest than your kids accounts are making in interest.

It sounds like you have had issues with credit card use if you have had four and don't trust yourself not to start over spending on them again. Don't put yourself in that position! Use the kids money from their grand parents and then prioritise paying off the credit cards. This is better for everyone in your family.

Personally I wouldn’t, I think it’s a slippery slope. Most people could do with an extra £100 for something but this is your kid’s money, not yours. I could understand if you were on the bones of your arse but if you’re not I definitely wouldn’t.

^ I agree.

It makes no sense to be putting money into kids' savings accounts before you clear credit card debt or build up a buffer of emergency money.

I think this is a more important question than whether to borrow the kids' Christmas money. If you build up a buffer you won't be in this situation again.

I would stop paying into the kids' savings accounts, build up a buffer first of at least one month's income, then clear the credit card debt. Then build up a bigger buffer. Then start saving for the kids.

I know it would be a long process, but that's surely a better use of the £100 a month you are saving for them.

(And I'd use their present money this month rather than get a credit card. You have been giving them £100 a month anyway.)

Use credit card and then address your financial situation.

I wouldn’t have a problem with this - you are not buying luxuries for yourself, you are buying food, petrol etc which the kids benefit from anyway. I really don’t know why people on here get so het up about doing this!

You pay them £50 a month anyway.

If you said you didn't pay this month because you got them Christmas presents but your PIL did, no one would bat an eyelid.

So I'd look at it like that. £100 has gone into the accounts in December. It's your own contribution you need to make up.

From a family point of view though, I would worry that you have no cushion.

Of course it's good to save for kids but the wisdom of locking it away when you have no access to emergency funds is debatable.

Is January time for a review of family finances and getting yourself in a better position? I'd assume the credit cards are an issue so getting them cleared would help you all. I think you know yourself better than internet strangers and I wouldn't use a credit card based on what you've said about past behaviour.

True. And the kids will get all of the money on their 18th. To do with what they wish—a trip with friends to the Canaries? Sure. It’s their money.

@JMSA- op says they are 'pre-school' ( so under 5.)

I'm so sorry OP because it sounds as if you're living in a very difficult marriage (by refusing to talk about it and referring to 'your real world' not MN world.

It's very odd that you've not mentioned any JOINT responsibility for all of this.
eg- no family car? Just YOUR car that needs fuel to go to his PIL?

I sincerely hope you're not suffering emotional or financial abuse. Please call Women's Aid if you are.

Look- the money you're putting in the kids' ISAs.
It makes no sense.

You're paying a huge amount of interest on your CCs. Wasting money.
You need to clear debt first. This is BASIC.

If you want you give your kids some nest egg when they are adults, there are many different ways to do this. You can save up to £20K pa in your own ISAs that may have better interest rates. Then you can hand over what you can afford to your kids when they are older- like going to uni or buying a car.

I'm trying to be helpful here and kind but naturally it may hit a nerve because you're really struggling.

If the only reason you're putting money into a kids' Isa so you can't touch it- can you see that's very muddled thinking and shows you do have a serious issue with money? Something has made you spend more than you can afford, presumably for a long time. you do need help to figure out why. Is your H withholding money? Is he drinking , gambling or taking drugs?

Something's going on behind all of this.
If you don't want to share here, talk to someone in RL.

How old are they?
You've said the money is going into a savings account. So won't they get to spend it?
As for replacing the money on payday, I think that's ok. Needs must, and all that.