£100 Christmas budget per teen, I feel awful

But if you can't afford £100 because you literally haven't got £100 then your teens will have to wear what you can afford.
They can want them all they want...but if the money isn't there then that's that.

This isn't a dig at anyone. But £100 isn't unusual for trainers especially for a 17 year old. I paid £63 for DS trainers and that was sale price. He does have a broad foot and is a size 9 mens though and he's almost 11. Trainers aren't cheap if you are buying from Nike or JD. The last pair I bought for DS cost me £100.

Also, regarding the keyboard / electric piano:
I know debt is not rhe answer but on some products Amazon offer a pay in 5 monthly installments interest free on some products, I bought my daughter a keyboard for Christmas using this offer.

Hi OP
Whereabouts are you?
Due to some accidental purchases which Amazon just refunded and said they didn't want them back I have a brand new still boxed vinyl player and a still packaged unused skateboard that you can have if you happen to be close enough to collect?
I would offer to courier them to you but they're pretty big so I dread to think how much that would cost .

We are on UC and dc have to learn to cut their cloth according to their means! Our boiler broke down a couple of weeks ago and fixing that would have been a good use of an advance not buying Christmas presents. In the end we have got an interest free loan as we had to replace the boiler.

I have a teen (dd3 who is 17) and there is no way she'd expect trainers for £100! My budget is about £40 for her this Christmas.

That’s so kind! I think she’s genuine too. I’d be happy to buy one or two of the books. Maybe make an Amazon wish list and people can do it on there?

Are there any charities close to you that you could reach out to? What do you do for work? Because if your a nurse for eg there are specific cost of living charities that are independent so maybe google that. Do you get UC? You could get an advance from them. Worse case senario you will just have to explain to the kids that you were relying on that money and have been let down. They will understand. It’s about who’s around the tree not what’s under it.

OP you sound genuine, and also your daughters Christmas lists very modest. I’m fortunate enough to have finished my Christmas shopping. Could I purchase the digital piano and the trainers (if they are below £150) for you to give your daughters for Christmas? I wanted to help somebody this year, I did actually put a post on Facebook asking if anyone needed a Christmas food shop or gifts for there child but was getting ridiculous requests from people asking for iPhones etc so I gave up.
I would be happy to do this for you. You would need to give me the links so I know what items, or i could purchase an Amazon gift card to cover the amount for you to buy them if easier? Open to suggestions 😊

I was younger than that and my sister and I got £20 cash from our parents (about 25 years ago) so try not to worry, I would have been grateful for £100. I know it is tough now but my best Christmas was the one a few years later when my dad was gone and it was just my mum, had very little that year too.

Op lives rurally. Jobs for 17 year old might be quite thin on the ground and hard to get to.

Op I liked the suggestion up-thread of getting a few things - maybe some of the books and giving the rest as cash so that they can put it towards the keyboard.

I picked one up second hand and later realised we could add a pedal. It will just be a case of waiting until something suitable comes along and it's a shame to spend that money on stuff for the sake of it, only to not be able to get the piano for a long time.

The 17yo is old enough for a job the 15yo isn’t & I don’t know where you shop but a £100 doesn’t cover all that you’ve listed. A teen girl isn’t going to want £30 trainers as a choice. She’d very likely prefer to not have any trainers than waste money on something she doesn’t want. You may well be of the thought process of well tough she doesn’t need it but again the op has said that anything like trainers are a present. So she may well need them.

Yes, more than one

I don't think you could do this on £100.

A decent wind instrument is £500 upwards. Sports equipment can be £1000.

I do feel for you; even children with modest expectations need some special things.

Hi, I'm not sure if there is a way to DM on mums net (I've literally never commented) but I am also rural Scotland so understand how difficult it is for second hand items in the area, but do travel to Glasgow fairly regularly so if there's a way to message, please get in touch and I'd be happy to help if we are relatively close to each other, either picking cheaper items up for you, or getting the books for your daughter; I have access through uni and work links to several resources for second hand books. X

What their Dad has done is awful. Is it possible to go back and ask for £50 per child? If not, in your situation, and only if I could afford it, I'd get the piano and trainers on a 0% Very account. Pay it back £15-£20 a month before the interest kicks in.

And it’s rubbish their Dad has let you all down.

forget him, you’ve got this Mumma.

Christmas media makes you think you need a lot of money at Christmas time, not just the presents but the wealth of activities at this time of year. Light shows, pantos, ice skating, meals out and parties let alone dresses etc.

For presents check out ebay and Vinted but quick to get deliveries in time.

many years (inc this year), I’ve bought second hand in good nick and saved a fortune. It’s hard to organise sometimes, but check out online sales after 4pm on Christmas Eve for birthdays / Christmas next year.

With the £100 id spend half on presents and give the other half as cash for them to save for what they want. Not ideal, but keeps within budget.

good luck, I know it’s tricky believe me.

My 16 and 18 y o save up for things they want . Both worked in the summer. 18 y o will work in Xmas hols.
They may get a gift from Grandma but good chance it won't be what they want. They may get £10; from an uncle. No guarantees.
I just don't understand why OPs DDs are asking for so much. For £100 they can get smellies, make up and trainers or a large gift.
They are both old enough for pt time jobs.
Their expectations are wild imo.

I grew up with parents on a tight budget OP. Ok, I didn’t get everything some others got but it really didn’t bother me. I would cry myself to sleep sometimes with concern for my parents, but never for me. I just hated seeing them stressed.

It gave me drive. I worked every hour my shop job would give me whilst in sixth form, worked a part time job throughout university and saved hard when I got home for a deposit, I never wanted to struggle in the same way and -luckily- I haven’t. I have a high work ethic and am very grateful for everything I earn and can afford.

Please don’t worry. All kids want, really, is for a happy family. Sit them down and explain what’s happened, that dad is having a tough time (so they don’t feel unloved) and can’t afford presents this year and so you have a smaller budget. Would they like the cash or to pick between presents with a view of carrying over the others to next birthday and Christmas?

It’s ok, they’ll be fine. This is a really good life lesson which with hopefully fuel their fire to work and save hard.

My 16 and 18 y o save up for things they want . Both worked in the summer. 18 y o will work in Xmas hols.
They may get a gift from Grandma but good chance it won't be what they want. They may get £10; from an uncle. No guarantees.
I just don't understand why OPs DDs are asking for so much. For £100 they can get smellies, make up and trainers or a large gift.
They are both old enough for pt time jobs.
Their expectations are wild imo

I know you said that you are rural, but there are second hand sites that will post. Look on ebay, shop around, look for deals etc
get them one big thing and a couple of small things each, they don’t need everything on their list, just the thing they want the most.
I get it’s tough, I have been there (still am) but the kids aren’t daft, they know there isn’t a money tree.

Are you 100% sure Dad is not going to buy his own presents this year? Maybe he just doesn't want to pool anymore?

How much in £££ does he give in maintenance every month? Maybe he believes this should cover his contribution if it's a high amount?

I like to think there are reasons behind people's behaviour not just that they are inexplicably shit people?

On the keyboard - to help with second hand options that meet the bill. Quite a lot take a sustain pedal input but don’t come with one. You can buy them separately. So worth poking around online specifications for ones available second hand.

I haven't done any shopping yet. Stop adding to the pressure