Anyone else feeling crap about being skint for Christmas?!

[Itsjeremycorbynsfault]

Just that really.

We're really struggling this year and our children's birthdays are also November and January.

We've had a few unexpected big payments towards house, car etc this year coupled with HMRC saying we were overplayed tax credits last year so we're not getting anything now!

Anyway, I know that in the grand scheme of things, Christmas has gone bonkers with the pressure to buy and do this, that and the offer but I'm still going to feel awkward saying to family members we just really can't afford to exchange gifts this year nor probably even the fuel for long distance visits!

Anyone in the same boat and want to rejoice in having a somewhat forced thrifty Christmas time?

Can you do home made vouchers for a (cheap) day out or cooking a favourite meal etc for other family members? If they have other gifts they might be glad of something to look forward to in January or February

So
Anyone who has a Lidl nearby They have turkey for £9.99. they will serve 4-6 people. Pad Xmas dinner out with sausages, Yorkshire puds, potatoes, carrots and most veg were apparently 20-60p per bag at Sainsbury's, Tesco, àsda last year. Lidl are now doing boxes of fruit and veg. They are not that day fresh but are edible and about £1-50 per box. Definitely last a few days.
Asda are doing small selection packs for 89p. Just right size for younger kids. (Fudge, freddo, buttons, chomp think another sweet but can't remember what it is)
They are also selling mugs for 50p to a £1. All sorts of designs. I bought 4. Then I got a pack of Cadbury chocolate bars (pound shop) put 1 bar in each, 4 sachets of nice hot chocolate one in each and a small packet of marshmallows you know the drill. Couldn't fit anything else in there (oh dear) suitable for teens or grandparents.
Pound shop
You could get small wicker baskets or plastic, ( quid each) you can get 3 packs of nice biccys for a quid, three small tins of beans, 3 separate tubs of fruit. pots of jam Asda or Tesco 20-60p
fill baskets with tissue paper and make mini hampers. Got any cardboard ? Cut out a frame any shape, cover with nice paper or material. Lovely for grandparents, God parents, aunts uncles obviously you will have to put photos of the kids in them.
Pound shop are doing umbro smellies and for the kids Fortnite annuals.
The works 2 games/craft sets all sorts 2 for £10.
If you are desperate food wise and have little ones please speak to your health visitor they may be able to get you a couple of food parcels to tide you over.

Definitely tell people, either the truth or simply that you want to cut back this year. We've done secret Santa in my family and it's much better to buy one £10 gift than several. Plus I only go home with one gift rather than many random ones. Usually the person has put some effort into the gift when it's just one.

We do baked goods in some form, every year. I bake cookies or gingerbread men and pop them in clear food display bags from Hobbycraft (not expensive) or old takeaway tubs. Wrap with ribbon if your want, or string. I bought brown card labels but you could make your own. I do baked goods for my BIL & SIL (we buy for their DC), more distant family members that we visit but would only buy another tub of sweets for. Everyone seems grateful that they don't have another huge tub of sweets to eat and instead a small number of homemade goods, probably a cookie or two each.

Little traditions we do that don't cost much....

• make Hama Bead Christmas tree decorations (we have Hama Beads anyway and I use Pinterest for some ideas). I tend to do these through advent.
• make our own crackers (we have reusable ones but there's lots of make your own info on the internet). Pop some cheap sweets in. We make them together as a family as a little pre-Christmas activity.
• go to the Christingle at Church. Admittedly we attend Church most weeks, but I love the candlelight, the carols and our Christingles have jelly babies skewered into them (delicious!)
• gumtree/ebay/freecyle for DC gifts. I'm already looking but probably should have started sooner. DS is 5yo and has had secondhand gifts every year, either new to us or re-wrapped items that our eldest had (big age gap so not obvious).
• we eat chicken for Christmas dinner. Cheaper as it's just 4 of us including DC. We pad out on veg and I buy things like pigs in blankets now and freeze them. Same with a dessert.