Deadline for ordering school photographs is tomorrow. The photographer they use is fantastic somehow his managed to get a lovely picture of ds and one of dd and ds together, which I wasn't expecting as he usually won't cooperate with anyone new at all. Really pleased with all three proofs, will be buying copies in some form of each of them, I want one of them each. This is the first year ds has been in nursery, so usually just have dd's to buy. I normally get the CD and print photos for everyone and put them in frames dd decorates. This year with 3 to buy the price to do this has trebled.
Dh's manager has just messed up at work for the second time with submitting sickness forms to pay role on time. So Dh has been paid ssp when he shouldn't have been. He still hasn't submitted the correct form so payrole can rectify the mistake, so it will likely be rectified in his next pay packet at the end of the week. I've just sorted out our finances from the first time he did this at the start of last month, as the rectified pay the following fortnite mucks up our housing benefit claim. We're very lucky to have enough of a buffer to cover ourselves with careful budgeting until everything has tun through the system and been resolved, likely the end of December start of January judging by our last experience. So money is going to be tight until then, bills will be paid and I've already got the children's Christmas presents. But I'm not going to be able to buy adult Christmas presents to the usual standards and pay for everyone to have each of the photos.
Dm always buys her own school photos, she remembers how expensive they can be, and has already given me the money for the prints she wants. Mil on the hand has form for being an entitled CF, most of the ils do, and if asked if she wants to buy some would happily ask me to order them for her then never contribute towards them. We had this with dd's first school photos, mil asked us to order the sizes she wanted, the larger more expensive opptions for her and gmil but despite reminders the money never got to us, was happy to suck it up and not offer again, but couldn't afford to right now if we asked what she wanted.
So I have the option of doing normal Christmas presents and giving ils a copy of the joint school photo. Or giving all 3 framed by dd and a smaller presents; box or gmil's favorite chocolates, mil's favourite diseny princess socks, fil coin collecting pouches, Aunty and family a big tin of chocolates. Dh is being very unhelpful on what to do. He has a strained relationship with his mum at best. He doesn't really understand how tight the budget is as we don't need him to cancel his already paid for weekend away with his brother for their mutual hobby (a cue sport). I think either way I'll end up making the wrong decision.
So would would other mumsnetters do? All the photos as presents with a token gift or normal gift and just the one photo?