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Original poster

Christmas presents help...

44 replies

Rainbowhairdontcare · 16/12/2019 12:33

Our Christmas budget has already been overblown. Not massively, there's only dinner left (although we don't do anything fancy just a turkey) and we have most of the drinks, although I think we probably need another case of bubbly, so maybe £150 on top. This includes an extra present for my DD (I felt bad that I only bought her clothes plus the usual tat so will get her an echo speaker, although I'm still undecided as I did warn her that the clothes were her present but I think she expects something in top). I haven't bought anything for my DH yet. He bought me a coat (nothing fancy) and I'd like to get him there things. Some Chelsea boots, some Dior homme skincare (he steals mine!) And a special frame for the album he released with his band 20 years ago. It adds up to £200. So maybe I'd be looking to spend £400 on top. This wouldn't get us into any debt but would be taking from our savings.
I'm beyond undecided

OP posts:
Jupiters · 16/12/2019 13:02

How many people are you catering for (I'm assuming quite a few of your getting bubbly by the case). Can they bring over alcohol?

How old is your daughter?

Hard for us to know really. May depends on how much you've got in your savings. If £400 is the total of your savings I'd definitely say no, not worth using them up. If you've got 20k of savings then my view might change.

Collision · 16/12/2019 13:03

Can’t you just get prosecco for £6 a bottle?

That will free up £100.

PurpleDaisies · 16/12/2019 13:05

Ditch the £150 case of bubbly. Spending £200 when omuiuce rub out if money is madness. Pick one of those things and that’s his present. Don’t buy your daughter an extra present.

Christmas is not about for bring loads of money on stuff. Will anyone genuinely have a worse day if you didn’t buy this extra?

Interested in this thread?

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Christmas Events & celebrations General shopping
BillHadersNewWife · 16/12/2019 13:10

Agree another case of champagne sounds ott. Are you having lots of parties?

Original poster
Rainbowhairdontcare · 16/12/2019 13:37

No, it's not for guests. We just drink a bottle a day when at home. My DD is 9 and we have £5k in savings. The £150 is for bits for the dinner plus the bubbly.

OP posts:
PurpleDaisies · 16/12/2019 13:52

How about being healthy and saving money not drinking a bottle of champagne a day then?

flipperdoda · 16/12/2019 14:59

Less bubbly, don't get your daughter the extra (you've even told her what her present would be!), get your husband one of the three gifts and save the other two ideas (birthday, anniversary if you go big). You'll be grateful to have present ideas for your husband and your daughter sorted at their birthdays!

Jupiters · 16/12/2019 15:06

Less bubbly, don't get your daughter the extra (you've even told her what her present would be!), get your husband one of the three gifts and save the other two ideas (birthday, anniversary if you go big). You'll be grateful to have present ideas for your husband and your daughter sorted at their birthdays!
This!

FoamingAtTheUterus · 16/12/2019 15:19

Is this a wind up ?? A bottle of champagne a day is just ridiculous, whether it's Christmas or not.

Have the champers for the meal and New year's Eve so it's the treat it's meant to be and drink prosecco take your kid out instead of staying in getting sloshed in between.

Jumpingforgin · 16/12/2019 15:24

#firstworldproblems 😁 "oh no, we can't possibly NOT have a bottle of champagne everyday" do your liver a favour and maybe give that a miss this year. Absolute pisstakers 😂

Jumpingforgin · 16/12/2019 15:26

On a serious note, if it's an echo dot for DD, sign up to topcashback, and they work out at £6 each (probably cheaper than a glass of your champagne 🤣)

charm8ed · 16/12/2019 15:28

Buy 6 bottles of champagne from a supermarket doing the buy 6 get 25% off.

DH gets one present and DD one extra surprise present.

Total extra expenditure £150.

Original poster
Rainbowhairdontcare · 16/12/2019 15:38

It's actually not champagne... We only drink that one on NYE . I'm thinking more in th lines of prosecco, but still we'd drink about a bottle a day.

OP posts:
lovelyjubilly · 16/12/2019 15:41

Not sure what the point of this thread is. You say you need help. What exactly do you need help with OP?

Floralnomad · 16/12/2019 15:42

I think it’s a bit sad that a 9 yo is getting mainly clothes for Christmas .

WeirdPookah · 16/12/2019 15:43

It's all a bit Absolutely Fabulous with needing crates of champagne.

Bluewavescrashing · 16/12/2019 15:43

Is that you, Edina?

caperplips · 16/12/2019 15:45

Does your dd know about the clothes? Has she seen them? It's not much of a surprise in that case.

You drink a lot of prosecco! Go to Aldi and buy a case of their organic one, it's lovely

AlaskaElfForGin · 16/12/2019 15:46

The fact that your DD 'expects' something else on top of the present she already knows she's getting would mean I wouldn't be getting anything else. Why would she expect something else?

You're talking about spending an extra £400 for, with the exception of perhaps a couple of extra things to eat and a present for your DH, are just fripperies.

I don't really know what you want people to say.

PurpleDaisies · 16/12/2019 15:52

I think it’s a bit sad that a 9 yo is getting mainly clothes for Christmas

Why? Maybe that’s what she wants.

charm8ed · 16/12/2019 15:53

It sounds like a bad case of last week panic when you’ve nearly finished your shopping and then suddenly think has everyone got enough? Then in a panic go and buy a load of unnecessary stuff, try and fight it.

Original poster
Rainbowhairdontcare · 16/12/2019 16:07

She chose the clothes and I repeatedly told her That was her present, but alas one week before Christmas I feel like it's not enough. And then there's my DH who I got nothing for and I feel like those three presents could be OTT.

The questions are, considering I still need to buy dinner would you overaoebd on your DH? And by a present for DD because I feel bad she just got clothes (that she knew about).

OP posts:
merryhouse · 16/12/2019 17:04

Yes, they're OTT.

I've got my husband a book for Christmas. Just get him the boots.

And nobody needs a case of bubbly for two people. Particularly those who have only £5k in savings and have overspent the budget, or those who already have "most of" the drinks.

What is "the usual tat"? Is it "some sweets felt pens and a weezy thing for her stocking" or is it "nail varnish and LOL dolls"? If the latter, that can be her present. If you really feel she needs something other than clothes (did she choose very expensive things?) get the £6 thing someone mentioned upthread.

lovelyjubilly · 16/12/2019 17:05

Why can't you just buy dd a small toy that you know she'd like and dh just one of the ideas you've had? One bottle of champers is more than I can afford fine.

gospelsinger · 16/12/2019 17:14

If you feel bad that you've just got clothes, then a book would be a good addition along with a selection box.
For DH, if what you are planning is something he genuinely wants and would be happy that savings has been spent on that, then go for it. If it's just to get him a present, go for something cheaper.

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