to hope this family have a lovely Christmas

[LaurieFairyonthetreeEatsCake]

evil daily mail story here

Yes, I wouldn't take out a £1500 loan to pay for Christmas but providing she can pay it off (like she did the last one) then it's up to her.

Have a lovely Christmas if you're reading (and your children are very beautiful)

When I was on Benefits I saved up to buy christmas presents. The kids always had loads of stuff but not high end gear like in the article.

I used to get the look from people because my flat looked like a normal hard working one on Christmas day.

But I saved and I went without. I never ever put myself in debt though. I was terrified of debt.

Oh no I wish I had known about this sooner, I would have loved to have sent something

Can't you just swap the tags, Baroquin?

YANBU to wish her a happy Christmas - surely everyone deserves that?

BUT - I do think this insistence that her children should be denied nothing is odd? My kids have been told that Santa will bring one big present plus few small ones. No child needs that much stuff - and that goes for all kids, whatever the financial status of the household is.

(YABU to suggest the kids are beautiful. sorry)

She's completely made up to enrage people if you ask me. Actors paid to do OTT photoshoot. Does anyone really believe what they read in papers like this?

smokinsanta i think 1500 was a loan and the rest she saved etc,

i can see how shes done it,buy some things through the year,save something each week

im sticking my neck out here but im on basic rate benefit and have managed to give my kids a good christmas approx apending £800 900 on my three this year no debt all bought and paid for

my reasoning is i dont really go mad the rest of the year so this is the one tome i do,i know parents that are always buying their dcs expennsive items through the year,mine get pocket money every week and save up if they want something or i add to at Easter,birthdays etc so maybe christmas is her blowout.but wouldnt get myself into debt over it

with my situation i think i probably compensate as their father died 20mths ago and his side of the family dont bother with them at all (bastards) so i make up for it

anyway can be done if you plan over the year

YADefinitelyNBU

Funny thing is, I know the Daily Fail journo who wrote the piece, Kathy Knight....she was head girl at my school....and she was always a superior, right wing, big headed, cowbag. Always makes me sniffer when I think she's at the Mail. Just about her level.

I have just looked at the article.

She's cornish. Explains it all

JOKE

Why does anyone need to spend all that on christmas?

You do have to be a special sort of nasty to feature kids in an article like that. They're recognisable, and if they don't get crap yelled at them in the street then I'm a giraffe. Totally irresponsible journalism.

Obviously the whipping up anger against the poor isn't any more responsible or decent, but on a less immediate, micro level.

the thing is though with yearly "income" - you only need to look at the "how much would you need to earn to live comfortably" types threads how wide ranging the figures are.

If I were totally debt free ( stupid debts run up in past times) then I could quite comfortably live on 20k a year after tax with my 3 DS's. Including holiday, and lots of extras. Others would say they need much more to achieve the same "comfortable" standard of living.

if you want to see Chanice and Chardonnay in their starring roles.

baroqinaroundthechristmastree,bloody hell

the about the point i was trying to make,and about my own circumstances,i have no debt but manage well,i dont drive though,and dont hanker after fantastic holidays etc

anyway well put

I hope the pleasure they get from the presents is not short lived..and that for that 'one perfect day' she doesn't then end up being irritable/moody/resentful to the kids for rest of year because of financial strain.

no I didn't explain it very well - some people would say to have a holiday a year, and live "comfortably" they'd need 30k (this is including CB, Tax Credits etc as well), 40k+ to live on.

Some of us pootle through life quite happily in a bit less and somehow manage to make it all go a little further.........but maybe we don't "prioritise" things that others do (meals out, hair cuts, wine, pocket money - my DS's don't get any for example, a car, organic food, etc etc).

You could stick 2 identical sized families into 2 identical housing costs etc. with identical incomes and the amount "left over" at the end of the month once all "essentials" have been paid would almost certainly be totally different.

absolutely Baroqin' and although hate to sound like my dad here (i didn't want to hear this off him when i lost job!) but you cut your cloth accordingly.

I need a million pounds per month to live comfortably.

Don't care about their Christmas TBH.

Can't believe how spoilt and unrealistic she is prepared to bring her children up to be.

Don't care what Mein Kampf has to say about it. Or anything!

might have made a rod for own back as what if they expect bigger and better for Christmas 2011??

Laurie.....I bet you are this mum who is such a lazy birch she can't get off her fat arse to earn her own money.

Fuck their Christmas. I have my own to worry about

Sorry, meant to say lazy bitch

birch

Oh. [disappointed] thought I'd found a new kid friendly swear....

very true lolo - but you could still have to families with the same amount of cloth to cut and they'd still end up with differing amounts left at the end of the month.

I always find the "what would be the last thing you'd compromise on" (with a loss of income) threads fascinating when it comes to what people as more important "extras" for that reason - seeing what other people view as more important.

I used to go out with a boy with very rich parents when I were a teenager They were very unmaterialistic, as it happened. At crimbo,he and his brother used to get one main pressie which cost no more than £50 and then a stocking filled with old fashioned xmas garb like clementines/nuts/chocolate coins/crack/whatever. The christmasses at their house was always the best. Then on xmas morning the whole family used to go out and give soup to the homeless. Was always very jealous of them.

Dunno what the point of that story was.