Skint at Christmas

[Soyouare2faced]

As the subject states, had a good year over all but due to a few weeks of REALLY crap luck we are totally skint, and it's making me miserable and hate Christmas, I feel like throwing my remote at the tele at allllll the advert, hate going out and seeing everyone jolly AF and spending away, My mood is totally low and I just want Christmas to F off, AIBU to be a misery guts??

Fingers crossed DH will get paid for the 2 weeks he's done so I will have to rush out on the 23rd

Mini pie by 5 I mean stocking fillers, nothing expensive or 'main'

LOVE the treasure hunt idea!! Thank you for that!!

Yes my car has just decided that an expensive, essential repair is just what it needs this week so we are now £700 down Luckily I can use the rainy day money so as long as nothing else breaks down we should be OK.

I think it's fine for kids to have an austere Christmas when necessary though. We've had them and ours know that some years they get more than others. This year they'll get less by design because they already have so much. Other years they've had very little because there was no money. At least 3/4 of the 'magic' of Christmas at ours is putting up decorations, eating stuff like mince pies that we only have at Christmas, lighting lots of candles, the big box of quality street and watching films in our pajamas anyway.

You are feeling the pinch just for one month, and it's a bad month to feel the pinch! I don't have any more money at Christmas and I find January the worst month of the year trying to stretch food out at the end of it. I don't have any great suggestions, except keep going, it will all come good.

I've already told her that because she has a sister Santa has to share what would normally be all for her and she thinks that fantastic (adores her baby sister)

I realose I may get shot for this but......

If you can do a walk near Christmas looking for things like fir comes together, dry them on a radiator for a few days then decorate with glue and glitter then that's two activities. I know it's not the same and is hard if you're time poor but I used to (and still do!) really enjoy things like that.

Also poundland is your friend for things like this. Bulk gifts out a bit with cheap tat. Kids LIKE cheap tat!

OP at the risk of sound Pollyanna-ish, I think you should be grateful you are only temporarily skint. As a pp said find some free Christmassy things to do - Carol service, walk and look at the Christmas lights, open a box of sweets and have an afternoon in front of the TV. At seven I don't think kids needs loads of massive gifts - just something to open (which you have - and it sounds like others may give presents too) and your time. Play games together, snuggle up and read stories. You'll be in a new house in the New Year - that has to be something to give you a warm glow inside.

Actually, I do have a 'trick' which has probably been mentioned loads of times, when we are quite hard up, I buy essentials as presents- so PJ's, a new duvet cover/set in colours or an image the child will love, clothes, hat and gloves, I even used to get a new toothbrush and new socks in my stocking so my mum must have had the same idea! Obviously get other things as well, but it makes the outlay a bit less painful if you need those things anyway, and it's still always lovely to get new stuff.

Yeah that's a good idea, I haven't really had much time for the walks etc as been packing boxes and decorating etc but SHOULD be all done for the weekend and be able to spend some quality time with kids

Christmas has gone crazy in a generation.
Growing up in the 70's I had one pressie in my stocking.pillow-case on Christmas morning from Father Christmas, with maybe a tangerine and a sugar mouse and some nuts! Possibly a fiver from a great-aunt. I don't even remember getting pressies regularly from our DGP's who we were very close to.
Now everyone seemingly has to get something for everyone else - totally out of hand IMHO. Though I do quite like seeing DD and DS get something for one another and maybe a few of their friends. DD is great at finding cute things in the charity shops though - she's a big help now at Christmas.
So I will try to keep a handle on things and basically get the minimum, though hopefully with some creative spirit if I can muster it!
Also I really try to enjoy the season in terms of the twinkly lights and hearing a few carols, smelling the scents from my bargain Christmas wreath etc. Maybe go along to a nice nativity service, see my DC in their band concert etc. Enjoy the odd mince pie.
If there's the odd thing you'd like to do that would make a difference to how you're feeling then maybe see if you can stretch to that? But not more stuff - I think your DD could be happy with 5 pressies? And as you say baby won't know any different?
Hope things start looking up in the New Year x
And your Christmas is nicer than you think

YANBU OP, the excess (spending/jollity/everything) does my nut in, and it all seems a bit desperate somehow, like we all know the world is going to shit but let's dive further into that consumerism and anaesthetise ourselves for a bit.

Will your mum and other rellies get a few bits for DD? tbh my kids have always been delighted with whatever they've got for Christmas, sometimes that's been lots, sometimes not much at all. Baby doesn't need anything, wrap up some of DD's old toys.

I would ditch the housewarming myself - or make sure it's a Jacob's join.

No one gets more than 5 presents here and some of them are things like home made bunting (very pretty!) and boxes of things for students to take back, teabags etc. I think you are worrying too much but do understand the ads are ridiculous and the mags with party recipes. I should think a 7 year old would adore getting ready for Christmas as much as they day, help her make her own presents for people and if you need a wrapped up heap, wrap selection boxes, food for birds, pretty socks etc.

I know, I am grateful that it's only short term, it's just stressful when your in the middle of the 'tough' time

Us too! I have menu planned until Christmas and have batch cooked so won't have to spend anymore on food. I have a precooked Santa visit for kids but apart from that we are staying in and doing free crafty stuff until Christmas. We couldn't even afford to go to the school Christmas fair . We are having fun though and I would much rather do Christmas on a shoe string than get myself in debt.

Maybe ask people to contribute something for your housewarming buffet in lieu of Xmas gifts too, as that should free up a little bit of cash (buffets are an expensive way of catering IME as people eat craploads more than they would otherwise!)

I have so much sympathy. We are going to do as much walking and outdoor time as the weather allows over Christmas and New Year.

Family have low expectations about presents!

And I look at all the glittery stuff and I look the look of the lights and the decorations in the shops and the telly - but tell myself that all they are trying to do is sell me stuff. I don't need the food (losing weight) and I do need exercise!

From the outside I think I was just sick of thinking people just had loads of spare cash and could throw money at Christmas, but that's probably not the case! Felt like I was only one on the calculator in Aldi

Some good suggestions here. We're also on a budget this Christmas as I'm on maternity leave and DH's car needs major repair work after some cunt unpleasant person smashed into him whilst he was parked and drove off without leaving any details (4 figure sum worth of repair work needed).

I've hardly bought anything for the baby (she's literally a few weeks old so won't know or care). For the toddler poundland is great. You can get colouring books, craft materials and reading books.

You can do some Christmas things that don't cost anything. e.g, go and see Christmas lights, and make decorations. Have you got any scrap paper lying around that your older DD could colour in and cut into strips to make paper chains with?

Cheeky! I couldn't afford the Fayre either! My mum bought us a hot dog there and DD spent £1 on stalls (20p a go)

Santa never got credit for gifts in this house, so my kids always knew that presents were not dependent on THEIR behavior or Santas goodwill, but on family finances. Santa only delivered the Sweets for the stocking.
Never had any moans at Christmas that some fictional character does not know they were good and only valued them by X amount of presents....

we took DD to a few Christmas things at a couple of low-key local churches and they were very child friendly - and the quantity of biscuits, chocolates and crisps put out after the service for the children quite made DD's day plus people were very nice which was Christmassy.

Can you believe DH asked me the other day what I was getting him, Erm nothing

Ah ok I get it, though depends a bit what you mean by stocking filler (in my mind stocking fillers are under £3 usually but other people spend £25 on stocking fillers!)

I do think as long as she has something to open that's enough. Since you've been fairly well off at other times I would guess she already has quite a lot of things. You can give her other treats like staying up late, carrots for the reindeer, Christmas movies etc, it doesn't have to all be about presents.

Good luck!

we got each other nothing last year (we were moving) and it was actually less stressful, and I got to feel like a good person :)