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??

Oh also don't forget you can play loads of Christmas music for free on the free music channels or on YouTube. Could you play some for DD one evening and tell her it was a Christmas party and get her dancing? x

Oh and there will be loads of Christmas films on soon? Could you all snuggle on the sofa one evening and have a Christmas film session?

Think we will try make some decorations for the new house, nothing says 'merry Christmas' like some tacky home made decor

It won't be tacky to a seven year old!

Aren't the kids getting a new house for Christmas?

Maybe spend some time with your 5 year old deciding where all her things are going to go in her extra special Christmas present - her new room! Obviously what with it being such a super awesome gift from Santa his elves are still busy with the finishing touches (that maybe she can choose as part of her present?) so it won't be done by Christmas, but soon after that it will be hers and just the way she likes it!

Not sure how they are going to explain Santa gifting them a house....

Lots of people can't afford to buy as much as they do, they buy on credit. I would rather have a frugal Christmas than get into debt and pay it off until the next Christmas.

We don't spend a lot on Christmas and still have a nice time.

Since I had my third child I've saved a weekly amount for Christmas. Every year I have almost enough to pay for all the food and presents. It's the same date each year and is a rolling standing order so it works fine. And this is with one wage only coming in.

You seem very defeatist, OP.

Quintessing I guess that depends on their understanding of Santa. To us as kids he was always just the element of magic that made good things come to us at Christmas. So Santa making that possible would have made perfect sense to us.

If you are normally on a joint income of £60k and just having a blip with finances at the moment surely you can use a credit card as a temporary solution to Christmas?

Soyouare did you not qualify for Maternity Allowance, its not much less than SMP?

To those who are skint but other family members still want to give gifts. I give more than I know can be returned - because I want to help make Christmas special for some special in my life - not to make them feel bad or put more pressure on to their budget.

Babyroob got bad credit, but glad in a way so don't make things worse

I think I always feel a bit like this at this time of year..anxious..and then I look back at the photos and think that we had a great time - especially seeing the family that we only get to see once or twice a year. I feel like that now about holidays etc too and I put it down to the fact that my husband and I are now the oldest of the family group and our kids are getting a lot more vocal about what they want to do and don't want and you are always trying hard to please everyone on a tight budget and when you add in the wider family it gets even harder and stressful. But in work the other day were were all talking about our magical family christmases in the eighties and I don;t think my parents put themselves through half the stresses that we do to entertain everyone and they had 4 kids. We never had expensive days out or city panto trips and were all delighted on the day with a pillowcase with one big toy and some smaller gifts....it's all gone a bit too over the top now I think....I'm sure you will have a good time - there are still a few weeks to go - clearouts and even a car boot sale if there's time are great ideas and I always think you feel better if you are doing something positive. What about recycling old gadgets too? xxxx

MrE I respect that and I'm usually always over spending - but have decided not to this year because a few birds have made me well aware I'm making people uncomfortable

Ontherun I agree, think social media plays a part, I never go on over Christmas but when I do is full of sparkly Christmas trees with millions of presents , it's like a competition which is why I stay off it.
I think once all the final bills are paid, whenever Is left I'll hit the £1 shops

I do get annoyed with family members that we have helped in the past and it all seems forgotten, SIL one year could not afford 1 thing, even a tree, so we got it all, she's since got on her feet , new Range Rover and half a million pound house , I was having a catch up and I never asked for help but was alarmed when she suggested a payday loan. We will get there it just dims the Christmas lights a bit!

suggesting a payday loan to someone is utterly irresponsible...that's hardly nice. Try not to let it get to you.

I'd rather have a tight Christmas than end up in financial trouble after

Perhaps next year, once you are back on an even keel it might be an idea to put some money aside for Christmas each month. I reduced my food spending when DS2 left home this year and put the money saved on that together with another £50 aside and feel reassured I have enough no matter what.

Not sure how to link properly but have a look at this thread for ideas, it was on a few days ago
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/2794684-Ideas-to-make-Christmas-really-special
You can make Xmas very special, a lot of it is on the build up and organization, not so much on the money spent. Creating traditions, making crafts, baking,long walks, hot chocolate and marshmallows, cheesy films...we dont have a lot of money but I am going to make damm sure we have a beautiful time

I think once all the final bills are paid, whenever Is left I'll hit the £1 shops

Why don't you hit ebay, freecycle, gumtree, car boot sales and the charity shops instead. With a bit of perseverance and luck you could get hundreds of pounds worth of toys for a tenner. I don't really have money worries but I never buy anything new if I can avoid it. (Tbh, years of that strategy is why I don't have money worries.)

DS is getting some pretty fantastic toys from Santa, my parents and my little brother and none of them are new.

Kids love to unwrap anything. Just wrap up as much as you can -even pound shop stocking fillers ,selection boxes and annuals etc -they'll never notice -they just love the excitement of presents. Ps Some of the pound shop decorations are actually really nice - we just bought a load for the office and I picked up some for the house snowflake window stickers and little battery fairy lights to go round mirrors etc xxxx

Charity shops are great. One can often find brand new toys, puzzles etc.
for next to nothing. Also children's DVDs, books in good condition. Adorable soft toys which have obviously just sat on a bed/shelf are just about unsaleable.
I would suggest OP, while you're getting back on your feet next year that you make a regular trawl of the charity shops (affluent areas preferably ) for birthday and next Christmas gifts. No point in paying over the odds if you can get for less plus help the charity. I rather enjoy the outings as well .

We live in the middle of what can be described as a building site......fairy lights make everything look better. Just buy cheap wine and cheeselets!