to be utterly sick of being skint?

[HotCheesePiece]

It's probably just the time of year, I'm not usually a materialistic person at all; I don't dream of a lottery win and a big house and a fancy car, but I barely have enough to get by on let alone do anything nice.

I haven't been able to put the tree up yet because I need to replace the fairy lights and I have no spare cash to do so. I haven't bought a single Christmas present for 7yo DS or for anyone else. I spent my last £20 he other day going round three different shops in order to get some food for the week and replace DS' shoes as the upper has completely detached from the sole. I had to split this between cash, what was left in my debit card and a money off voucher. His friends have all been to the panto, grottos, ice skating etc. I haven't even had spare money to bake Christmas biscuits or do an activity at home. We have recently moved and I'm spending a fortune on petrol to get DS to school and back; 70 mile round trip until he starts his new school after the holidays. His nativity is on Thursday, I'm supposed to provide a costume (not even something I can makeshift at home) and still haven't paid for the tickets.

I know I am being silly. We have a comfortable home, DS doesn't go hungry or without essentials, we haven't had to use a food bank or keep the heating off, though there were times before I moved when DS had to stay with my mum because I couldn't afford to top up the electricity meter.

I am a student but on medical leave and I'm not allowed to work when I'm off so I can't earn extra money. I sold my tablet and my phone earlier in the year, other than the car I have nothing left of value and the cost of public transport is higher than the cost of running the car.

Apologies for the self pitying tone of my post, I'm just fed up of always having to say "no" to DS who to be fair, doesn't ask for much anyway. We go for walks and to parks together and I try to keep things fun and exciting for him but it would be nice just to be able to say yes to an activity or a treat without counting pennies and thinking about how short it might leave me for other things.

Is anyone else in the same boat? How are you handling the time of year where everything seems focused on how much you can spend?

I am in the same boat.
I cobble together everything. Home made presents, sewed her Christmas dress this weekend, ultra budget festive food- you can make your own mince pies very cheaply, with budget 'spread', 40p flour for pastry, raisins, and if you have any spices then great, a bit of value orange juice. All the ingredients can be used for other things, nameless spread and 40p flour carry my months, juice is condemned by those who can afford to condemn things, for those who can't it's a convenient way to get vitamins in.

Tin foil and cardboard tree decorations, small has fun making them
Paper chains with the links made of cut up junk mail!
Singing Christmas songs
Drawing Christmas pictures
We may not have a panto but we have a damn good behind the sofa puppet theatre!

I have some spare fairy lights if you'd like them. I know what you mean, it's so depressing constantly watching the pennies. But pm me your address and I'll pop them in the post.

I was given some fairy lights as a gift and don't need them. If you PM me your address, you can have these too

I know the feeling. We can't afford our bills so anything we need goes on credit cards which we are now drowning in.

Completely shit isn't it!

Can I join in? Hours cut at work means I barely earn enough to pay the rent - everything else on credit card, waking up panicking...

At least my kids are grown up and independant, so it's just me sitting freezing and hungry!

I know exactly what you mean.

I'm really not interested in Christmas this year to be honest and can't wait for it to be over. Partly because I'm not going to see my family and partly because I'm just so worried about money and feel so bad that I can't afford presents for anyone. I literally lay awake in bed last night just wondering what I'm going to do - if I am really careful I'll have enough money to pay my bills, rent and petrol until my next pay day but I have nothing spare and it really sucks

It won't be this way forever though, hopefully *wishful thinking

What is your ds into? I have a ds of the same age so sure I could sort you some bits out. I have been where you are and it is absolutely crap.

Check out Christmas crafty things for free things round the house, imagination tree webite, pintrest etc Check out free cycle for tree lights/decorations. Free colouring to print off. See if libarys/museums/art gallery's/community centres have free Xmas activities on. Sell anything unnecessay on ebay. Sign up for kids graze box and kids toucan activity box- first ones are free and then easy to cancel. Kids graze box has activities in as well as snacks. Do him a voucher for an activity day our he is really into which gives you some time to save. See if you can borrow from any family friend- assuming it's possible to pay back, and if-only if- you know you will have some money next month use catalogue to get a gift- not advisable if you can't pay it back, but I'm sure you don't need told that. See if you can get a food Bank voucher from cab or gp. See if anywhere local has a gift giving scheme. Local churches often have kids things on too, & mince pies for parents.

Girl called jack might have cheap Xmas reciepes. Lots of other budget Facebook cooking sites etc.

I've pm'd you.

We made salt dough decorations. Paint with poster paint and cheap ribbon to hang up. We did buy Xmas cutters but they were cheap or you could just cut them yourselves. Going to use them for Xmas biscuits too

There are a lot of families in the same position as you. Christmas is an awful time for people with no disposable income. I work full time but still struggle. It feels like a hard slog with not much to show for it. I know I'm not alone though and it will be worth it one day.

Sorry to hear you're all struggling too . And thankyou for the kind offers of help on here or through pm- I really wasn't looking for anything like that though, I just needed to rant. I couldn't accept anything like that, but thankyou for the thought, you are all to kind.

It really is a horrible time of year to be struggling or missing seeing family. I know we should take social media with a pinch of salt but it's hard to stay away from and hard not to feel a little jealous of the apparently care-free fun everyone else is having.

The only reason I'm bothering at all is because of DS. Otherwise I think DP and I would spend the day in bed! I know I have some flour in the cupboard, I might see if I can dig out some food colouring or paint and make some decorations as presents for my parents and grandparents, thankyou for the suggestion!

Hi all,

So sorry to wade in.

Just a reminder to all our members to be aware that not everyone on t'internet is who they say they are, and that, although we're awed daily by the astonishing support our members give each other through life's trickier twists and turns, we'd always caution anyone never to give more of themselves to another poster, emotionally or financially, than they can afford to spare.