To consider buying BILs three children toys from charity shop this year, or even worse

[exasperatedmummy]

giving their DD who is a year younger than ours something that was DDs.

We really are on our uppers this year and im quite peed off with xmas already. We will buy something nice for DDs but will definately be supplementing with charity shop buys - i love bargain hunting for xmas pressies and think this is a really good thing to do.

But would it be an absolute bloody cheek to do this for neices and nephews? I'm not talking about buying tatt, but buying something relatively decent just now brand new? This would mean i wont actually have to resort to buying new tatt!

I dont think there is anything wrong with that at all. Afterall its the thought that counts, and to me sounds like you are going to put a lot of thought in to it.

Not cheeky at all. I would be grateful and happy whatever my kids received, and I would hope they would be too. Do kids even notice where things come from / care how much they cost? I hope not!

I think they will be very pleased that you made the effort. It's environmentally friendly too!

cAN'T YOU JUST RING HIM AND SAY LETS HAVE A YEAR OFf FROM PRESENTS THIS YEAR? HE MIGHT BE RELIEVED. caps, sorry!

YANBU at all. But, as apostrophe said, can you add some home-made sweets as well or something.

I would be delighted if someone made the effort to find a pressies for me or mine in a charity shop It's the thought always that counts

also thought home-made sweets was a brill idea

i think for a couple of quid you could buy some xmas colouring books and felt tips and in the pound shop they have pretty snow shakers-could you personalise a pair of gloves or something with sequins??

home made sounds good too - i am pretty sure that they will be happy with the toys. MIL might be a bit but i don't care really. If i don't see anything of course, i will buy them something new - but i so often see something and think, ooh, so and so would like that and would be more than i would want to spend if buying new.

We bought MILs present last year from a charity shop- it cost us £3, it was a lovely lead crystal photo frame and she was really chuffed with it and showed everyone - we put a pic of DD in it. I was fit to bust stopping myself from saying "corr, yeah its great isn't it, AND i only paid £3!!!" Im sure she wouldnt have minded though, but best not take the chance eh

I'd second taking a year off this year. But if people do want to buy I recommend the book people
or Red House books

fab books very cheap.

mrsmaidamess, it was this thread that sparked me to start this one - i thought about doing that, but i suspect BIL would buy DD anyway. There is only one of her, and big DD who usually gets a fiver in a card.

The colouring book and felt tips thing is good to - we managed similar from the works last year, but the charity shop thing is so that they get a really nice present REALLY CHEAP

mabanana, i just couldnt buy new books, i would melt - DD has more books than the local library - all from the charity shop - im a bit eccentric about it all really

i go to pound store nice stuff creative stuff drawing packs etc

and brand new even do kids books dora noddy etc

i myself have bought ds off e bay this year and do anyway nothing wrong with saving pennies where you can

charity shops are great my ds room looks like a libarary and video store lol

oh also myself and my ds are going to attempt to make fudge for the grandparents put in nice decrotive box and we are going to make x mas magnets to add with it

YANBU - my sis and I didnt buy pressies for each others kids (or each other)

Last year most of kids stuff came from chazza shops, DSS loved it as it was like 'giving twice' (to charity and him!)

most kids like charity stuff - his favourite present the year before after a gameboy from us all was a goat!

Totally fab idea. If I bought Christmas presents for anyone other than my dh and dd, I would definitely try that tack. Well done you!

what about doing some pottery painting at a local pottery place?

We did this recently for our two DNs. DS1 and 2 both painted plates for their cousins with dinosaurs on them. They really wer fab and cost £6 each. Although it was received by materialistic bastard brother as 'very nice but what the hell are we supposed to do with them?' I still think it was a cool idea of ds1(6y) to think of it!

Am definately liking the idea of home made sweets or something for the ILs, will definately look into that. Great idea. Every year we tend to waste money on stuff that the ILs don't really need and i hate that. One year we bought them a digital camera, so that was great, the year before last we bought them a printer for the camera, only to find they had bought themselves the very same thing last year it was the picture frame and we have done the whole tea pot, dinner set, ornament - if they have anymore ornaments their house will implode i tell ya!!

Could do the ceramics but really thats just more ornaments.

Well i shall be like a hawk for the next few weeks.

How about these £6 each from Oxfam Unwrapped, you get a free card and fridge magnet to send to your friends and family -
school dinners for 100 children, health check ups

you know girly, i think they are a great idea, but with my ILs, i reckon they would go down like a lead balloon - im sorely tempted though, and then have some token present. I think its a great idea.

I'm getting my dad this one

Also check out our own Littlelapins Usborne books thread. I bought Christmas presents for my sons from her, and mumsnetters get a discount.

Girly i am sitting here with goosebumps - it is amazing to think that £6 can buy so much, i think everyone should follow the link - £6, its nothing really. Am definately going to be sending these out. And i don't care if i appear a bit "right on" actually - and if it makes the kids think too.