To buy "cheap" presents for my mum and sister?

[MrsSnape]

I wanted to buy my mum a digital photoframe and my sister a new top for christmas but I just can't afford to do it. Each of these are £20 each, I've already been eating into my holiday money meaning its going to take longer to pay off and I still don't have everything for the kids yet.

I bought DS1 a DS game off ebay from Hong Kong but I'm panicking that it won't arrive in time. If it doesn't I'll have to go and buy it again from the shop. I've also got to buy another controller for the new Wii and we still don't have 'christmas food' in yet. Plus I'm having to buy £10's worth of gas every few days and now my electric is running out etc etc!

I know they won't be bothered but I still feel a bit mean just buying chocolates or whatever

If you feel 'mean' why not add a voucher offering to do a job they don't like? Clearing out a cupboard, digging over a garden bed in spring, something like that? No-one's not heard of the credit crunch, and your own family can be relied on to take the thought over the cost...

It's the thought that counts. Could you buy a nice tin and make some biscuits to put in it? Or get some pretty christmas decorations - something that would come out year after year and build up happy memories for them?

I worry about this too - my sister and bil are far better off than we are - they both work and have no children, whereas only dh works (albeit in a good job) and we have three children, so we can't afford to spend on them what they spend on us - but I'm sure they appreciate the thought we put into what we do give them.

I would be re-thinking is the holiday really necessary.

yanbu!

Good grief!

YOu could spend a tenner on each of them and do a damn sight better than chocs - something pretty from Accessorize or Paperchase and maybe a truffle of two if there's any money left.

How old is ds? I reckon he'll either be too young to notice a short wait, or old enough to accept a home-made voucher for his game in the short term.

You're all in a stew. Calm down!

yanbu. I'm sorry you are in such a tight spot financially. Maybe you could make your mum a photobook with pics of your childhood etc.

as for your sister dig up an old t shirt of hers when she was little and give it to her with a really touching letter (it isn't as good as my mum suggestion - sorry!).

i'm not sure if they're still doing it but vista print had offers where you get a free t shirt and pay postage-less than £3 if you get the long delivery or a bit more for faster delivery and a free calender where postahge is less than £4. not too expensive and just upload nice pics for them, nice and personal to them

YANBU, I'm sure your mother woud rather her present money being spent on the kids.