Thrifty christmas

[Elainey1609]

Hi ya everyone

I am sure I'm in the same boat as many other people this year we no money.
I know I am starting to panic already about Christmas
I like many have been glued to the bargain christmas thread and have bought some small bits already but I can't seem to see the light at the end of the tunnel

I have already told many family members that I won't be able to afford buying them Xmas presents this yearned am checking boot sales, free cycle and nearly new sites

The whole thing is just very depressing

So i wanted to start this thread to get people's ideas ideas or tips so we can all help each other to the best of our ability as I know I'm not the only one in this situation

A problem shared is a problem halved and all that

Last year people gave links where free Xmas decorations and samples that can be used as presents were being given away free.
Links to christmas sites with free downloadable things


Just share anything that is free or very low buget that can be used over the Xmas

Hope this helps

[SisterMatic]

Which freebie sites do you recommend? I will be watching with interest.

[ChubbyKitty]

I shall settle down right here and mark my place.

Because I do Avon I get a lot of Xmas things in July/August at demo price

But really. My 6yo niece is going to go mad for the hello kitty onesie WITH EARS..and also auntie chubby has one too!!(mine is more sensible - plain pink with a little HK, but still ears)

And the perfume gift sets. It's pretty much done and dusted. Everything in one box making it super easy to wrap.

These are not helpful are they?


I do also like to pick up bits and shits throughout the year, for example this year, I have a friend who is mad for owls, and she's one of my best friends so she gets extra, so the odd owl coin purse or brooch here and there will be added to her main present. She's happy, I've saved money, everyone's a winner!

If only they were all that easy to buy for

If you had a knack for drawing/painting you could get a nice pad and some simple frames and a few people could get nice paintings.

Sort of given myself an idea for Owl Girls big present.

[VoldemortsNipple]

Elainie, I can't seem to find the app I had on my old phone. Somebody recommended an app called No more socks, but it doesn't appear in my app store. I'm still on the lookout for a good replacement which is password protected

[ChubbyKitty]

Ooh password protection.

Too many curious eyes know my passcode.

[Elainey1609]

Yeah voldemorrt I'm still looking will keep you updated if I find a decent one

And sister I've gone onto a number of freebie sites
Studentfreestuff is a good one and for other ones I just put uk freebe site into google and gave me loads

I've had quite a response already so am pleased

[hereshecomesnowsayingyoniyoni]

I never know what to buy my 2 nieces (12 and 13)
So last year I bought baking items from the poundshop and a selection of baking ingredients and put them in a nice gift bag for the 12 year old
For the 13 year old I bought beauty bits from primark and put those in a gift bag
I have a cupboard in the spare room that I put bits in that I buy throughout the year
Yesterday in wilkinsons they had girls cheerleeding Pom poms reduced to 50p and sparkly batons reduced to 38p.bought a few for dd's friends to put away for Xmas or birthdays.

[BiddyPop]

I got a "Fred Claus" DVD in a charity shop during the week, to add to our collection, only 1 euro. And as I got a cd, 3 balls of wool as well, all at 1 each, and an emergency volunteer was on tills, she didn't charge me for a small ceramic bowl (I use them for granny sized dinners) or a basket that I intend using for a hamper of bathroom things.

I've done a few interesting hampers over the years. Family night in, which is a DVD, bag of popcorn to pop or box microwave popcorn, bottle of wine and bottle nice lemonade for the children.
Baking hamper, Wooden spoon, whisk, cookie cutters, bag chocolate chips, some decorative sprinkles, colored bun cases, all presented in a baking bowl.
Busy woman's emergency kit, travel sized useful things for handbag like pocket pack tissues (can get nice Christmas designs if ok about spending extra), emery boards, small plain nail varnish, hair spray, small brush, travel pack facial wipes, trave sized deodorant, nice lip balm, little pouch with safety pins and travel sewing kit, and empty travel atomizer to put favorite perfume in. I know I had loads for that one and can't remember it all now.
Time for tea (for a spinster aunt) was a teapot and integrated cup for 1 set kin a lovely flower design, nice spoon, small similar flower pattern holdr for teabgs, box of her favourite teabgs, and a small pack of nice biscuits.
Often, by pulling apart a set that is prepackaged (say you get a few in Boots on 3for2), put into a basket or on a nice plate or whatever, and just add something small to it that is not part of the commercial box ut goes well with it, can make it seem much more expensive, and also much,ore personal and thought out. Or pick up full sized bottles on 3for2, maybe 3 sanctuary spa things to make a spa treat, add a fuzzy wash thing or nice facecloth, and a nice candle, great present and seems a lot more. Lots of places give free samples that can be added to hampers like that, and you can get lots of bargains to fill it up.
Even wrapping a cheap hat, scarf, gloves set from Primark in tissue paper and not all stuck together as you bought them, but maybe add a pocket hot pack and pack fancy tissues, makes something that cost very little look very lux.
Hope that helps someone.

[ChubbyKitty]

Biddy I like the hamper ideas

Got a couple of people they might be nice for, especially the family night in one!

[confettiwoman]

Not really a 'do', more a 'don't' - Don't think making gifts will be cheaper than buying them. A friend announced she was going to make all her presents and cards last year, and in all honesty she probably spent more than i did. Materials can cost loads - they only work out cost effective if you were going to buy an 'expensive' ready made product to start off with.

My suggestion is check out the local Poundland or Poundworld. They do a great range of things, gardening bits for grandparents, socks and smellies (hey don't diss socks - i always need socks!) for teens, and toys/colouring packs for kiddies. Also its great for paper, cards, gift bags etc.
And obviously sweets - just check the sell by dates as sometimes they only have short dates as thats why the shop is selling them.
Its also easy to see how much you're spending, as all you need to do is count the amount of items you have in your basket.

If you're after books, check out The Works (great for 3 novels for £5).

Church fetes and sales are also good (even if you're not religous) - they're usually not too greedy and you can get some good items whilst there. There's usually a tea and cake stall to occupy any kids for a pittance most of the time.

Now a 'do'...

Also think about games you can play on xmas day to stretch it out. Something my own mum used to do was get a couple of meters of large bubble wrap, lay it out on the floor, and get kids to walk slowly (in socks) across it and see if they can get across without popping any bubbles. Most people will know someone who can get this for free, but you can also ask in electronics shops, or ask on freecycle/freegle.

[Elainey1609]

confetti I agree about the making stuff thing I looked into making my presents and it did work out more expensive
Loving pundland at the the moment got a nice few bits and pieces
even make up bout some rimmel and maxfactor stuff didn't seem to be anything wrong with them
however I love biddys idea for the different hampers
I may do the girls night in ones for my friends x

[VoldemortsNipple]

Last year I spent a small fortune making chutney and Christmas pudding vodka only to be hit with the flu just before Christmas so couldn't be bothered making them look pretty

[BiddyPop]

Sorry about the typos and close spacing in my last post - couldn't log on for ages and still slightly off my head on meds (strep throat but massive stresses added have made me slightly doolally).

I had forgotten that a gardening hamper is a great one - you can put all the things into a nice planter pot, or plastic wondow box, or a wooden trug - all sorts of "useful" gardening containers at a wide range of prices. Gardeners love things like string, sharp knife with a retractable blade, LABELS, a pencil, new pair of gloves, the plastic things for tops of canes, plastic ties for plants, small notebook, pack of water retention gel for pots etc. A few packets of seeds if you know what they like, or a nice new trowel/fork/handweeder tool (or whole set), secateurs, kneeler etc. This is one that can go from quite small (and using Poundland or similar things) to quite big, cheap or expensive, or a range (a big roll of poundland string and large pack of labels, but with a posh pair of good gloves, looks both useful and thoughtful). You can even make things like the posh expensive cans for string with a hole in the lid to feed it out, so it's very personal to your recipient. And if you have any plants in your own garden that you love and think they'd like, try and save some seeds from that for them to grow.

And anyone who has kids, especially if it's any way a large family, a craft hamper may well be handy. Just lots of things to get busy with (but check with the parents beforehand perhaps if lots of messy stuff). Packs of paper (plain white, coloured, or even patterned) and sheets of card or card blanks, packs of colouring pencils or crayons or felt tips (depending on ages), stickers, glue dots or pritt sticks, foam shapes, pipecleaners, lollipop sticks, pom poms, etc. Bottle of pva glue and bottles of paint IF YOU KNOW IT'S OK WITH PARENTS!! Sets of brushes, or pots/trays to hold paint and water are handy. Protective coverings are very welcome (smocks, and maybe hairbands if long haired girls). Child-friendly scissors, especially ones that cut patterns. Stamps and ink pads. And they can all come in a storage container so they can be put away when projects are complete!!

Adding an apron into a baking one is always good too (less mess). And I forgot about board games in a family night in hamper. These are all options and ideas - not to use everything in 1, but trying to think about what would work so that when I see things, I have a long list of things I COULD buy, and can grab suitable things when I see them at a nice price. (Or freebies that could work - perhaps in a unconventional way, if I just have a theme in mind for a person or a few different people).

[BiddyPop]

And I knew I had 1 more to add.

Pre-teens can be experimenting with makeup etc. I have given a couple of cousins and nieces a nice box for their dressing table with a pack of cotton wool pads, small bottles each of cleanser and gentle toner and moisturiser, cotton buds, nail varnish remover, witch hazel wand, makeup sponges, emery boards etc. And added a nice lip balm, colourful gloss that's not too mad, and a plain and a wild colour nail varnishes, with a pack of nail art stickers. So it's more about the skincare regime, but a few fun things for them to experiment with. (So far, I have had good reactions from both girls and their moms - but I have been careful about which year to give those - 1 cousin was ready at 11 for it, whereas another Mum's non-readiness meant waiting til cousin was 14 - but it was fine then).

[Trigglesx]

Yes, definitely check with parents re paints, and let them know if there's anything messy in the gift. I was not thrilled when sister gave DD finger paints when she was little (and no paper, go figure! ). I had put the wrapped gift under the tree, didn't realise what was in it, and DD managed to open the gift one morning (one of the few morning she woke up much earlier than her normal 5am and didn't come in to get me!), took it into her room, and proceeded to finger paint her room bright blue. It was EVERYWHERE. If sister had warned me that there was fingerpaint in the package, I would NOT have left it under the tree (just in case!!).

[Elainey1609]

Trigglesx I had a similar incident
I laugh now but the morning just house before family due to turn up
dd started writing on the wall with bathroom pens and luminious green bath gunge (what ever that is) over a display cabinet
I was not a happy bunny lol.
Biddy I made a baking hamper yesterday for a birthday present next week
friend who is a new but keen baker ..hope she enjoys it
looks very nice im even impressed lol.

Got a very nice freebee through the post today of a couple of dove products and and oil of olay one that im putting into hampers.

[Fizzyknickers]

Place marking :D

[ValiumQueen]

I am avidly watching the Christmas bargain thread, and one of the posters has said they spent £30 on £70 worth of gifts, and said it will make a decent stocking. That is more than my budget for my kids entire Christmas gifts. Perhaps I am better off lurking here

[Patilla]

How do people package up "hampers"?

Suitable baskets always seem to cost more money than I save.

[ValiumQueen]

Patilla I have been known to cover a regular cardboard box with Christmas paper and fill with shredded tissue paper, a few bows or paper flowers, cellophane etc. It leaves more pennies for nice things inside. I also got some lovely baskets from Morrisons of all places a few years back. They were about £4 and so lovely I kept them myself.

[jamtoast12]

Valium

From reading lots of these threads, I think some peoples interpretation of stockings differ - some think they are everything other than the main gift so obviously there's sound more. For us we have the main, their extra presents and then the stocking which lets face it, can only fit a certain amount in! We just put sweets, pencils, nail polish etc. some people's "stockings" wouldn't fit into a sack so I think they just describe them as stocking fillers!

[iloveholidays]

Patilla, last year I just bought Christmas gift bags which I put the hamper bits in. The Elves left them on their bed whilst they were busy downstairs :)

[SarahAndFuck]

I found a really nice ceramic jar in a charity shop one year. It cost me a pound and I washed it out and baked biscuits to put in it and gave it to my friend.

It was a Boots one (still had the label on the bottom) and had had biscuits in it originally so the seal was good for keeping them fresh.

It was the exact same colour as some new kitchen things she had just bought, so she was over the moon with it. She still has it now (but the biscuits are long gone).

[SarahAndFuck]

Patilla I gave DS's teachers a 'hamper' of drinks and snacks for their kitchen a couple of weeks before the holidays started and I put it all in one of those big hessian shopper bags, so they could have something reusable afterwards which hadn't cost a fortune.

You can get some really nice ones and it was easier to carry into school as well as useful afterwards.

[SarahAndFuck]

OP if you want to do things to make memories, we always go out for a Christmas day walk after dinner. It helps that we live opposite woodland but if you have a nice park or even a walk around the streets to look at other people's lights it's nice to get out. And we meet people doing the same thing and everyone is friendly.

Our Children's Centre does a party with Father Christmas and you take your own photo if you like. It costs £1.50 for a ticket and they ask you to donate something to the party food, so much cheaper than a shopping centre Father Christmas visit and photo.

We have a blackboard to count down the days and DS loves writing the new date on it. Last year I stuck some bits of card together and he painted a big Christmas tree on it and used stickers from pound land to decorate it. It looked really good and he enjoyed painting it and sticking the stickers on. I've saved it to put up again this year.

We have a wooden advent calendar which cost £20 to buy but now it's just a bag of chocolate shapes from pound land, plus I save little cracker jokes and novelties from the year before to put in the drawers. It's cheaper now than paying £3 or so for one from the supermarket each year.

We paint pine cones with glitter as decorations or and DS likes making paper chains.

I got a beautiful glass bowl from a car boot sale, red and gold with little baubles painted on it, that I put out at the beginning of December before the rest of the decorations go up.

One of my friends uses wrapping paper she bought in the January sales to wrap up the pictures on her walls to look like presents. She puts a bit of ribbon around them and they do make quite effective Christmas decorations.

I bought some of this wrapping paper in a sale for £1.50 and put it in the picture frames like a poster. Through the year I just keep it behind the normal picture so it's stored safely.

[BiddyPop]

I have used cardboard boxes wrapped in nice paper, nice cardboard boxes from IKEA or similar, I mentioned upthread that I got a nice basket in a charity shop for nothing last week (I bought 5 things that I know cost ?1 each, and had a little ceramic dish and the basket as well - but she only charged me ?5 for the lot).

If you are doing a hamper that includes a container of some kind, use that. I have used plastic baking bowls for baking hampers, a large plastic serving bowl (cheap end of summer sales) to put the things for a family night in - included a bag of popping corn so the bowl could be used for that once made. A nice cheese board with preserves and a cheese knife on it. A nice "dressing table" basket filled with toiletries.

I have saved a nice thick cardboard box that an expensive shirt of DH's came in.

A nice good paper plate (if you are doing different baked goods) or festive plastic plate. Even a plain white plate (charity shop maybe) with a nice festive napkin on it looks great.