Skint beyond belief with two young DC

[PrettyPictures92]

Hey folks, not posted on this topic before but quite desperate now. Will try to keep this short.

I've been out of work this year due to having a mental breakdown. Previous Christmases with my now dd 4 years (5 on new years eve) and 3yo DS have always been amazing. Had enough money to give them lovely magical Christmases.

On benefits now and literally don't have two pennies to rub together until mid November so in desperate need of ideas on cheep but good Christmas gifts/birthday gifts too since DD will be five soon afterwards.

Our local charity shops don't sell much in the way of toys, it's mostly just clothes. Hopefully be working again after the new year but I don't want this Christmas to come around and there only be one or two gifts for them, they've both had a hard couple years and things are finally getting better, they're settled and happy and I want them to have a good Christmas this year.

So any ideas on cheep but good gifts for them would be extremely appreciated, thanks!

My mum was a single mum. From memory some of her best presents can't have cost much - but were so exciting that I remember them now.
She would save boxes and put her second hand gifts in them so they were as exciting to open as new toys - and I didn't realise the difference at a young age.
She bought second hand dolls, cleaned them up and knitted two or three outfits for them - so much nicer than Tiny Tears!
I always got a cheap mug with sweets inside, all done up in cellophane. New clothes were always given at Xmas, sounds dull but bulks up the pressie pile. Colouring books and pens, and other crafting stuff.
Homemade tapes with her reading my favourite stories on, and ringing a bell when time to turn page, so I could have her reading stories when she wasn't there.
Lots of fun stocking fillers, that were cheap but absorbing, like a slinky, yoyo, puzzles, etc.
There was always one big pressie, like a bike, which would possibly be second hand but cleaned up and with a huge bow on it.
We did all the traditional stuff too - definitely makes it more fun.
By january you ask most kids what they got for christmas and they will say something like 'bubble bath'! so don't worry too much!
Also, one big tip, I would write a christmas letter to santa, then my mum would say 'cut it down to the best three as santa only brings you one thing off your list and the rest are surprises'. So i would, and she would always make sure I got one thing I really really wanted.

We were on a tight budget for DD's first two Christmases. I remember it made me really think of what she would spend time playing with. We got some toys from charity shops - little figures like Peppa Pig can be found and then you can make cardboard box houses and scenes. Or second hand Happy land figures as it doesn't matter if it's a set.

I think you get great bargains at Matalan too. I honestly think the big gimmick toys are a waste of money. You can't beat Lego type bricks and crafts and crayons! As a child my most loved doll was a seconds mum bought cheap from a toyshop as it couldn't go on the shelves. To me she was special.

All the best to the OP and other people counting pennies. Remember it is about making magic and little traditions like the excitement of leaving out your carrot for Rudolph and baking Christmas biscuits

www.poundstretcher.co.uk/ have some really good Christmas gifts in this year! Lots of toys for under £5 - puzzles, dress up clothes, toy cars and Pajamas which might be something your little ones would like?

I'm sure you will have a magical Christmas PrettyPictures92 :)

Does your 3yo have a balance bike and if not, would you like one for him? I am about to get rid of my 4yo ds's old red balance bike which he adored but outgrew. I am in Glasgow and happy to drive to North Lan to drop it off if you want it. (Otherwise it is going on Freecycle so no problem if you don't want it.)

I second what other posters have said about using second-hand stuff where possible - small kids don't know the difference. When our now 11yo was little we quite often gave him second-hand gifts because we felt we got better value and he was perfectly happy with them. For example, when he got into Lego, we bought mixed second-hand lego by the kilo from Ebay for a few pounds and a colourful plastic tub to put it in. It meant he had a big bucket of assorted lego to be inventive with for a lot less than the cost of one small 'proper' lego box. This year ds2 is desperate for a three wheel scooter. We picked up one in lovely condition at the local scout jumble sale for £3 a few weeks ago. He will be every bit as thrilled with it as with one that came fresh out of the box. So definitely scout around school sales, jumble sales, charity shops, Freecycle, etc.

The best thrifty advice about Christmas I have ever had was from another (older, wiser) MN poster who pointed out that the things we remember and cherish from our own childhood Christmasses are the things we did every year - and those special family traditions don't necessarily have to cost us anything.

Can you make them each a book of 12 vouchers to use through the year, once a month. All cheap stuff. Eg, on presentation of this voucher we will bake a cake together. Or watch DVDs in our pyjamas all day. Go to primark and choose any item of clothing you want. Eat ice cream for breakfast. Etc

Do you do online surveys? It's amazing how quickly your points can add up if you've got half an hour a day, I have enough to cash in for a £10 voucher most weeks.

if they like playdough look up the recipe online for it, Decorate some tubs from poundshop and add in some cutters from bakery section. put it all together to make a playdough kit.

After halloween the halloween sweets will be sold off cheaper - get them some of them instead of christmas ones. they either won't notice or you can laugh at santa getting mixed up.

Which online surveys are best to do? I'd like to do some but not sure where to start!

Start with valued opinions or my survey. Taluna is good but takes a while to pay out.

Hey folks, popped into pound land today and got a bumper pack of crafty stuff, pens for dd, pencils for ds, ribbons (crafty ones), a chalk board thing that ds will love, a bracelet making kit, some frozen bobbles, a necklace (for dd, child's one with hello kitty on it) and a big tupperwear box to put the craft stuff in, a frozen book and a Peter pan book. Then nipped to the British heart foundation and found a pirate ship with a figure toy ds will love too (£3.50). So thanks for the ideas thinking about finding a small wooden box somewhere and making a jewelry box type thing for dd to put bobbles etc in, something that we could do together, she'll love that. I'll take a look at online surveys too :) Going to take a look around more charity shops next week possibly.

Tartan Ds has hypermobility and refuses to use the bike I got him last year because of it :( But thank you for the offer xx

You're doing great! One year my brother and SIL had either £10 or £20 each to spend on their two boys (can't remember which), they spent it in the pound shop, the boys loved it and were none the wiser on Christmas day. They're in their teens now so their tastes are more expensive

Pretty that's a fantastic haul! Well done. I think your kids are going to have a lovely Christmas and you are going to sit and bask in the warm glow of knowing it's because of your resourcefulness.

we have been in and out of work over the years. We've just left a comfortable phase as dh is currently out of work and likely to be until jan when things will hopefully pick up. I've told my kids they can have a stocking but not to expect the usual present from me. They are fine with it (the 3 that are old enough to understand) the 3 year old doesn't understand and wont care. the stocking always has socks/vests/book/jigsaw/paints or craft items a satsuma and some chocolate. My kids are lucky because they also get presents from grandparents and aunties, if yours are similar, they wont notice that there is one less present, if not i would also state that they are too young to mind at 5 and 3.

I always get them new pjs on xmas eve. it would upset them not to get that - younger dd and younger ds get handed down pjs. I also wrap up handmedowns for the younger ones if a toy is going to be handed down. The oldest would have got a bike for example as a present, i don't see why the next one down gets a bike and something for xmas. I have also done really well on secondhand toys on ebay in the past. I agree with the poster above not to raise expectations. I have a friends who's kids now expect a £100 present (tablet, ipod etc). My kids know not to ask poor sods!

just seen your update of things you've bought which sound great. I know it's twee but spending time doing stuff together is so much fun at christmas and it is about tradition for my kids as well as me. Another thing we do is dry out orange slices to decorate the tree and paint fir cones. Chrisdingle things are nice too - oranges with candles in and cloves, we're not religious but we used to go to the kids service at teh local church which kind of made it magical as they lit the candles and gave them to the kids.

It will soon be the school fair season too and they usually have a toy stall at very cheap prices. You might need to rebox things as boxes can get a bit tatty, but totally doable.

Sorry not read whole thread but wanted to check someone had mentioned The Works? They do great deals on books, normally 4 books for £5 plus other smaller stocking fillers.

Def join a local fb buying and selling kids page, I have bought dd some bits for Christmas off there. I recently bought the entire 7 dwarves set plus the house and other extras for £3!!

Sorry to hear you have been through such a tough time

3bunnies- Thanks for linking to that website. I think I am going to make a little medical kit up for my niece.

Last year, we made a snowman lucky dip (cardboard box body + removable cardboard box head, both covered with cotton wool!) - We sat him under the Christmas tree and the DCs loved him - they were so excited when they discovered his head came off and there were lots of little presents (cheap stocking filler bits and sweets) to unwrap! Cheap to do and the centrepiece of Christmas day! We also do "movie night" in the evening, with homemade popcorn, a Christmassy DVD (borrow one from the library) and lots of duvets!

Sainsburys have cars reduced to 74p to 89p and they better quality than pound shop i got some last year for 3yr old and again some more this year.

I also make kids sweet/chocolate hamper (basically cardboard box wrapped with tissue paper inside) buying multi packs of seeets/chocolates when they on offer each week.

Have a look on the swap thread to see if there's anything you can trade :)

Swap thread

Hello, just read this thread through. Some really good ideas here. Just wanted to say OP, I am in a similar situation myself this year & started a thread asking for advice too (didn't see this one until now)
I am on a really tight budget, and have gathered some things to sell on fb to try to raise a bit more. I am suffering pnd at the moment & find things hard. I haven't got much in the way of advice for you, as like I said, same situation.
I bet you & your DC will have a lovely Christmas. Just think, you will all be in your new home, with traditions to start & memories to make Be sure to get plenty of photos too- hopefully you will look back on this as a wonderful new beginning for you all.

Are you any good at sewing? Even simple stitches? We have a very small budget this year and I'm making ds age 3 a bunch of finger puppets out of felt. Some Vhristmas themed, some to go with nursery rhymes (5 little monkies, Old Mcdonald, Humpty Dumpty).

Even little figures sewn on the fingers of some bargain gloves would be lovely.

I have also made some very small Christmas stockings from red/white polka dot felt for my DSis and family to hang on their tree, I have embroidered (very, very basically) their names on each. They are small enough to go on the tree and have choccy coins or candy canes or chupachups or whatever in them.

I also plan on laying ds down on a big piece of paper, like any ugly crappy oldwallpaper - use the back - draw around him with arms out slightly the hedecorates Iit, I cut it out and stick it to his bedroom door: instant personalised gingerbread man

I hope you have a lovely Christmas OP and next year sorts itself out for you

Lovedmywildway have you tried swagsbucks site for earning vouchers etc. Ita not just surveys but all kinds and can cash in for amazon vouchers or loads of different ones. If you want referral link let me know :)