Seriously skint this year and need ideas please

[Margaritte]

No idea how we are going to do Christmas. We have hardly any money.. Lots of brothers & sisters to buy for, nephews of varying ages, grandparents, parents & our 3 children.
I don't know how we are going to buy gifts, have a nice Christmas dinner (1st year we will be home too) what to do over the holidays instead of Pantomime etc.
I am not crafty at all, and also am have pnd that I am working through, so doubt I'd have the energy to sew etc.
Its making me worry quite a lot, and I wondered if any one had any tips/ ideas? Any advice would be lovely, as when I google 'cheap ideas' it comes up with hand sewn toys or 'budget gifts under £10' . Neither of these are something that is possible for me

With £50 I think I would do this:

Xmas day food: whole chicken, potatoes, frozen carrots, frozen peas, Yorkshire pud, gravy. £10.

Box of chocs and everyone can have as many as they like in place of pudding (would have been my dream as a child - I'm v chocolate orientated) £3

Extras if you get more £: sausages, bacon

Presents - I'd aim for 4 each probably along the lines of: book each (charity shop), item of clothing (charity shop/aldi (seriously their clothes are good). 12 yr old: hair brush set with hair bobbles or stationary set for 12 yr old, DVD (£land now do reconditioned DVDs and CDs and have fairly recent ones in or charity shop. 5 yr old: colouring book and pens, cars (charity shop/aldi).

12 yr old: £15
5 yr old : £15
Toddler £5 - rewrap older kids old toys if you have any that have been in storage, freecycle, homemade play dough, stickers from £land

Stockings - fully edible. Get sweets from aldi (cheaper than £land) and satsuma and fill stocking.

Not the healthiest I know but though a lot of the ideas above are amazing they will come out over £50.

If you view something like this as the basics (so you know you have all bases covered) any extra cash can add rather than be vital for pulling it off.

you could try online pound shops like www.poundshop.com

YY to the Secret Santa for adults! We have a £20 spending limit and it is such a relief to only have children to buy for.

Definitely forget adult presents. We did it in or family years ago. My mum tentatively suggested it and the rest of the family jumped on it very enthusiastically. It has dramatically reduced the cost of Christmas for all of us.

Poundland and similar shops are great for kids presents. I got a book, DVD, hair accessories, disney bubble bath and colouring set for a fiver for DD the other day.

Would your 12 year old ds like a used-about-twice skateboard? I have had one sitting in the shed for the last 2 years and he is very welcome to it if he would. DM me your address if you'd like it.

Haven't read through the whole thread so sorry if I'm repeating, but I always remember someone saying that their children got a 'letter from Father Christmas' on Christmas eve, telling them that he had arranged for a Christmas film to be shown on TV that afternoon, just for them! As there is always a child-friendly Christmas film on TV the afternoon of Christmas eve anyway... I think I would have been properly taken in by that and thrilled as a child, and as long as you've got a TV, it's a completely free piece of Christmas magic for your younger kids!

One other idea for your toddler: a great big crafts box. Get an empty cardboard box (if you don't have one I'm sure you can ask around for someone to give one to you) and get a couple of craft bits from the pound shop - some pens or crayons, glitter glue sets, pompoms, that kind of thing, and then fill up the rest of the space with empty toilet rolls, empty cereal boxes, egg boxes, etc. You can cut the cereal boxes into interesting shapes for your little girl to decorate. If you decorate the outside of the cardboard box by wrapping it in wrapping paper, it could be quite exciting for a toddler!

For your 12 year old, could you do something like a homemade book of vouchers - things like ' stay up an hour past your bedtime' or 'you don't have to do any chores this weekend', that kind of thing? Stuff they're not usually allowed to do.

Strange Thank you- what a good budget plan

Stick Really like the craft box idea- I think for my 5yr old as well as my toddler. And the vouchers for DS1 too. Will be doing both.

Strange - great plan.

I think I'd get a chicken cheap but full price, not going out of date, and freeze. Then you have more slack in thawing and cooking it. Asda do,them for about £4.50. If money doesn't stretch to sausages and bacon, you can get packet mix of stuffing for about 50p. You mix it up with water then bake.

For stocking, think max volume. Pound shop boxes of chocolates are good for this - freddos, maltesers etc. Marshmallows and flying saucers also. A Terry's choc orange looks more expensive than £1. A bath sponge or puff and bubblebath. Put a £1 soft toy in the tops of the little ones' stockings. Charity shops often sell decent quality, as-new games and puzzles. Little torches are also very reasonable on Amazon.

Buy a Radio Times so you can spot the best films.

Would your 12 year old like an mp3 player or a watch? Both can be bought very cheaply up to quite expensive so, if chosen carefully, can look more expensive than they are. My DC have our ancient phones as mp3 players, but that only works if you have an old phone lying around.

DH & I are going shopping tomorrow for the stocking fillers

Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to post on here, & those who have messaged me

I really hope this thread helps other people in similar positions with ideas too.

Just an update. I now have presents for the younger 2 dcs & my DS1 has a skateboard Need to get DS1 something else. Then do stocking fillers.

I was asked by a relative if I wanted a turkey crown as our Christmas gift this year, so I have that now. They also bought us some pickles etc. Just need fresh veg now & a pudding.

I haven't any idea for DH, though he is fine, it is nice to open a little something on the day.

Also, does anyone have any ideas for decorations? I'm not very crafty & energy comes in short bursts. Though may be fun to do with dc.

John Lewis (!) has a big selection of toys and games at all prices. I bought books costing between 3.99 and 5.99 for little cousins aged between 6 months and 9 years. In our local store there was a stand with a selection of inexpensive items beside the toy department checkouts. Also there were activity/craft sets, quite a few under 10 pounds.

Buy each adult a lottery ticket. (Might turn out to be the best present ever!)

School xmas Fayres, loads of as new toys for pennies, also bric a brac (think photo frames for 50p) and bottle stalls.

Pound shops are great too.

Dinner of roast chicken, veg and a £1 cake and squirty cream which the kids go mad for

Somebody posted this on another thread, all you need is paper, glue, scissors & stapler.

m.youtube.com/watch?v=s7of1MSYHcw