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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Original poster

****MONEY SAVING TIPS FOR CHRISTMAS**** Please post here! Let's help each other...

39 replies

ShinyHappyPeopleHoldingHands · 14/11/2006 11:38

Seeing as so many of us are broke and regardless, somehow, we have to 'fund' Christmas, I thought maybe we could put all out tips/advice (from anyone.. most of us have experienced "brokeness" at some stage!) in one place so we can all help each other!

I will be back when I've thought of some....

OP posts:
RTKangaMummy · 14/11/2006 11:40

get family to make part of the meal like pudding or 1st course

Bananaknickers · 14/11/2006 11:41

We have taken a morgage holiday this month to pay for present.Not money saving I know but we are so desperate and I didn't want to go down the credit card road.We are in a mess as it is.Just a way to get your hands on some money quick if you have a morgage

Original poster
ShinyHappyPeopleHoldingHands · 14/11/2006 11:41

Ah yes. One year I saved/got other people to save me jar (jam/coffee) etc of varying styles and sizes.. bought a load of coloured bath salts and filled the jars (in coloured layers), painting green and red holly leaves on the lids with acryclic paint and personalised the jars with peoples' names. It went down well I thought!

Not seem those cheap packs of coloured bath salts/crystals for a while.. anyone else?

OP posts:
jessicaandrebeccasmummy · 14/11/2006 11:41

I belong here. Most definately.

Dh is getting a quick fumble under the duvet for xmas

Freecycle.....

RTKangaMummy · 14/11/2006 11:42

what is freecycle?

Original poster
ShinyHappyPeopleHoldingHands · 14/11/2006 11:43

For stocking fillers, surf the freebie sites.. you can get stickers, free gifts for registering on sites etc. I got a few this way, year before last. Try googling 'freebies'

OP posts:
jessicaandrebeccasmummy · 14/11/2006 11:44

freecycle is a yahoo group countrywide.

it is a place to give away stuff you no longer want and post ads for wanted items you may be looking for.

no money changes hands, its main aim is to reduce the amount going to the tip.

RTKangaMummy · 14/11/2006 11:45

oke doke thanks sounds deffo brill

Original poster
ShinyHappyPeopleHoldingHands · 14/11/2006 11:47

And see here what the lovely Soapbox has done

OP posts:
ledodgyfireworksingedmyeyebrow · 14/11/2006 11:48

children can chat live to Santa here!

CHUNKYMUNKEY · 14/11/2006 12:56

If you have a local Netmums site, they have a Nearly New section. I have got some great bargains from there. Places like poundstretcher are good for stocking fillers, also charity shops.

nikkie · 14/11/2006 20:35

Use up all your points - tesco vouchers can buy things like magazine subscription-Nectar ones can buy cds/dvds as well as in store stuff

MerlinsBeard · 14/11/2006 20:37

DP and I don't have xmas in Dec aside from 1 present from teh boys. We have ours in jan/feb when the sales are on

GoingQuietlyMad · 14/11/2006 20:49

If you join the ELC birthday club, they send a voucher for 20% off and a small gift on the child's birthday (eg a CD with songs or a fishing game). This isn't restricted to your own children, so you can register for "nieces, nephews etc."

Lidl is a really good source of cheap Xmas food - things like Stollen for 1.49.

Introduce Secret santa instead of buying presents for all your siblings.

I found car boot sales and charity shops a really good source of children's presents. Likewise ebay for special Xmas outfits second hand - some are hardly worn.

Build up essentials for your children (like clothes, wellies, PJs, even shampoo etc) and wrap them up as presents to add to Xmas present pile.

"Party" stores are good for cheap (ie 10 pence) stocking fillers, which only get played with for 5 mins anyway.

As for food, most people really overbuy at Xmas. Buy a couple of special things and just fill out with cheaper stuff from Lidl (Aldi, Netto and even Asda, Morrisons etc)

munz · 14/11/2006 20:51

i've decided nans/grandads etc will be haing a nice box of home made cookies and lashings of love this year

corrina28 · 14/11/2006 21:07

i will be making home-made sweets with my boys to give to nans, grandads, aunt, uncles etc.

NannyL · 14/11/2006 22:11

they have strings of 20 indoor clear fairy lights in wilkinsons for 69p.... bargain or what?

Bucketsofburntdinosaurs · 14/11/2006 22:21

Home made is always good, most people would be really touched and far happier than seeing you struggle. Eg:
Make up layered cookie mixes in nice coffeejars, add a bow and print out the instructions nicely. Maybe tie on a cutter (get a cheap poundshop pack.) Ask on Freecyle for nice jars.

As someone else said either Secret Santa your grown up rellies or do a non-secret one: agree a budget (say 8 people at £5 a head) and allocate one person each to buy for so everyone gets one £40 gift that they actually want rather than 8 £5 novelty things that you get if you just have to a small budget.

Bucketsofburntdinosaurs · 14/11/2006 22:21

NCT sales!

moondog · 14/11/2006 22:22

Yup, home made is best of all.

Don't send Christmas cards.

Waste of money and time and paper and energy.

duke · 14/11/2006 22:28

Are frinds and family that have kids are doing toy swaps this christmas, games and toys that the older ones don't play with any more. And alot of re gifting. You know somone want that chocolate fondue set thats been in your cupboard all year!

jasper · 14/11/2006 23:15

moondog I stopped sending cards about 4 years ago.
has simplified life at this time of year.
I don't think anyone has noticed.

Fattymumma · 14/11/2006 23:29

ooh fab thread.

this is my first christmas alone since leaving Xp (the first year we were in the refuge and last year we were at my mums still) so i am having to buy EVERYTHING from scratch.

our christmas decorations will all be homemade. we will be collecting twiggs and holly branches and spraying the sliver or gold with lots of glitter.
then weaving them into swags and garlands.

they actually look really nice and its great that the kids can help make them.
the tree will be the cheapest i can find and just padded out with lots of home made danglies and cookies on string.

yomellamoHelly · 15/11/2006 10:31

Have started sorting through the (many) boxes of stuff in the attic which we've been collecting for 12 years. Loads of stuff that'll make good pressies for ds this year and in years to come and a few goodies for ebay. Hope to get away with just spending the £20 that we already have on his main pressie and recycle the rest.

Gemmasmummy · 15/11/2006 14:27

Buy your Christmas cards, wrapping paper and decorations half price or less in the January sales. Apart from saving money, I can be really organised and start writing my cards in mid-November. I edit my Christmas card list every year - I don't send cards to people who I haven't heard from for more than 2 years. I allow a year's grace for people who haven't sent Christmas cards one year for a good reason, e.g. because of a new baby or a house move. I might also take people off the list "experimentally" from time to time if I sense that the relationship has dwindled to a Christmas-card-only one, and see what happens. If they get in touch during the year, they go back on the list the following year. I also don't send Christmas cards to people I see regularly (friends, work colleagues, family) as I think it is pointless. I also start my Christmas shopping in the January sales! Make your own Christmas pudding, cake and mince pies - they taste much nicer and you have that lovely Christmassy smell in the house.