new traditions

[Mommagonnaknockyouout]

I've 5 children and a newly single parent that works part time. Usually would get in debt for Christmas and spend £2000. This year big difference as no contribution from stbxh. Debt free and I'm budgeting at a £100 each, they have just had £120 on birthdays which usually would have been £30. They seem to want a lot due to my own doing so now to change. They will also go for a meal and a panto. All new traditions.

We let them each chose a Christmas decoration each year - this involves looking at loads of different ones, laughing at the tacky ones, trying to find dd2's name which we know will never be there, etc. They have their own box and a list of which one belongs to which child. Each year the decorations come out and go on the tree. When they leave home the box will go with them and they will have 18 tacky decorations and I will reclaim and colour theme the tree .

As you've spent a lot on their birthdays, you could look at ways to spend less but spread out the Christmas gifts and choose smaller items. My cousin used to do a small gift to be opened after lunch at the table, they had a knitted snowman with the gifts hidden inside. It was a good way to get them to eat up! Another thing is a tree present on Boxing day that my EXMIL used to do, it used to liven up the day when it was a bit flat, and in addition all the Christmas tree chocs got shared out.

You could start meal traditions such as a takeaway or party food buffet on Christmas eve if this is different to what you used to do, or change what you have for Christmas day. Let the DC put forward their ideas.

Make an event of putting up decorations and doing the tree. If you are good at crafts, get the DC to make some things. Paperchains made from cut up strips of wrapping paper are easy, quick and cheap; use sticky tape to stick the loops together.

Our traditions include the following: watch Christmas DVDs on the Sunday afternoons in Advent (we've bought one a year for years, so we now have too many to watch!), make snowflakes with scrap paper, make paper chains (as above. Sometimes I use flyers that come through the door - I don't buy paper chain kits).

I've overspent for years and am sick of the excess, but the traditions above are what I look forward to most .

How old are they? If they are old enough, maybe it would be nice to ask them what they would like to do, make traditions that way. I am making a new tradition this year of taking my little girl out for a hot chocolate and cake on christmas eve just to soak in the atmosphere.
maybe you can do a little secret santa between your children, small budget but they can realise what it takes to buy presents, and have the thrill of watching people open gifts they have put thought into.
Decorating, watching christmas films, the atmosphere is what they will remember

For my first Xmas as a single parent I bought tickets for a show just after Xmasx(27th or 28th) as DC were young and didn't want them to wait or have any idea of monetary value as my XH went ott and spent about £1k each on them! (Aged 5 and 6)' they did get small presents and loads in stocking from £ shop. Now they are older it's very different t but for that first year I had to make a change and do something totally different and not make it money orientated. We went to London, saw the show ate at pizza express on tesco and saw the sights on a London bus not the tour bus! Which present(s) do they remember?!!!

Depends how old the children are.

My children are young (3 and 4 yo) so I have bought DVDs off Amazon used from Zoverstocks for £1.27 each (including P&P). Poundland also do great DVDs but that does mean searching through the pile. I have bought them puzzles/board games from charity shops.