Christmas on half the budget of previous year - how to avoid disappointed kids

[bandthenjust]

Hi, I know this type of thread often comes up at least twice on run up to Christmas, just wanted some ideas.
I've got two dds; dd1 will be 8 at Xmas, dd2 6. As the title says, I've got at most, half the budget I had the previous year in which to buy gifts. My kids aren't spoilt; they've never whinged or compared their st uff to anyone else's. They also know money is a bit tight this year. HOWEVER, I am conc erned that on the morning they may be a bit I'm sure they wont be but still.
Has anyone been in this situation? Does anyone have any tips on buying kids a few presents they want/plus some surprises without buying crap?

Have a look at the bargains thread on here link which is great for ideas.

I have always done the poem with DD, and it was something that happened at home too. "Something you want, something you need, something to eat and something to read".
Need is things like nicer underwear/socks, new colours for school, hair bobbins to replenish stocks, etc. (And there's usually a pair of pyjamas the night before, and a set of casual clothes under the tree from us rather than Santa).

Always at least 1 book.
Some fruit and sweets is the eating in our house, but I know others who have mini boxes of cereal as theirs.
Want is any kind of fun thing to fill the stocking - silly, pocket money toys, souvenirs from holidays stashed away, packets of football cards or small collectables they are into etc.

Keep an eye out in summer sales or back to school times for bargains on things they like.

Use things like Boots points for toiletries or hair bobbins. Or other loyalty programmes for toys (Sainsburys or Tesco do these, I believe?), or look out for vouchers for what you want before you purchase (do a google search when you know specifically a product or shop you need to get).

Do they have anything that you could add to, rather than all big new things? Like a dolls house needing extra furniture, or a doll needing a new set of clothes? Extra lego bricks, or a small set to go with existing ones? More cars or tractors or animals, or food/crockery for a kitchen...that sort of thing? And if so, are there any that you could either make yourself if you are handy, or could pick up good versions in charity shops and lay them out with the older items so ready to play (and not needing a box)?

Could you make up a special set of something they are interested in out of bits, rather than a readymade set? Or that would be useful. Maybe if you can get travel sized/samples of toiletries, and a few other small things, a nice little washbag and put it all together yourself rather than buying an already-made set costing lots more? Or a set of baking tools and some ingredients and a book. Some craft items, glue, paper, feathers etc in a cheap plastic tub to hold them (if you don't already have a tub). A little hamper based on their interests?

I'm sure someone else will come on with much better ideas, but hopefully that will give you a start.

You could surprise them with other things that don't cost very much.
One year my DC came downstairs to discover a Christmas piñata hanging in the sitting room, and they were desperate to have a go but I didn't allow them to do it until after lunch!
Another year I surprised them with a tent in the sitting room and hung fairy lights around it and we had our breakfast as a family in the tent! They loved that!
Another year they came down and found the sitting room absolutely filled with red and gold balloons. They played in there with the balloons for ages!
I've also done a treasure hunt, hiding things like hair scrunchies, clips and gel pens.
Also, if you've got any exciting family outings/holidays planned for 2019 (even if they're nothing to do with Xmas), you could tell your DC about them on Xmas morning.
Once I made my DD a big treasure chest of art supplies (glitter glue, sequins, feathers, Pom poms etc...) which was really cheap to put together but she loved.

Thank you biddypop and ricekrispie, youve both given me really goo d ideas. biddypop you mentioned a hamper ty pe thing, I could make one with art supplies i guess? Both kids are into drawing, crafts etc.
ricekrispie thats a lot of effort! Its really nice, how old were your children when you did those things?

My eldest dd at 6 loved anything sparkly and that looked like treasure. I bought a cardboard pirates treasure box and filled it with costume jewellery and some cheap tiaras etc. I got the blingiest stuff I could find in Poundland or charity shops, plus family and friends gave their old out of fashion stuff. Two years on and my girls still love rummaging through and dressing themselves up like royalty! It was a cheap spur of the moment idea and has long outlasted other stuff they had, they spend ages playing with it.
I might do similar this year with craft stuff too!

What sorts of gifts did you get them last Christmas?

Hi op, I have 2 girls. Inexpensive things they like include: lip gloss, children's perfume, hair accessories, small handbag and stationary. Hampers with bits like this is a good idea, many of the things you can get from a £ shop. PJ's, slippers and socks all good as presents and can be bought very cheaply from primark. Maybe try and focus on new Christmas traditions, we always look forward to making gingerbread which doesn't cost much. Don't be worrying too much about it all, I remember a couple of years ago my eldest got a box of stationary stuff/stickers which included a pack of post-it's, we got home after a busy day, house full of toys she had been given during the day. First thing she said was "where's my post it's" . Since then I've never really stressed about the monetary value of their gifts!

Start buying bits and bobs now. Get big ish cardboard boxes and wrap in Christmas paper then raid B&M for arty stuff, biscuits, chocolate, sweets, bobbles, smellies etc. You can get DVD's CD's from charity shops. I always wrap up a box of cereal they wouldn't normally be allowed such as Lucky Charms or Krave, this is normally one of their most looked forward to presents!

I did my 6yodd a craft hamper last Xmas. Wilko, pound shop and the works all so cheap bits. She was really pleased with it.

If there are big presents you know they want put a watch on camel camel camel for a price drop.

Facebook / eBay - mine are 10 and 7 now and understand the principal of getting more for their money if we buy second hand - I do have to hold them back from some real tat at car-boots though. I will look from September ish for bits that catch my eye.

Plan in advance and you may be able to get bits and pieces that ship from China on eBay. Often they can take 6 weeks.

Then bulk it up with clothes / shoes etc that they will need anyway over the next year. I have ordered the youngest shoes in the sale next size up and put them away.

We went through some very tight times as a child but I rarely noticed as your priorities are quite different at that age, especially for your 6 year old.

Definitely check eBay for people selling their favourite toys or sets often new in box or near new, my DD aged 6 didn't mind at all that her birthday Lego didn't come in a new box and it meant I could get her a much bigger elves house thing, which she adores, similarly with Sylvanian families, /dolls house bits. It's also better for the environment so you can feel smug and helpful too

Something my mum did that I loved was instead of buying us little 'grown up' type trinkets or passing on old jewellery. Around your DDs age she gave me a very delicate porcelain container for treasures and I felt very special, in hindsight it was almost certainly a few pounds from a boot sale! My 8/9 year old nieces have also been given some family items (not precious heirlooms but a step up from just hand me downs) like silver bangles or a jewellery container, and really enjoyed knowing the story and value behind the item.

Also all the little hair bobbles and lip glosses like others mention here. Activity books / magazines (depending on age) are also nice for Christmas as they keep them busy and you can get very cheap from places like.amazon and book depository.

Find out what they really want, which is often one thing that isn't that expensive. My boys insist their Lego comes from Ebay because it meant they could get the sets we'd spent 2 years saying no way. At that age a games console or tablet could be a Xbox 360 or similar from CEx (still has 12 months guarantee and can return easily). Dd had a couple years wanting particular cuddly animals - often only a couple quid if you don't mind them taking 4 weeks to be shipped from China. If you get everything ordered in November and vow not to get carried away, it should be fine.

Figuring out which work and social do's you can decline and which you have to attend but ensure you don't get carried away, can be harder and more of an effect on the budget - all I can suggest it inviting friends to yours or going to there's, and drinking more soft drinks when out.

Toysforapound is a fantastic website it does what it says on the tin, you can buy toys for a pound and up to £5 I think but there are some really good buys on there, so you could spend a tenner and get ten toys each for them, this would bulk out their pile xx

Also agree second hand is the way to go. My dd collect shopkins dolls so I've put alerts on eBay/schpock and have been picking a few up. Bought 5 so far (one being a large set) and have only spent about £25 compared to the £16.99 each in the shops. I will buy a nice gift box from card factory closer to the time.

The website toysforapound.com is very good, I keep an eye on it and have bought some bits to put by. Vinyl monster high figures, Minecraft blind boxes, top trumps collectors tin, Pokemon gel pens. They had lots of backpacks and stationary too.

I don't buy new pe bags, lunch boxes, pencil cases or backpacks in September - I get them for Christmas presents.

Primark is good to pick up nice gifts. I get my girls a fleece blanket each that are around £6. Dd2 I've got a jojo bows one and I'm looking out for pusheen for dd1.

Claire's often do a 5 for £5 during their sale or buy 3 get 3 free. Last time I got 6 jojo bow and pusheen gifts for £10ish.

Cex for dvds. Or second hand on Amazon for books. Or keep an eye out in charity shops or car boots. People are clearing out at the moment.

Also bookpeople often have great box sets and leading up to Christmas they usually have lots of discount codes.

Visit charity shops in nicer areas if you can as often they have better quality things. I got dd2 a like new build a bear my little pony with shoes, skates, lead, 2 outfits for £8. In build a bear it would be at least £60. She was chuffed on her birthday.

Wait till black Friday for electrical/games or big purchases you can get a good deal. One year I got dh the newest fifa ps4 game for £20 instead of £45.

Food wise - don't buy loads, we don't get fancy puddings, boxes of chocolates, loads if alcohol, cheeses or nuts. Co op often do a frozen meal deal that's quite nice, Last year was stuffed turkey wrapped in bacon, roast potatoes, 2 types of veg, Yorkshire pudding and a vienetta and was £10. Buy as soon as it comes in as it sells fast. All the supermarkets do deals on veg so they are pretty cheap. And in the lead up you can get crisps/biscuits or drinks cheap but need self control not to eat it!!

A crafty hamper would be great. And apart from finding cheap bits online or in real shops, you could also (if you have a printer), add some free printable colouring sheets from the web, or ideas for making things (so if you find a good few ideas involving toilet roll middles, you could save a few of those to add in as well!! ). I've also found some great free printable sheets with designs on them - for backing papers for doing decoupage or card making type of thing. (It was a while back and I didn't save the sites, but a google search should help you out, and craft blogs are often a good place to start, like One Pretty Thing.

Tiger can have interesting things.

Also the cheapy bargain shops are getting better at this - Eurosaver and MrBargain would be chains here (B&M and Poundsaver in the UK?).
Stationary stores and school supply places may well have deals for going back to school - colours (pencils, crayons, felt tips), paints, and craft kits too. Reams of coloured paper, or a few sheets of nice card to add in.

Sometimes even supermarkets can have bargains.

The other thing to think about is if you are any way crafty yourself, or have a skill that you can use, or barter with other parents who have a skill. So if you can knit or sew or bake or do woodcraft or make bathbombs or .....(insert interesting craft here)...you could make something for the DCs, or offer to make things for the DCs of other parents in return for them making something that your DCs would like that is their skill/hobby/love. That could be something to play with, something decorative for their room, something to wear, something to use up,.....whatever you think your DCs might enjoy and not expect.

I would focus on the dc’s presents and cut back on other things as much as possible.

Are the adults in your life reasonable about getting no gift or a token gift? Grandparents might enjoy homemade biscuits in a hand crafted box. And that doubles as two craft activities before Christmas.

If you normally do expensive outings you could substitute a school fair for a posh craft fair, or support the local drama group rather than go to a pantomime. Eat a meal before you go out and pack a treat and some drinks to save ££

There’s also lots of free things you can make an event of - like a walk to forage for pinecones, a drive to see Christmas lights, or a trip to a scenic spot to watch a sunrise or sunset with a flask of hot chocolate.

There is no limit to what you can spend on Christmas dinner, but you can also do very well on a budget. Aldi were selling carrots, Brussels sprouts and melons for 29c on Christmas Eve. A small turkey will save you the hassle of doing interesting things with the leftovers! A gingerbread house costs a fraction of the price of a Christmas cake and is another activity for the dc. Find out what your family really like about Christmas dinner and cut back on everything else!

I would advise caution about the bargain threads because if you don’t have nerves of steel you could end up spending more than you planned or get caught up in a craze and have to find space for a giant unicorn named Robert But if you have the self control for it there are great bargains!

I used to tell my dc that the sooner they wrote to santa the better the chance of getting what they wanted. I wasn’t quite that blunt, there was a lovely story involved, but it gave me a chance to bargain hunt and leverage when they would try and change their minds! Smyths usually have a sale around mid September with about 20% off although it varies and obviously there’s no guarantee.

Other posters have mentioned camel camel.com that allows you to create a wishlist and it will send an alert when the price drops. It also shows price fluctuations for the last few months so you can judge if something is a good price or not before buying. If you’re looking at LEGO sets, brickset is a great website and shows prices across the different European amazons. It’s worth checking out other amazons for big items. And if you sign up with a cash back site you can get money back for online shopping which also helps.

I’d try and focus on one biggish gift that they really want (if you can) and a small amount on other small gifts. Wrap everything as that makes more impact. AliExpress have lovely stationery for pennies if you don’t mind waiting months for free shipping (search for Kawaii).

If you do stockings bulk them out with a comic or bag of popcorn or a tube of Pringles. Does Santa come? My childhood Christmases were magical even though we had very little. The sitting room always looked as if a very overweight and slightly drunk man had come down the chimney. The grate was knocked over, furniture out of place, soot on the hearth, coal scattered, ornaments brushed off the tree! There were sooty marks on our presents too. And he always left something behind that we would leave out for him the next year like a handkerchief or a button. I vividly remember the year we found a scarlet thread snagged on the corner of a brick on our 1970s fireplace.
I’m not suggesting you go overboard but you can get a massive impact from one small detail!

I’ve had a fair few tight christmasses both as a child and as an adult and they’ve been absolutely magical.

Another thing to bear in mind is that half the attraction can be in the packaging. You can use this to your advantage too. If you put together a craft kit, or a play dough kit or a baking kit, wrap it in crinkly cellophane and tie it with a bow! It turns three pots of play dough and a couple of cookie cutters into a “set”.

We aren't members of a play forum where for £5 a year membership you can go and collect a trolley full of art supplies 4 times a year. It's all surplus stuff from for example shops that have shut down. So loads of card, paint, glue, fabric, tissue paper etc. Do you have one near you? Poundland had great crayon/pen/colouring sets. I bulk up from there too.

Why not get them lots of little presents? Kids often prefer opening the presents other than the gifts themselves. I quite like the shoebox gifts where you give them a shoebox full of wrapped goodies

Are members....

Thank you all for your replies, and sorry I'm late in respondin g, I've had a lot on. Your suggestions are really, really great.
biscusting - last year they didn't have one 'main' gift each; they had a mixture of smaller things. Dd2 got a Sylvanian Families boat THING, dd1 got pokemon cards and a folder, then they got random other stuff.

M y dcs are hard to buy for as they aren't typical girly girls; dd1 would find it incredib ly insulting to get anything typically considered to be feminine, and dd2 is into anything and everything. stiddleficks, your jewellery box idea is nice, dd2 would probably like that.
mrscrimbo I'll look at that website!

Thank you everyone, I think you have covered it all for me lol! I think i'll have to read through all your replies again, there's tonnes of ideas in all of them.

I'm taking some of these fab ideas. One year I completely redecorated DD1s wooden doll house for DD2 - I used craft paper and fabric and felt to wallpaper and re carpet etc. She loved it. (There is 12 years between my DDs so all is good there but you may get a second hand one)

I think what's difficu lt this year is that my kids pretty much have a bit of everything - there's nothing they 'need' or seem to desperately want (yet) which is good!, But it makes it hard t o buy stuff which isn't 'for the sake of it'. A lot of recommendations for arts and crafts - today noticed all their felt tips are naff, so art equipment is a defin ite.

bandthenjust, as already stated Poundland, Primark have some bargains, start Christmas shopping early, that helps as well. Do you knit? Dolls always appreciate new outfits.Dolls can be purchased in many Charity shops. Colourful scarves and hats help the gift list as well. Let the children help with making a Christmas cake and decorating it, its fun if a little messy! you could start a family tradition. Scrapbooks also I found to be a very useful inexpensive gift.
I always found the smaller gifts were the most played with! Good luck.

band my dd1 isn't girly either but then neither am I so I find her quite easy to please. She loves kawaii stationary which you can pick up very cheap from ebay, blippo or aliexpress. Delivery takes 6-8 weeks so order by October to ensure it arrives in time.

Do they need or would they like a games console or tablet? Last year I got dd2 a nintendo 2ds with case and 2 games for £30 second hand from Facebook. Or cex have good prices plus the 12 month guarantee. And the previous year got them kindle fire tablets for £35 each in the black Friday events.

I've also made them an art trolley using the Ikea trolley (apparently hobby craft had a similar one on offer recently) I used Pinterest for inspiration. Similar to the pic I've attached.

band my dd1 isn't girly either but then neither am I so I find her quite easy to please. She loves kawaii stationary which you can pick up very cheap from ebay, blippo or aliexpress. Delivery takes 6-8 weeks so order by October to ensure it arrives in time.

Do they need or would they like a games console or tablet? Last year I got dd2 a nintendo 2ds with case and 2 games for £30 second hand from Facebook. Or cex have good prices plus the 12 month guarantee. And the previous year got them kindle fire tablets for £35 each in the black Friday events.

I've also made them an art trolley using the Ikea trolley (apparently hobby craft had a similar one on offer recently) I used Pinterest for inspiration. Similar to the pic I've attached.

I love that art trolley idea I’m totally going to steal it!