No Christmas magic for us

[Fluffy1987]

Hi

only 13 days to Christmas and I can’t afford a single thing! I’m a single Mum with a 12 year old who turns 13 on Christmas Eve. I’ve just started a job as a nurse for the NHS after finishing my degree the only thing is I don’t get paid till the 27th of December! Even then I’ve got to catch up on payments I’ve fallen behind on.

I'm not able to afford a single thing , I’ve been working bank as a HCA whilst making up covid hours on placement to qualify to get by and cover the basic cost of living and I just don’t know what to do or where to turn! I’m not allowed to work bank now I’m qualified! And I’m at my whits end!

I honestly feel like giving up! Any advice on how to make Christmas magical with a very limited budget? What would you say to your child? I feel so guilty and I don’t know where to turn or what to do …..

@Fluffy1987

can your family or the bank help?
now you have job you could get a loan?
and not a payday one

@Fluffy1987

also what about the father!

If you work for the NHS then the pay day date of 27th is brought forward to before Christmas so you might be able to get a few last minute things

Are you sure you don't get paid a bit earlier as it's December? I've been in the NHS for a long time and moved trust last year, my previous trust always paid on 21st December and current trust is 23rd December. Normal pay days are 27th/28th of the month. Might be worth checking. Also could you pay later on Klarna? Might be able to do the pay in 30 days thing if you're eligible.

Does your community have free gifts? Where we live people have donated gifts for families who are finding Xmas difficult- it's a no questions asked- you just go and pick up a gift that you think your child would like. Any free things in Facebook marketplace?
I'm sorry it's so tough right now. X

Hopefully you have family who will be able to help you out.

Check your payday, ours is always brought forward in Dec

27th is a bank holiday so they usually pay before then. Are you sure you won't be paid on the 23rd? I have worked for the NHS in different trusts and we're always paid before Christmas (and it's a long slog until January payday)

Food bank, contact Salvation Army regarding gifts and look on Facebook free pages.

Tell the father to chip in !

December payday is always brought forward in NHS. You’ll get paid between 20th and 23/24th.

Getting your child a couple of bits on paypal credit or Klarna pay in 30 days is a good idea (only stuff you can afford in your next pay check).

Can you let us know where you live locally so we can search and see if there’s any charities etc that provide Christmas bits?

I’m sorry you’re going through a hard time.

When I’ve worked for NHS I was always paid on the 21st December, early pay for Christmas, so worth asking your manager if that’s the case for your trust.

Hopefully you'll get paid before christmas, most organisations bring it forward in December - I'd be surprised if the NHS don't do the same. If not, you'll have to do an IOU Christmas and sort after you've got funds.

Presumably she'll get a few things from other family members/friends.

As your daughter is a bit older can you maybe give her home made “gift vouchers” to get her things in the sales once you’ve been paid? She should be old enough to understand that things are tight. Has she asked for anything?

You really shouldn’t have to in this day and age but can you contact the local food banks, I suspect they’ll be getting lots of donations of nice christmassy food at this time of year. You might be able to get some chocolates and biscuits to put in your daughters stocking, maybe some shower gel etc too.

Do you have existing Christmas tree, decorations etc you can put up? Get some Christmas music on and decorate together? Have a look at the tv guide and see if there’s anything you fancy watching together on Christmas Day? Get a board game ready to play? The magic of Christmas is a lot about the atmosphere and spending time together.

Also congratulations on finishing your degree.

And yes, contact your local salvation army as they do a gift appeal.

This list on MoneySavingExpert has some good ideas for free or very cheap things to bring some Christmas spirit:

www.moneysavingexpert.com/team-blog/2018/11/16-ways-to-sprinkle-christmas-magic-for-free--or-very-cheap-/

How frustrating. Presumably you do have some decorations from past years so can make the house look festive? Here are my ideas, obviously without knowing you or your daughter they might not be any use:

• Paper chain and snowflake making, use any paper available old wraping paper, magazines etc
• drive/walk around looking at decorated houses.
• dj/dancing games or competitions (just make up a few simple rules).
• for her birthday could you let her be boss for the day? She gets to choose what you both wear, watch, eat etc? Gets to make silly rules etc.
• is there something she wants to do that you don't normally allow? Wearing make up? Eating in her bedroom? That you could say yes to for her birthday or Christmas day? (My sister was broke one year and so as a Christmas gift she let her 11 boy eat in the bath as he had been begging to for months! He still talks about it 4 years on)
• could you make vouchers for future things that you wouldn't need to pay for beforehand? Breakfast in bed, cinema trip
• when I was your my parents always did treasure hunts for us, it wasn't until inwas older that I realised it was to make up for the fact there the presents were limited. 30 mins running round solving clues to end up with a pen. Set or rubbers and bubble bath was way better than the 2 minutes it would have taken me to just unwrap them.

I will try to keep thinking.

Hi all,

The OP was new to the site but has already deregistered her account so we're going to close this thread to new posts.

We've compiled some useful links posted by Mumsnetters into a financial issues webguide, so that people experiencing difficulties can find all the relevant information in one place - we hope that it's useful.

Is there a reason why you can’t continue to pick up bank shifts? I just checked on the Trust I used to work for and don’t see why you couldn’t.

From their website…

Who registers for the nursing bank?

Those working substantively at an NHS trust and looking for additional shifts to supplement their income. Many substantive workers who choose to work on the bank at either their own trust or another NHS trust, do this to experience greater variety in their work or take additional shifts in their usual ward.