Cant afford to get my parents a gift for Christmas

[hl8]

I have an 8yo daughter and have brought her quite allot of presents this year. Moneys been really tight but still managed to get her pretty much everything she wanted, but that meant I ran out of money and I don’t get paid again until Boxing Day. I feel like maybe I shouldn’t have brought her so much and feeling really guilty that I can’t buy my parents a gift.

Is anyone else in the same situation where they can’t buy someone they love a gift this year?

If you are spending Xmas day there have you bought them anything at all? Wine for the table? Turkey? Dessert? Crackers? Anything?

You’ve been buying for your kid since August. So why couldn’t you do the same for your parents?
no, can’t say I’ve ever been in this situation, because my mum and dad are extremely valued and important to me and even a small gift would be given.

My mother is very insistent we don’t get her anything. If going to hers for Christmas lunch though I would not turn up empty handed. Wine and cheese would be my standard offering.
you could make something. Could you bake some Christmas shaped biscuits or mince pies? Can you sew? Any fabric scraps or old sheets etc you could make a peg bag.

Also, ignore the ridiculous posts about using Klarna or an overdraft. That's for bloody stupid people who get into debt for no reason. Your parents will understand, explain to them.

What kinds of things do you usually give them?
At this point, you need to find a token something for them - wrap up a bottle of wine, box of chocs, decent biscuits....do you have ingredients in to make something mince pies or truffles or gingerbread (make biscuits with your daughter). Can your daughter make them something - a picture, card etc.

I'm sure your parents will understand, they're not children.

It is poor budgeting as you have spent all your ££ on your DD's gifts and not budgeted any for your parents' gifts.

I think you need to find them a gift somehow, no matter how small. You are setting your daughter a bad example otherwise and sending a poor message to your DPs. It doesn't do DC any favours to be raised to think they are the only important person in the world.

Yep, return a gift and get your parents something. Doesn’t have to be much but it’s wrong to turn up empty handed.

This, if my payday was boxing day I'd get paid on on the 24th.

Could you bake them a cake or a pie or cookies?

Wrapped ‘presents’ are for children. Adults who strop because they haven’t received a ‘gift’ need to grow up.

You need to learn to budget - you don’t seem to have a clue what it’s about. It doesn’t matter that you started buying gifts in August. It matters that you have over spent in total on your daughter and so can’t spend on anyone else. A budget would have made that clear months ago

and you need to think about the messages to your child - they get everything they want at the expense of others ? That love is stuff?

If you have a receipt for something she fancied but didnt really want take it back and use that money on your parents. If you dont make some homemade stuff like cookies, cards etc and be honest with your mum and dad in advance. Maybe a home made voucher to take them out for lunch on X date after Christmas. Next year buy your parents gifts early on so you know what you have left to spend.

Good point. Boxing day is a bank holiday so I suspect the pay will come in early.

If my two had DCs to provide for I wouldn't mind them not getting me a present as I've got too much stuff anyway. But a token something from the DGC would be lovely, can you afford a small box of chocolates?

I buy my DA a meal after Christmas but I take a tin of chocolates and some flowers for her on Boxing Day.

It’s pretty poor form when they’re hosting you, have you got anything to take?

I tell my dd not to buy us gifts at Christmas, I would rather she spent her money on the dgc.

Sometimes she makes us a cake or she’s made us a picture frame with the dgc and those gifts mean far more to us than anything she could have got in a shop. Could you and your dd make or bake something?

If I were one of your parents, I wouldn't be upset if you spent all your money on my grandaughter's presents and didn't get me anything, particularly as you are a single parent and money will be tight.

This is just bad planning. You knew you were going to your parents for Christmas so you should have been thinking about what present s they would like. Also considering you are going to have your Christmas meal there you needed to be taking something for the table either starters, drinks, dessert etc. I can’t believe you let yourself get to the last £20. If I was in such a bad state I would definitely not be spending £200 on one child. That is ridiculous!

This. I dont think its good for your kid to buy her absolutely everything she has asked for.

I don't think it's silly budgeting. You've gone all out to make sure your 8 year old has the best day and £200 doesn't go that far these days. I would much rather my DD made sure my dgd had what she wanted on Xmas than getting me something and her going without. Christmas is about family not presents and for adults I don't have an issue with that. I hope your DD enjoys the day!

Did you not buy them a gift from your daughter? When I was young my dp always bought me a present for me to give to my grandparents.

Will you both be turning up empty handed for your Christmas dinner?

This. Get them something small. But get them something.

£200 on one 8 year old child is a big Christmas budget - one you clearly can’t can’t afford.

i assume your parents will be buying your DD a gift, you should have told them to get her something off her list and then used the money you saved on that to get them a present.

or just got one less present for your DD and spent that on your parents