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Cost of living

Stretching your budget? Share tips and advice to discuss budgeting and energy saving here. For the latest deals and discounts, sign up for Mumsnet Moneysaver emails.

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Original poster

Oh SHIT. I went overboard on Xmas presents for family and now I am skint!

109 replies

FruitCakey · 30/11/2014 15:23

Shit, Shit, Shit!!!
DH works, I don't. We have 1 DC.
DH doesn't get a great wage. (23,000 a year) I went over board and spent too much on family for Xmas this month. We're 2 days after payday. I have Â£110 to last just under 3 weeks. I have a kitchen full of food, did all my food and toiletries shop yesterday. Am I silly? Can we live off this? Am I being over dramatic? Eeeek! I am worried. Tips to make the money stretch? Thank you.

OP posts:

TheSpottedZebra · 30/11/2014 15:24

Take some presents back?

Annietheacrobat · 30/11/2014 15:24

Is there anything you can take back?

calzone · 30/11/2014 15:25

What food do you have?
Post it and we can make meals from it.

Eat everything before you shop again.

LittleBearPad · 30/11/2014 15:25

Take things back. Most shops will do refunds if you have the receipt.

NorwaySpruce · 30/11/2014 15:25

Return some stuff, or you'll just have to manage.

If you have all the food etc. you need, and have paid the bills, there isn't really a problem will having £110 still left in the bank.

CleanLinesSharpEdges · 30/11/2014 15:26

My first thought too - take stuff back.

TantrumsAndBalloons · 30/11/2014 15:26

Have you got all the food to last until next payday?
Is your DH getting paid before Christmas or afterwards?

LightastheBreeze · 30/11/2014 15:28

Now that you have had a chance to look at what you have bought, check that you really do want it all and if you don't return some stuff for a refund if possible. Sometimes its easy to get caught up in the sales frenzy, I do myself and have to do this as I can go a bit mad with shopping for bargains.

lougle · 30/11/2014 15:59

Does your DH know? Tell him first so that he knows not to spend anything.

Original poster

FruitCakey · 30/11/2014 16:03

It isn't possible to return as I went shopping 4 hours away with friends (which is why I went overboard) otherwise it would have been my first priority.

We go away for xmas to families, I sent my DSIL some money to save for me for when we get there. (100 pound) It was just incase we had no money left by the time we got there, which I now know we won't. That 100 pound is to last us from the 19th Dec until New Years Eve. We have enough food to last us 1-2 weeks, maybe? We will still need to get bits and bobs throughout the week though. Already meal planned. Could perhaps squeeze a few more meals out of it all.

All bills paid and petrol in the car, so the Â£110 left is strictly for food.

Do I sound completely unrealistic?

OP posts:

LittleBearPad · 30/11/2014 16:05

Sorry but where do you live that there aren't branches of shops closer than 4 hours away?

Seriouslyffs · 30/11/2014 16:06

If he'll be paid before Christmas you can do it, in fact it'll be a good 'diet' to not spend anything before Christmas. Do you have direct debits coming out between now and Christmas? Do tell DH, he could easily blow it on Christmas drinks, chocolate for work or whatever.

saintsandpoets · 30/11/2014 16:07

It isn't possible to return as I went shopping 4 hours away with friends (which is why I went overboard) otherwise it would have been my first priority.

You don't have to take things back to the same branch. Any branch will do.

Seriouslyffs · 30/11/2014 16:11

Why do you keep asking whether you're being realistic?

TripTrapTripTrapOverTheBridge · 30/11/2014 16:13

It's doable,definitely,especially as you have already done some food shopping.

I quite like things being a bit tighter before Christmas,it gives more meaning to it imo

LuckyLopez · 30/11/2014 16:16

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Jeffery · 30/11/2014 16:16

That wasn't very sensible was it op.

Original poster

FruitCakey · 30/11/2014 16:16

I live in the middle of no where! The shops I used are between 3-4 hours away. I only used 3 shops.

OP posts:

Original poster

FruitCakey · 30/11/2014 16:17

Jeffery, I am fully aware of that.

OP posts:

Jeffery · 30/11/2014 16:22

Good. Just checking. Maybe they should start advertising on tv after Jeremy Kyle... 'Make sure you save money for food this Christmas, dont spent it on stuff'

Original poster

FruitCakey · 30/11/2014 16:25

~Sigh~ I just wanted to give my family to know I was thinking of them. I have never been able to buy them anything for Xmas. I worked out a sum that I could afford, but as I was shopping, I realised I was forgetting people and didn't realise until after I had done my food shop yesterday that I had spent too much. I thought naively that I was still close to my budget. Of course though, I was wrong. I feel so silly.

OP posts:

Original poster

FruitCakey · 30/11/2014 16:26

I just wanted my family to know*

OP posts:

ohdearitshappeningtome · 30/11/2014 16:28

Sell some of the stuff if your not willing to return?

CariadsDarling · 30/11/2014 16:30

Look, its done now and there's no point in beating yourself up. Tell your husband whats happened and accept he may be a bit angry - then put your head down and get on with the month.

MrsRaegan · 30/11/2014 16:32

Jeffrey that was rude. What happened to, if you don't have something nice or helpful to say then don't bother?

OP can you list what you have? How many do you have to feed?

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