ideas for cheap xmas

[mumtooo2boys]

hi really worried about xmas this year .im currently waiting for benefits to start and been told i cant have a benefit advance but on the other hand was told on friday i have to wait up to 9 weeks for my first paymet (universal credit ) i was declined due to my child benefit £33.40 every week so thats got to get gas,elec,food ,and things my 2 boys need
has anyone got any cheap ideas for xmas presents and a cheap xmas for a 3 month olkd and 8 year old any ideas will be greatfully recieved right now i feel like a complete and utter failure :/

Make some gifts for Santa out of pastry on Christmas Eve - my kids liked doing this - bit of glitter mixed in, cut into shapes and baked, I had oddments of Christmas cake decorations they'd stick in them when they were cooked and we'd lay it out on a tray with a glass of milk and a carrot, usual stuff, but the homemade stuff was the highlight for them.

My kids don't remember a single toy Santa bought I don't suppose. They remember new PJs on Christmas Eve (Primark?) and putting the decs up together with the Christmas CD on and we'd drape ourselves in tinsel and dance round the living room. We'd always open a box of sweets and have a lovely time.

Simple things are the best. Don't stress about expensive presents, having a fun day with parents that aren't stressed is the most important thing.

nothing for the baby, who neither knows nor cares. The wise advice above will be great for the older one.

priority: roof, food, warmth. And love, which is free and you sound like you have in abundance.

Get a nice stone from the beach paint eyes on it and tell them it's a pet rock.

Pack of paper then you have a 'make a paper airplane' competition

Visit car boot sales & charity shops during the year

It is amazing what you can find, brand new things unopened/unsued

Also January sales

This also spreads the cost over the year

curiousc88t I do love a good present box. I used to always keep one. It was a great excuse to buy bargains I found throughout the year, which I didn't need at the time. The present box provided on many a last-minute present for kids parties or people we visited at Christmas.

However having been skint for some time now, the present box is no more!

Also, while that's good advice for Christmas 2016 - it's not that useful use for the impending one, for those of us who need to rustle up some presents in the next few weeks!

Thankyou everyonehad a good read through and there really is some fab ideas .ive decided im not going to worry anymore as long as we have clothes on our backs food and a roof over our head im sure we can get through think i was just having a mini meltdown .thanks again everyone xx

Why have they moved you from tax credits to Universal credit? That's an usual thing to do especially as you have children?

Does your 8yo still believe in Father Christmas? I doubt it but, if he does, then the baby will need something as why would FC leave out the baby? Some people who lived up the road had a 6yo, a 3yo and a 2mo a couple of years ago & knocked on our door on Xmas Eve about 8pm, shoved a bottle of wine at us and desperately asked if we had any toys our 9mo had outgrown as their DC1 & 2 had got upset at bedtime that the baby didn't have a stocking so they put out a sock but had nothing to put it in! We ended up giving them a couple of things our DS had outgrown & then lent them a couple of other bits which were returned to us on Boxing Day! It still makes me smile & we know each other much better since then.

They havent just moved me my partner was working but lost his job so weve had to make a benefits claim and when i called was told i had to claim universal credit as were in a universal credit area.The lady on the phone told me everything is paid in one monthly payment including tax credits ,housing benefit and anything else were entitled to unsure wether this means child benefit aswell .

hi yes at the minute he does well i think he does although can never be sure what they learn at school .Im planning to get the baby a few bits rattles etc from home bargains and poundland as there pretty cheap so the baby will have a few bits .it will all work out in the end i think i just felt awful being the babys first chritmas but this thread has given me some very good ideas and ill be hunting out bargains in the charity shops home bargains etc .

Oh I though you said you were claiming tax credits because you were going to check about the four week run on? It is much better to be on tax credits if can rather than UC. It doesn't included CB though. Also you can ask for a hardship payment whilst you are waiting for your UC.

we were claiming working tax credits so going to see if were entitled to a four week run on of that and i think ill have to ring anyway to say change of circumstances re partners job.Yes is that a short term advance was told about that but then the lady said we wouldnt get it because partner should have some wages triesd to explain we had already paid the rent etc out of it because was frightened we would be evicted and she said we couldnt have one and we have an appointment to go in to an advisor on the 30th of this month and wouldnt get an advance until then anyway apparantly .Im calling the cab tommorow hopefully they can advise me further

If you were claiming working tax then you would also have been entitled to child tax. There is no reason why they should stop.
Are you trying to get help with your rent and they have told you that you can longer make a claim for HB is that why they are moving you over? That's really worrying that they can just move people who have a change of circumstances.
I hope you get your four week run on. Ask for a food bank referral also plus free school meals for your older ds.

Think the child tax might have come in with the wtc it was just one payment every month in to my bank.
ive been on the phone and done a housing benefit claim well the lady from universal credit has sent my info off as apparantly the housing help is paid under universal credit aswell which i then have to pay direct to my landlord.
My circumstances changed due to partner being laid off before this we just claimed wtc but obviously i have had to make a claim for jsa but now its universal credit which is every benefit im entitled to under a new name and as one full payment monthly from what i understand very confusing im going to see cab wednesday for more advice as had no appointments today.i have spoke to school and they are gfoing to give my ds free school meals as we will be entitled anyway once housing claim goes in school are being great .im going to use my child benefit thats due in tommorow to get some food etc.been given the number to ring my energy suppliers im prepayment but been told over the phone by cab they will help by allowing me more emergency credit i will have to pay it back but that is fine and hopefully things will be sorted quicker than the 9 weeks .been trying to get through to tax credits all day but had no luck so trying when they open in the morning .

They're a nightmare to get through to alright. I waited 50 minutes to get through a few weeks back.

You're right, first thing us your best bet IMO.

Have you told them your DH has been laid off?.If not the payment should continue till you tell them. If you have the 4 weeks should be automatic I think.

What day do you normally get WTC? When did you last get a payment?

I no hopefully ringing first thing in the morning will be less busy
I havent told them but the lady from universal credit said they will be updated of my circumstances with the universal credit claim .We was paid it just over 2 weeks ago so it should be due in just under 2 weeks but not sure if ill get it if i do i can make that stretch i think but for now im panicking banks overdrawn so have to ring tommorow and see if i can access my child benefit been told that will continue to be paid weekly so thats something x

hi everyone just an update really so spoke to cab and they told me we wont be entitled to the 4 week run on due to us having to claim universal credit .which to me is bizzare and then i rang tax credits who told me weve got to do a new claim for tax credits as when it was sent through from universal credit they said we didnt have children apparantly working tax credits was stopped instantly from that date and there saying they dont owe us anything i dont understand the no children thing though we have 2 !! anyway ive done a new claim over the phone and there going to get it added to my universal credit claim .housing benefit claim is going through but now we will be hit with bedroom tax due to us having 3 bedrooms and 2 boys who can share apprantly not sure how my 8 year old would re act to being woken when my little man finally goes in to his cot .
been told our payday for universal credit is going to be 30th december then the 30th of every month after that .

so we are living of child benefit for now but once tax credits is processed they said as i have a child under 5 i meet a criteria for weekly payments any one else heard this its so confusing so once i get a letter of tax credits i think i have to then ring and say how hard it will be to manage without a weekly payment plus our first universal credit is so far away

i managed to sell £20 worth of things on facebook and have split it £10 each child

oldest child i got 2 board games of facebook for £5
the spent the other £5 in homebargains on stocking fillers

my little baby i got him 2 rattles ,a teddy and a singing interactive bear from b and ms .

i probably have a few more bits to sell aswell well im going to sort through things .

I am so sorry I haven't been on, PMed you x