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Original poster

Christmas - Is anyone else looking forward to it but dreading it at the same time 'coz they are strapped for cash?

39 replies

LadyOfTheFlowers · 23/08/2007 22:27

I am.

I was very lucky last year and got lots of help with presents for the kids and I know it is only August but it will be here before I know it.....

Just want to know I am not alone really and wether anyone has any tips/ideas?

OP posts:
lissie · 23/08/2007 22:30

oh yes. this is the first year that ds will be able to really enjoy xmas and its worse coz i know his 2 cousins will have a small fortune spent on them. he and my nephew are 3m apart and v close and we just cant compete!

PersonalClown · 23/08/2007 22:32

I've already started buying. Christmas is going to be a bit lean for me this year because I took the option of spending most of my spare income clearing my debts. I'll be debt free by christmas next year! £5000 in 2 years.
I've also started buying the extra food for christmas, packets and tins. Then it will be freezer stuff and finally perishables.
Are catalogues an option for you? Paying a bit of monthly rather than trying to find all the money up front?

Original poster
LadyOfTheFlowers · 23/08/2007 22:34

order the kids toys thru a catalogue then pay them off gradually?
do you need brilliant credit rating for that?

OP posts:
collision · 23/08/2007 22:34

Goodness it is August...please dont wish your life away!

Why not decide that this year everyone will have homemade presents like small hampers which you can make yourself out of bits and pieces.

Try not to compete with other people. Who cares what they get or what they dont get?

Embrace it for what it is and try not to get into the ridiculous commercialism that it has become.

How old is your child? Does he really need all the stuff that you think should be bought for him? do your family really need the soap, wine, token gifts you are giving them or will be they just be happy that you are happy and healthy and have a lovely baby?

Why not view it differently this year and minimise Christmas and just be happy?

choosyfloosy · 23/08/2007 22:35

Me, I guess.

How many presents do you have to buy?

Going to stay with someone else for the main days is a goodie - saves a fortune on food. Pay them back in washing up?

sweetkitty · 23/08/2007 22:36

I'm feeling the same way theres nothing left at the end of the month as it is without trying to buy Christmas presents as well and I so want to look forward to Christmas and give the DDs a good one.

I'm feeling a bit down about it tonight

collision · 23/08/2007 22:37

read my post SweetKitty!

I am going to say this a lot thru this thread!

choosyfloosy · 23/08/2007 22:38

Buy presents really late. Then you don't get into that thing where you decide you don't like any of the presents you bought 5 months ago. Or buying something for someone who goes off the whole thing before Christmas.

Buy presents for children in the family only? works for us.

Original poster
LadyOfTheFlowers · 23/08/2007 22:40

i know what you are saying collision, but it is also nice to give toys to your dcs?

OP posts:
maureenmlove · 23/08/2007 22:40

How old are the children?

collision · 23/08/2007 22:41

I know but how much does it really have to cost?

How many kids do you have and how old are they?

I was thinking you were stressing about all the other stuff too and the things you would have to buy.

Original poster
LadyOfTheFlowers · 23/08/2007 22:41

luckily, we all agreed a few years back to only buy for the kids in the family and we only have 2 others to buy for, but they like spiderman and brats and disney princess and all the other bang up to date expensive stuff!

OP posts:
Original poster
LadyOfTheFlowers · 23/08/2007 22:42

we are 'foodies' too and i am stressing about food and booze etc!

OP posts:
MrsWeasley · 23/08/2007 22:44

someone said to me today that Xmas is only 4 months away Thanks for that.

I think we will have to cut back this year too. I wont be going overboard this year(well I can't ) I will just make it a lovely family day with lots of fun things, games that have been sitting in the cupboard will be brought out and dusted off.

It will be good because we will all be together, I have just watched the news about that little 11 yo who has been shot so I will count my lucky stars that we are all safe.

collision · 23/08/2007 22:44

It is ridiculous to stress about something which is months away and which you can cut down on. Arent you supposed to look forward to it?

What are your plans and let us see if we can help!!

could you not share it out with family and see if you can go to each others houses one day each?

HOW OLD ARE THE CHILDREN AND HOW MANY?

maureenmlove · 23/08/2007 22:45

Its a bit late for this christmas, but I've got one of those supermarket saving cards. From January, every time I go shopping I round my shopping bill up to the nearest fiver. So if I spend £2.59 I have the remander put on the card iyswim. I do that all the way to November then I round up to a tenner. It doesn't mean I've got enough pay for the whole christmas food shop, but its usually over half, which is a bonus.

sweetkitty · 23/08/2007 22:46

collision - I'm just stressing about everything tonight Christmas is just one of many stresses I have been thinking about

collision · 23/08/2007 22:48

Calm thoughts Kitty.....calm thoughts and go to bed!!

maureenmlove · 23/08/2007 22:51

Children only like the latest fad, because its all bright and shinney on the TV! I guarantee if you bought a little girl and box of pens and a pad, with glue and glitter she'd be just as pleased. Last year, my neices, who get obscene amounts of gifts from their parents, were thrilled with their pressie from me. I got a cardboard box, decorated it with paper and ribbons and filled them sky high with makeup, hair bobbles, face packs etc. All for very little money from places like Primark and Wilkos.

MrsWeasley · 23/08/2007 22:58

can I share a tale with you all, please?

Thanks

the xmas before last I put some of the kids pressies away in a safe place and forgot to get them out on xmas day. I spent all day thinking I'm sure I got them more than this but I didnt say anything and the kids loved eveything they got. (I found the pressies a few days later and gave them but should have kept them for birthdays etc as they were very happy with what they got first.)

Then last year I bought them Nintendo DS's and the usual extras (a few books, pens. some lovely noisey magnets, PJ's nothing big but some nice inexpensive stuff) We gave them their pressies on xmas morning but without the DS's just because I wanted to be dramatic LOL but they were really happy with the presents we did give them so the DS's were given at about 5 o'clock when DH and I were flagging and needed a rest!!

The point of all this waffle is to say that kids are usually happy with anything they get. Its the whole special day thing they love the most.

maureenmlove · 23/08/2007 23:18

Here! Here! My sentiments exactly! And also, whilst we're on the subject! I truely believe that if you explain to your children the value of things and bring them up accordingly, they won't question why x got more than them.
For example: My dd had her bedroom decorated for her birthday last year, in October. Big changing rooms type thing. Thats what she wanted! When talk of Christmas pressies came around, I asked her what she wanted and she said 'Oh, I thought I was only getting a stocking from Father Christmas, because you and daddy decorated my bedroom for me!' If I could have given her the world, just for that innocent comment, I would have!

blossomsmine · 23/08/2007 23:30

It is stressful though this Christmas thing isn't it?? I start worrying about it from about early August, always mean to save something each month but there never seems to be much left to save. This year i have paid off quite a few bills so feeling happier about that. My kids are all teenagers and things seem to cost so much more than when they were little. Ipods, pc games, jewellery etc., all cost alot. I stopped buying for the adults except both our parents and a few of my friends but there are still quite a few children in our families to buy for. I do love buying for little children though as they love anything they get.
Just wish i had managed to save something. We always seem to manage to go to a relatives on Christmas day and somethings Boxing day aswell which helps. Saying that...i think it must be our turn for Boxing Day this year............

saz360 · 24/08/2007 08:19

i stress about xmas as well, and as my friend said its only 4 pay days to xmas now and that really frightened me. before we had our children i used to spend an fortune on other members of family.

then we we got ours we sat down and explained that we would spend £10.00 per child in family and buy grandparents a small gift.

we spend max of £70.00 each on ours and i scour wilkinsons and home bargains from april buying stuff and putting it away.

we don't buy any extra food just what we normally eat as a roast and maybe a frozen icecream as pudding as kids enjoy it.

we also spend xmas on our own as hubby only gets xmas and boxing day off. this helps as you don't have to spend on other people.

hope this helps and have to say xmas is worse because of all the bloody adverts

WideWebWitch · 24/08/2007 08:22

We're not broke but are saving HARD to buy a house so this is waht we'll be doing this year:

  • Buying stuff we see now and over the next couple of months, especially if it's on sale
  • buying stuff that's in excellent condition fro charity shops
  • making presents for family, probably calendars with family photos on them
  • not sending cards, ecards if any at all
  • children will get smaller lot of presents this year and know it's because we want top buy a house. It'll still be wonderful, we'll have a lovely time as we'll all have some time off together.
Blu · 24/08/2007 08:30

IME NCT Nearly New sales are an excellent source of very good toys - just check anything inside a box - that it has all it's bits. You can find a list of planned sales on the central NCT site and you don't have to be a member to attend sales. Last one I went to there was a brand-new (looking) wooden marble run - the ones that cost £30 plus in the shops - for £5!
Get there early, get to the front of the queue (ther's always one to get in) and dive straight for the toy table! Grab everything you like the look of, take it all to a quiet spot at back of hall and pick through it, add up your cost, put anything you decide against back on the table! Depending on the branch, if you volunteer to help for 4 hours or more, you will get 45mins to shop before the public are allowed in. Great for clothes, equipment, toys.

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