Credit-crunching Christmas - please may we have your survival tips?

[AbbyMumsnet]

What with the end of the world being nigh and all, it's struck us that what the cosmos needs right now is a selection of your finely-honed tips on surviving Christmas during a financial meltdown. Obviously, we don't mean we want your tips on how to save the banking system- although Gordon might - but we are after ideas on how to make the most expensive month of the year slightly less painful.

(Don't worry about suggesting swapping Krug for Prosecco. We've already got that one covered.)

Cheers all.

Thanks - great stuff so far, please keep it coming.

expat i was thinking jewellery, i reckon the people i woudl buy for i could buy jewellery which they'd like. knickers - you just look on their linesurely

hmm, many threads on here about how people don't hang their smalls on the line where folks can see them.

jewellry, nah. only my mother and father get it right for me when it comes to jewellry except when i've pointed out something specifically to DH - he knows otherwise not to go there because i'm very particular when it comes to jewellry.

that's ridiculous re: pants

Look for buy one get one half price/free gifts just bought a load of books in Smiths which will do for DC's godparents.

I am a big fan of buying on the internet and using a web co operative site such has [[https://www.quidco.com/ quidco]
Click through to the merchant and earn cashback on purchases - it works for car insurance, RAC cover, switching energy supplier and all sorts of things.
(not a referral link btw, takes you to homepage)
After (usually) about 3 months, depending on cashback, a little bonus in your bank account come the new year.

On the pants subject. If I need to buy my children pants they get cheapo, plain Asda multipacks. However Father Christmas is somewhat more generous than me and will pop Disney Princess or Star Wars or whatever into their stockings.

my sister gets quite a few of her christmas presents with her Boots points

I still do a stocking for my grown up children and their partners...we open them after a drink or 3 on Christmas Day evening.

Much hilarity and bemusement as poor partners draw out lovely 'hand-painted' ornaments from the pound/charity shop, Haribo, a tacky mug, oh, lots of daft things but always pants and socks/tights.

They still love it so this year smaller prezzies and stockings but still some daft stuff.

(DP and I have our stockings on Christmas morning, in bed with a cuppa, wonderful start to the day, we too have daft things, it's the best thing ever)

bump

"If you don't have any rich family, you're a bit fucked, but you can always try your dh's boss, who will hopefully reform from his stingy ways just in time to buy you a goose for Xmas dinner."

PMSL, UD!

Agree re buying pants/socks/toothbrushes.

I buy presents in sales and keep them in a special present cupboard (my wardrobe) until they're needed. Same goes for wrap, etc.

pants

still can't grasp the concept of pants as gift

i feel bad, but if anyone gives me 'joke' gifts, like tacky mugs or gross ornaments, i throw them in the bin.

i might find them funny enough as i start drinking at breakfast on Xmas, but ultimately that junk just goes in the bin.

I have worked too hard all my life to get shit presents now tbh

I have no sense of grace over joke presents

I'm so glad DH and his sober Eastern Scottish family aren't into 'daft' presents, either.

It's just more bin fodder and then I'd feel guilty about landfills and whatnot, but not so guilty that I'd hang on to such tatt.

I'm with you all the way, Enid. Pants and tights. As a gift.

Erm, from a lover, very high quality stuff. Perhaps.

But mostly, erm, no.

Don't bother buying crackers. They are expensive and are just junk. You could make your own I guess, but really what's the point - they look pretty on the table for about 5 seconds and then you just end up with cracker detritus strewn all over the table....

we make our own, but they only contain chocolates .

otherwise, yes, they are just junk and i so despise junk and clutter.

By the way - another vote for pants/socks/toothbrushes/slippers etc in the Christmas stocking here!

My parents always did that - they didn't have a lot of money and a lot of our presents were things we needed anyway - toiletries, pj's etc etc - it didn't bother us one bit - we were grateful for it all

Don't be sucked in by advertising and buy too much food. You can always go shopping again on the 27th if you run out.....

Buy decent "family" presents instead of separate ones - e.g a game of Pictionary or whatever for sister, BIL and nieces/nephews instead of 4 or 5 smaller crapola gifts (provided you've cleared this plan of action with everyone in advance of course!). Getting "family" gifts is great, and you can have a bit of togetherness using them too

'Getting "family" gifts is great'

Maybe to you, but not to others.

I would much rather have a nice bottle of wine than any cheapo toiletries giftset/scarf/address book/photo album etc.....

MIL buys me pointless cheapo tat every year like this.

I go for the quality not quantity route - I'd much rather receive a bar of really decent chocolate (or v. small box) than my own bodyweight in Celebrations.....

Similarly - I'd rather have one small pot of lovely handcream than a huge box of naff toiletries packaged in a kilo of moulded plastic

I could go on............

Do you mean the children expat?! You're probably right, but then they get way too much anyway

I mean the adults, too. Oh, cool, a game I don't really fancy playing.

How about just one good thing for each person, like you said, a good bottle of wine or a lipstick.

Better than cheap pants, socks, toothbrushes, toiletries, games, etc.

I guess it depends on how much time you have for sourcing, wrapping, posting etc etc a myriad of items...... (and how many people you are buying for)