Great "How to have a cheap Xmas if you've kids" Hunt

MSE_Martin · 30 October 2008 at 2:32PM

What's it about?

Christmas is coming, and this year as we face recession, money's likely to be tighter than ever. So how to you break this to the kids and what tips are there for giving them a great day, without splashing the cash.

Telling the kids

Last month I was on the kids’ news programme Newsround (read my Newsround blog) and for me the most important message I gave was:

“Your parents may have a little less money this year, so your Xmas pressie might less super-dooper.”

This can be tricky news to break, so what are your suggestions for the best phrases and stories for different age groups?

Presents and keeping them entertained

Plus as well as breaking the news what are your top tips for having a great Christmas and keeping it magical for with kids without spending too much money. The Festive Fivers contest is back on for presents, but what about bigger ideas, and parties, and food.

Lets work together to help all those who may find it tough this year.

To suggest/discuss an idea click reply

Martin

PS For even more ways to have a fun but cheap festive season, read the Christmas Moneysaving guide.

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narabanekeater · 11 November 2008 at 10:50PM

My daughter is only 4 but weve explained that its costing more to keep us warm and that the house is costing mummy and daddy more (mortgage gone up £120 a month) and that this year Santa may not bring her as many presents as last year
Luckily were not at the age yet on big demands like consoles etc
Tell them the truth in a simplified way me thinks

AnnieM_3 · 11 November 2008 at 11:07PM

How about:

Father Christmas is trying to be kind to the environment and reduce the carbon footprint of his sleigh (reindeer have to eat a lot to fly the big heavy presents around the world, and that makes a lot of reindeer poo!), so he's putting smaller presents on his sleigh this year.

Either that or:

Santa and his elves all kept their money in the bank in Iceland. It was so cold in Iceland that the money (called 'assets' in Icelandic) has all been frozen, so Santa and the elves can't get their money out to go and buy all the presents. However, they managed to find some money in the piggy bank at Santa's house, so you'll still get presents, just smaller ones as they have to make the money go very far so all the children in the world get presents.

AnnieM x

onlyroz · 11 November 2008 at 11:09PM

Kids are definitely impressed by quantity. I remember my husband telling me about his nieces' reaction to Christmas presents before I met him. He once bought them some quite expensive Disney watches, which they turned their noses up at. So once I came on the scene I advised getting them more stuff but spending less on each thing - knowing that they'd prefer four cheap presents to one expensive one.

It's getting much more difficult to buy for them now they're in their teens - kids are easy because you just buy them toys, but what-on-earth do you buy a 16-year-old girl? You can't buy them clothes because anything you buy is bound to be "uncool" - and the stuff they want (iPods, mobile phones) is just too expensive, and we also don't want to upstage their parents, who don't earn that much. But I always thought just giving them money was an unimaginative cop-out...

ameratsu · 11 November 2008 at 11:23PM

Most 16 year old girls are impressed by anything shiny/ glittery!:p

Depending on what "scene" they are into, Claires accessories pretty much covers the whole spectrum, from pink and fluffy to totally "emo".
Very cheap too.
Of course when they reach 18, only Guess handbags / Abercrombie and fitch clothing will do:rolleyes: .

luxor4t · 11 November 2008 at 11:40PM

We had one salary & three kids and we coped by having them write letters to Santa, giving the old man LOTS of choice (because he had soooo many GOOD children to buy for etc etc).
This allowed us to buy at least one 'big' item per child and then top up with less expensive things.

We also chose toys they could use later in the year and avoided things with short lives eg MiL kept buying Xmas junk like cuddly reindeer, which were discarded as soon as Boxing day was over.

I highly recommend the quantity theory: DD can only remember the huge pile of presents and does not remember that many were home made eg rag dolls, doll's clothes etc, or small items in big wrappings.

Edited to add: none of our three little cynics ever believed that Santa was real. In fact I heard DS1 explaining to his friends:
"THEy talk about Santa because THEY get shy about being nice to people. Grownups are weird"

*Louise* · 12 November 2008 at 12:29AM

Well, my 3 kids all still believe in Santa - so parents having less money has no meaning for them.

The two who are old enough to ask for certain things are only allowed to put 3 things on their list to Santa. Anything else is just surprises chosen by me. They are only allowed 3 things because 'Santa has to have enough left for all the other girls and boys'

cvn25 · 12 November 2008 at 8:09AM

We have 6 children and a single salary. 2 children are now adults and we have baby grandson now too.

We have never been big spenders on Christmas presents, the children have everything they need though, own computers, consoles, toys.

We buy things when we have money whatever time of year, focusng more on birthdays which is personal to them and leave Christmas to mainly token gifts.

I really dislike the commercial side of Christmas, cards and presents have been in the shops for weeks already, adverts on the television and there is a lot of peer pressure, especially returning to school from the holidays about what they or haven't got for Christmas.

The trouble is where kids have been spoilt at this time of year and expect it. I know someone who has one child and spends between £400-500 every year. We spends much less than that on all 6.

Depending on the age of your children and your circumstances it is much better to explain the " gift" at this time is to spend time together, no work / school anything urgent to do and enjoy each other !!

morganb · 12 November 2008 at 8:14AM

[quote=onlyroz;15780247_but_what-on-earth_do_you_buy_a_16-year-old_girl?_[/quote]Could you give money then promise to take her on a girly shopping trip when the sales have started ...

skippylala · 12 November 2008 at 8:50AM

My husband and I told our seven year old DD that Father Christmas
would not be bringing as many gifts this year due to the fact the
raindeer food had gone up (like our food) and it was more important
that the animals were looked after well than people getting lots of gifts.
Having said that my OH took out a new phone contract last week and
got a free Wii :j so DD is sorted !!!!!

WiseOldBird_2 · 12 November 2008 at 8:59AM

We used to tell our children that we bought the presents and sent them to Santa to bring at Christmas (that way we got the kudos he-he! And this also explained to them why they would get the occasional glimpse of a newly-bought present which we then magically whisked to Santa ready to bring them).

So.... when each child became savvy enough they (bless them) would ask how much we were spending on them before they made their Christmas list. We had very hard years when it wasn't very much and to watch them pore through the Argos catalogues trying to fix wants to budget was somewhat heartbreaking but really satisfying. They're all grown now - but I must admit they're all very good with money. They realised from an early age you only buy what you can afford. They got their share of second-hand bikes, cobbled together computers bought as joint presents, etc, but they never complained. They remember Christmas as being a magical time.

Great "How to have a cheap Xmas if you've kids" Hunt

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