How to do Christmas on the 'cheap' when you're a struggling DFW thread

cuddlymarm

Hi

I know this might sound boring but usefull things like scarves, gloves, slippers etc make the pile of presents look much bigger and are useful.

Mine used to think it was great to get their favourite football team or latest cartoon character on a hat or whatever

Happy Christmas shopping:santa2:
Cuddles

chalky_75

sOCK MONKEYS ARE WONDERFUL and can be made for pennies. Everyone is loving them from 2 to 92 !!

Horace

I can certainly vouch for the Special Occasions board within this forum - they're fab and gave me loads of ideas for hampers which I gave to all my mates last Christmas and they certainly didnt cost me much.

I hit the January sales and bought a few new christmas decorations (dirt cheap), more wrapping paper and a few presents. I look throughout the year for stuff and tend to scour charity shops as well. Over the summer I picked up a set of 4 large mugs - they are rather elegant (if a mug can be elegant) in pale blue with white spots, marked underneath as being Marks & Spencer, I have no idea how much they cost in M&S but know that I only paid £2.50 for the set:j Now I may just split them and use them for 4 separate presents - its hampers again this year.

I also find that joining something like Consumer Pulse is good because when you enter your shopping you get points and points can be converted into vouchers, same goes for Lightspeed and Toluna surveys.

Food wise - I will look in Lidl for chocs and nuts and maybe cake and then I will go to the butcher and buy a nice joint of meat but truth be known I have eaten pizza on christmas day before now because that's what I fancied.:eek:

I also stocked up on cards and a very select number of people will be given a handmade card, if I have had the inclination to make one.

poohbearmufc

I have taken some smooth pebbles from a beach I was sitting at today, going to drill holes in them, buff them up, personalise with names & flowers (after washing), and put clear nail varnish on them. A little bit of ribbon or leather thong (think thats what its called), a nice personalised green friendly present. Now I know you aren't supposed to take pebbles from beaches, but it was only 6 really small ones...

Love

Nikki

jenjade

here are a few ideas a bit further away from the presant focus

you can get away with actually buying less toys we walk the dog in the local woods after dinner so that cuts down presant time by a few hours. we play loads of party type games to cut down presant time. musical statues, bumps, etc
i wrap up loads of clothes for dd so that she has loads to unwrap and it is stuff i have to buy her anyway
we also play treasure hunts with a few presants takes longer to find them and the kids love it. clues scrattered around the house to find gifts!
look out from 3 for 2 offers boot are usually good. i buy stuff for my mum to give her etc and she gives me the cash so i make sure we get a good deal for our money.

look at the up you income board and see if you can get some voucher s or extra cash.

tesco morrisons etc so savers cards where you can buy stamps for £1 and then when you have i think it is £45 with tesco they give you £5 extra to spend on food etc

to me xmas day needs to be about families and fun not heavy spending and presants

jexysbird

I've nearly finished my shopping. I started at the beginning of October and have been saving money for the past few months. Set myself a budget and made up a spreadsheet just to make sure I don't overspend! Last year I spent an absolutly daft amount - £400 on presents for the family/friends. Really, in my case, our family/friends appreciate just the thought so there is no need to go OTT. My max budget for my two DDs is £100, then a max of £5 for everyone else - In total I buy for 32 adults/couples/kids! My budget for 30 is £165 and I am going to be well in budget as I have spent £129 so far and only have 8 more to buy for which will be easy enough as some of them only really receive a token gift. So I am very happy with myself this year! My hubby and I just get a little something for each other, as if we want something, we usually get it if we really need it, but for larger things save during the year and get it when the money is available.

I found a lot of nice gifts for children on Amazon, this is where most of my initial shopping has been done after a lot of searching!, along with the book people, then I just top up the pressies with something else. Search under 'Chicken Socks' and it brings up various activity books, for both boys and girls for which most have 5 star ratings. I've bought a paper fashions one for my eldest daughter's bday this month which she will love and that was only £7.50 and will keep her amused for ages. They are priced from around £4.50 and if you spend over £15 you get free delivery. Have a look it might give you a few ideas!

Still stuck for mum-in-law tho!!:xmassmile I shall stop waffling now!!

petrafyde

woo! Loving the sock monkey idea - how would we do that?

Nice one Jexy, you're really organised...I'm jealous!

Definitely the focus needs to be less on heavy spending and more on family. If it's handmade also its more of a gesture I think.

Horace

petrafyde wrote: »

woo! Loving the sock monkey idea - how would we do that?

Nice one Jexy, you're really organised...I'm jealous!

Definitely the focus needs to be less on heavy spending and more on family. If it's handmade also its more of a gesture I think.

Petra - there is a thread on the Special Occasions board all about sock monkeys.

petrafyde

*whizzes over*

Thanks Horace

painted_lady

I am
- making christmas cakes from my great grandmas recipe, I make about 10 for around £20 (depends on how much alcohol I put in them!) I get the ingredients from Lidl and dont ice them. I am sending some of them as presents to DS childminder, swim tutor, my best friend and a friend. I also take one into work for everyone to share. I have my fruit siaking now, will make them thursday I think. helps spread the cost making them now and also great grandma used to make them in october too so the tastes matures, the alcohol preserves them. Might also save one for a friend when she has her baby.
- Too late for this year, but I got some stuff in Jan sales last year, including some incredible bargains from Matalan, great for reduced toys etc. I got some cards for 10p in smiths late jan and made tags from last years cards.
- save boots points year round, can be used to buy perfumes, toys, baby clothes etc, send as presents. Currently have £50 ish on there (buy phone credit in boots and go to advantage card machine for extra points, £20 credit will get me £2.80 in boots points.
- I have got some 2nd hand stuff on ebay for the younger kids, my DS is only 18 months old but I have a lot of nieces and nephews.

Will get back when I think of more.