Credit Crunch Christmas - how are you cutting down this year?

tattoed_bum

i have been shopping since june this year picking things up in sales and going through quidco for stuff.

as there is now more than 25 people to buy for in mine and dh's family we have all agreed to cut the adults spend down to £10 each and £15 for each others kids ,
and it's been fun trying to see what great bargain we can get for that we have all been phoning one another when we manage to get a good buy.

every year my dh hubby buy's me some diamond jewelery but this year i have chosen what i want and it is a gorgeous diamond nose stud at a grand cost of £12 so we are all happy he has bought me what i want and has'nt spent a fortune .

i also have mil ,fil and two sets of granparents for dinner ,the grandparents never eat much and a lot gets wasted so this year i am cutting down on the amount of turkey and other meats that i buy

Che75

I have agreed a £10 max spend with my brothers and sisters, £20 for Mum & niece but I usually spend £50 per person. I expect to spend about £40 on OH and usually spend £200-300!!! My whole family usually overspend massively at Xmas.

I'm going to make some gifts for the first time ever, including a couple of hampers. I'm searching charity shops and discount stores for gifts. The budget means shopping is more of a challenge and much more exciting. I feel christmassy already because I'm on the look out for gifts every day.

I'm not in a rush to get everything though, because there were lots of pre-christmas sales last year and I think there will be even more this year as the high street panic about us all spending less.

I have cards and crackers from last year, most of which I bought in the sale pre-christmas.

Extra food spend will be limited to Xmas week only (not to last all Dec and into Jan!!!) and I've started stashing items already. I'm going to bake what I can rather than shop buy and get a couple of special items from local christmas markets.

I've saved booze from last year and any new booze spend will be from Aldi.

I'm oddly enjoying doing christmas on the cheap. It feels a bit more in the spirit of christmas because you need to put so much more thought and effort into it.

brookeslay

My OH works for his father and most of the year could not afford to pay him. He does odd jobs and works once in a while for his old company as an engineer.

So money is tight i`m making hampers for most people so it looks good but costs less. Cards making them and hand delivering most, also Christmas baking have stuff left over from last year and still in date.

Write a list and stick to it best to do it before christmas fever strikes and you spend lots of money you don`t have.


I found this website for printables just make sure you use nice card/paper when printing.
http://www.countryclipart.com/recipecards.htm

This website from last year is still relevant pricing out a bargain christmas dinner

http://www.fool.co.uk/news/money-saving-tips/shopping/2007/12/19/family-christmas-dinner-for-just-1235.aspx

B

*Louise*

I started shopping after DD's birthday in July. I have shopped around, got sale prices and also bought items when shops have had 'Spend xx get a £10 voucher', which has also saved me a few ££ when I bought further items.

I have Tesco stamps saved up, so the christmas food shop will have a chunk taken off at the till, and I have the Tesco vouchers, hoping not to use them, although I will probably need to dip into them to buy the New Year party food.

sammy_kaye18

Got to say this year i have been panicking.

I usually shop throughout the year and this time last year I was well ahead of myself and was practically done b now other than foody presents.

This year its all gone horribly to poop. :eek: I have only 10 people to buy for but we have set a budget on all of them of £10 bar my dad and mum who have £20 each. Then it is just my son and bf to buy for.

I am doing a stocking for my son but it will be small things and things i know he'd like - not expensive bits.

I am focusing more on doing things with him this year that are memory making and not money spending - like we are goign to go pinecone hunting - me hima nd my step son - then we will sit and paint/glitter them for decorations together - more family thigns - liek family games nad not jsut sat infront of the tv or spending money - although visiting santa and feeding the reindeer will obviously happen at some point

LouBlue

sammy_kaye18 wrote: »

like family games nad not jsut sat infront of the tv or spending money - although visiting santa and feeding the reindeer will obviously happen at some point

Thats what we do. I remember years of everyone eating and just sitting in front of the telly but for the past few years, we don't put the tv on until the christmas soaps are on, about tea-time. We like them. Up until then, we play games, its a lot of fun.

savingholmes

I can't wait for Xmas this year - probably because I already have most of the pressies organised. Just mum, nephews x3 and 1 friend still left to sort. Need a few more bits for OH. This year - because of the finished baskets thread I've done really well at both getting organised and sticking to budget! I think this is the most I've looked forward to Christmas for a few years - and I started getting organised in July just after I joined the forums!

brookeslay

http://www.freeinuk.co.uk/freebies/free-samples-uk.php

Some free samples good for stockings just one site look on google their are loads

B.

281273

I started shopping for christmason my birthday (December 28). We went out for a meal and OH said did i want to go for a drink somewhere else and I said No... I want go Mr T's to get wrapping paper and little bits!!
I got lots in the Littlewoods and Boots sales in January and have gradually got stuff throught the year. So now my 3 darlings are finished. I just need to do mum, dad, OH and MIL. For my mum and dad its just token things, they hate the thought of me spending lots on them. They are fab. For OH im thinking of giving him little tokens that are between us, which cost nothing...
My DS is 12 so hard to shop for but i got loads of second hand PS2 games off amazon that he wanted and the most i paid including postage was £4 each.

One thing i did do one my son one year when i was one my own was, he got a few presents one year that he didnt play with and left in the cupboard, so i wrapped them up again and gave them to him the next christmas..

borkid

Have already started knitting! My DIL is getting a lace scarf from the wool my DD spun, she got the dyed roving from a wool swap. DH is getting an annual sub to his favorite mag and because its by DD he gets lots of CDs. He's also getting some chickens and a chicken house ( DD boyfriend is being commissioned to make one from spare wood), that'll keep us in eggs next year. Not sure about DS but will also give them a voucher as they need to get some more stuff for their new home. DD not sure but will be a treat, special chocs or something as she needs spoiling.
As for food what we don't grow we buy from the local farm shop. Not sure about a turkey as the 2 local farms aren't doing them this year maybe get some beef or pork for a change I need to talk to some more farmers for that. I make my own puds and mincemeat ( get a discount on the fruit using WI card locally). Most other food we'll get from Lidle's. I plan to make some jars of onion marmalade for neighbours, we're very close knit here.
Probably won't need to buy wrapping paper as have some over from previous years and am thinking of making the cards as we have lots of card blanks I usually do this for special people but this year everyone will suffer. Of course we always keep the decorations from year to year. I cut in greenery from the garden to decorate as well. it has such a lovely smell and gives the baytree amid winter prune! Any spare berries are always useful but make sure I leave some for the birds.
Basically I always buy local and grow what we can so Xmas isn't too different just more of it as a lot of enteraining goes on here.