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

pinkpong

I`ve always asked my children to write a list to Santa at the end of October. Because October is the best for bargains in the shops. They can write as many presents as they want. This year we had a limit 10 as they strageled to find things that they wanted! ( could only think of 3! can you believe it).
Then we send the letters to Santa so he has time to shop, the thing is. My kids know that Santa will only bring the presents they NEED.
Of corse they get presents they don`t really need like loots of pencels etc.. usefull mind. They are surprise presents - they love surprises.
For years I used to go round the charity shop and buy cheap small prezies the whole year and wrap them up for Christmas . Small children love unwraping prezies even if it is pair of sockes or the gloves they need to keep them worm. You know your kids you know what they will like anyway, so you can buy it in the summer.
My kids (10,11,13 now) do lots of arty crafty & they make each other presents out of whatever in the house
Of corse Christmas has a more meaning in our house as we belive in God and Xmas is a rejoyce of baby Jesus being born. It is time to spend with the closesed ones we love.
There is always a christmas music & carols playing , sweet smell of cooking and we just do lots of things in the house together.
This is how I remember my Xmas as a child even though we always had enought money although we didn`t have to spend it on things just for christmas.
Enjoy your kids company and you woun`t have to buy anything too expensive if you can`t eford it.
Remember Kids are for life not just for Christmas.:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

Kippy

Ask your kids what they got for Christmas last year and they would be hard pushed to remember, and you only know what you bought 'cos you are probably still paying for it! I agree lots of little presents for the younger ones. Teenagers love unwrapping presents granted but its the money they want and don't let anyone tell you any different.

Katie-Kat-Kins

kprice580 wrote: »

This chrimbo will defo be about cutting back, My DH wage has droped by more than half! Trying to tell my 5 year old that we dont have enough money to buy what she would like breaks my heart.
I have two children DD 5 & DS 2, they have everything any anything! this year it was going to be TV/DVD combo for the playroom but we just can't afford it. As another post says buy lots from the pound shop, I think this we will have to do.
I'm fine with buying from charity shop & second hand but my DH on the other hand isn't. I grew up in a family with not much, my DH a single family, so he knows what it's like not to have things. Since we got together & had children of our own he has said whatever they want they can have! Each year we have had a room full of presents for them both, spending around £300+ on each of them.
But now we just cannot do it anymore.

My DD is very bright but does not have any understanding of money or the value!
How do I tell her we cannot afford christmas like we used to have??

Katy x x

Your five year old really won't care about having a TV, she would much rather have a doll or a game. Kids don't value pricy electricals as much as adults. And anyway it is bad for children to watch too much TV why encourage your small children at such a tender age. Add to that the risk that you won't know what they are watching if they have their own TV.

I believe that it is really bad for children to have a TV in the bedroom. TV should be watched together as a family, playtime should be for playing.

Minerva69

KatP wrote: »

Your five year old really won't care about having a TV, she would much rather have a doll or a game. Kids don't value pricy electricals as much as adults. And anyway it is bad for children to watch too much TV why encourage your small children at such a tender age. Add to that the risk that you won't know what they are watching if they have their own TV.

I believe that it is really bad for children to have a TV in the bedroom. TV should be watched together as a family, playtime should be for playing.

I agree entirely! My DD is nearly 4 and she only watches TV for around an hour in the evenings. She has never asked to watch any more than that because she's too busy doing other things (playing!) and I don't put the TV on during the day. She enjoys the programmes more because the TV isn't on all the time and she takes more notice of them as I watch with her and talk about them. We record things off CBeebies during the day on Sky+ and let her choose which ones she wants to watch. She will never be able to have a TV in her room, because her bedroom is too small and there's no aerial in there A friend of mine (with lots of money) let her 10 year old son have his own computer, games console, TV and DVD player in his room and he used to stay up til 2 or 3am with them. And then they wondered why he was having problems at school :rolleyes:

As for Christmas, my DD does believe in Santa now and this year will be the first one she's really taken an interest in Christmas. Her birthday is in early January so we have 2 lots of presents to buy in a short time. I tend to buy things throughout the year, I never pay full price for anything and when buying online I always use cashback sites! This year she's getting a dolls house I got on special offer from Argos, she will love playing with that and helping to decorate it. I also got a half-price Playmobil set and I'm just about to order some books from the Book People. We're going to start giving her pocket money so she can save up and buy her own toys, so she'll learn the value of them. But as others have said, there is no greater gift you can give a child than your time. My DD's favourite thing is sitting down and reading a book or doing some drawing with us and just talking together, which is even more important if you are out at work all day.

jellyhead

damncat wrote: »

their father has reappeared after 13 years total absence, so I decided that expensive requests should be directed thataway.

excellent idea :T

rothiequine wrote: »

I just told my 14 year old that money was tight and to ask his Granny for anything expensive!!!

another excellent idea :rotfl:

My kids grandparents both like to spoil them and they seem to have a certain figure in mind, and if our suggestions don't cost much they buy other things to make it up to the value that they think they should be spending. I would rather they got one present off relatives, rather than a moutain to rival santa's offerings.

jellyhead

bestpud wrote: »

For those with younger children, start wrapping their presents without the box (even if they are new) as it makes it easier for them to start playing without the faffing and it also means you can get away with buying second hand presents as well, or in later years, because they don't get used to seeing a box!

Yes! mine expect things to come without the box, or at least to have had the baby-killer ties removed, batteries put in etc. ready to be played with.

jellyhead

If kids are into labels, mandmdirect.com are fab! They sell brands like bench, ringspun etc. at around 75% discount. My son and nephews like quiksilver and kangaroo poo. I just bought my eldest a kangaroo poo long sleeved t-shirt for £3.99 which is often cheaper than supermarket t-shirts. You have to pay postage, but I was buying anyway because he needs new trainers and mandm's prices are the best (not quite as cheap as supermarket trainers, but at least they have rubber soles so their feet don't get cold, and my son can't tie laces so he needs velcro which you can't always find in supermarkets).

big_gay_kirk

ticklepenny wrote: »

4 If you must use Santa, enforce the "he only comes to good boys and girls..." that way yyou can explain any lack in the presents by saying, "Yes, well, remember that time you had the tantrum in the shop.. well thats why Santa didnn't let you have a wii..."

I like the idea of this in theory, but kids may get disheartened if they have horrible kids at school getting loads of pressies.

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Just tell them that the horrible kids are horrible because their parents have no concept of right and wrong, are spoilt brats and will hopefully end up in prison or working as bankers.....

arthur_dent_2

I have a big problem with the whole idea of Santa, but due to family pressure I have told them that Santa dlivers the presents but we buy them.

My problem with it is that we tell our children not to lie (a topic on which I am passionate) and then go on to tell them all sorts of ridiculous lies ourselves. My opinion is that I never under any and I do mean any circumstances want my child to lie to me so why should it be ok for me to lie to them.

Larfingboy

I just wonder why on earth anyone has to explain the level of giving at Christmas.... especially to little ones. The teenagers are supposed to be intelligent beings, so cannot possibly NOT know there are economic difficulties in the country. In any case, the recipients should be grateful for anything that is GIVEN to them.