Credit Crunch and Christmas will you be spending less?

Ember999

Ziggybaby wrote: »

I know when I think back to my childhood, the thing I remember most about Christmas is the family being together, playing games - well, just quality time in general really. I remember very few of the presents I received as a child (although I'm sure I was spoilt rotton!), but it's the special family time that sticks in my mind as making Christmas so great as I was growing up.

To me Christmas is all about spending time together - laughing, eating, sharing gifts and eating home-made treats...I love Nigella recipes and last week I made my 'Nigella Christmas' christmas cake...yes - it cost a lot to me (you can buy cheap Christmas Cakes - but they are mass produced and just don't taste the same!) and for our chocolate treat - I am making Nigella Pistachio Fudge (which is pure chocolate and pistachios *squee*)

I wish people nowadays would make more of their own Christmas treats. The spirit of Christmas seems to have been lost by so many - it's all commercial and shop-bought....

I wish I had someone in my life who could knit and would make me a home-made scarf...I'd love to open a gift containing a scarf knitted with love this Christmas, that I could wear to keep my neck warm when I go out in the cold, harsh weather...

Christmas can be made more special by spending less on commercial gifts and utilising cooking skills and other skills more, to make edible and hand-made gifts that would be so appreciated.

Ember999

postingalwaysposting wrote: »

Well I have all but finished my xmas gifts. I only buy for 7 people so that cuts down spends. This year the majority are reciving money :j I only have to 'buy' four more gifts and get the vouchers/money. I have spent a total of £130, last year I spent nearly £300 :eek:

On average every year since our marriage (21 years so far!) I have spent on average around £400 on gifts just for my hubby - but he has expensive tastes :eek: but this year I will be spending a lot less than that....credit crunch Britain is not fun! it even affects Christmas for so many....but the reality is, it's not the gifts that make Christmas, it's spending time together and playing Monopoly and me going mental when I lose :rotfl:

mbaz

I learnt from my mistakes and have been much more organised this year so am probably spending more but not on credit and it's been spread throughout the year! We only buy presents for the children in the family too and I've made use of boot's 3 for 2 for those!

djdymond

ok my turn!

i try to spend about 25 on each person but normally i end up spending alot more so this year i really am buying everyone one gift each (ok ive just realised ive ruined that idea already... doh)

ive bought brother a new mouse for laptop at 23 quid, and some socks that came to 7
i bought my sister brian conelly alive and dangerous dvd from 1996 (dont ask!) for 5.50 and a make up pack for 20 quid but i used a boots gift voucher for the make up. also got dads girlfriend a ten pound toiletry set, again, gift vouchers.

dad and step dad love wii games which are bloody expensive, so me and siblings are clubbing together for those. hoping 40 for both would be good.

mum realises no one has money and to be honest has a house full of stuff so she wanted a bottle of baileys. so ive bought her 2 for just over 20.

sil i bought a nails inc set that was on offer at about 26 quid last month. bil has cufflinks for 15.

parents in law are getting 30 quid m and s voucher as theyre hampers on their site are great for joint pressie... i think that covers it. oh! one set of my grandparents have no money at all but heaps of stuff which they end up selling for cash. so i will be giving them 30 quid as a joint pressie, as its also grannys birthday on 3rd january so that can cover that too.

then theres OH pressie.. to be honest i dont know... worry about that next month

ive also bought some m and s bottles of bucks fizz and their baileys for xmas cheer round mums for 20 but that also came out of vouchers..

so real money wise, were spending/spent....

£200 roughly! still need to buy wrapping paper though last year we buoght tesco value and it was ok.

fortunalty we have never bought for uncles, aunties, cousins (who are all in their 20s) and there are no children on either said anywhere.. im hoping we will be the first tee heee.

normally i get a bit of money from other grandparents and work tend to give us a little something. i think thats just after though....

whatatwit

I love my family.

We have never bought for OH's 2 brothers and their kids, they never buy for us either...some years we don't even get a card :rolleyes: (only see them when they want to borrow something)
I usually give MIL £40, she gives us £20 each, including Miss Twit.

There's not many of us on my side, Grandparents, Uncle & wife and my mum and dad.
We now keep spending very low, and mum and I tend to just buy a table present for each of us, usually around £5

Mr Twit and I don't bother, although in the past, I have bought him an expensive shirt, but he's got enough of them now

Don't know what Miss Twit will be getting this year :think: but it won't be a lot.

Pips_Mum

I would say I have at least halved what I spent last year. :money:

We did a "Fake Christmas"last year for friends that we wouldnt see over Christmas and it basically meant we ended up paying for for 2 lots of everything - turkey, presents, crackers etc etc. It was fun but no way we could afford it this year, especially as OH is 30 beginning of December and first baby due on Christmas day itself!!.

I am on Maternity leave so I have managed to make a few presents from ideas on other threads on the forum like "crafty for christmas" and I have also been able to shop round and get the best price I can for everything.
Dont forget to use your cashback sites too.:santa2:

Sharon87

This year I have a budget of £5 each for family. My family told me not to worry about presents, as this year is tough for me (just finished uni, unemployed living in London!). But I'm still getting them something.

I'm making a few of the gifts. My mum and her boyfriend are getting a CD made by me. My dad's also getting a homemade CD. My sister and brother-in-law are getting a montage of their wedding photos in a nice frame, as well as some chocolate or something. I have no idea what to get my brother!

Most of my money will be spent on train fares though, as I'm going to my mum's house for Christmas, well she'll be in France, it'll just be me and my brother! So we're going round my aunties for Christmas dinner I'm also going to my sister's for New Year... even more money for trains!

I hope this to be a good Christmas, even though it'll be the first without seeing any of my parents! Oh well, we've got our Christmas in a few weeks, my mum and partner and sister and brother in law are coming to London to watch Avenue Q!

clearmydebts

I have really cut down in the last few years but it has been easier as I don't live in the area I come from so cut out presents for friends etc a few years ago.

Me and OH have booked a flight to Barcelona for my birthday in Jan so that is a joint Xmas present. We agreed to spend another £50 each on each other but I have gotten the majority of his from Amazon vouchers courtesy of dooyoo and survey sites. Will spend about another £20 on him.

The same with my MIL, have bought her presents worth £40 but only spent £15. Bought for my BIL (£20) and still have to get my FIL something & will spend around £40 for him and £40 for my nephew.

We do Secret Santa for my family so me and OH have to buy 2 presents. Both want vouchers so that will come to £76.

Will also buy my parents something even though they are part of the Secret Santa as they are very good to me all year round and will be feeding me all over Xmas so that's another £60.

In real money terms I won't have spent a penny of my wages as all the Xmas presents are being bought out of my earnings from AQA. The total cost will be:

£422 but a that includes flights, which I paid for as OH is in uni, and the stuff that I got for free from surveys, dooyoo etc!

Allnamestaken

For 8 years running now, all the adults in our family draw a name "out of the hat" and buy for that person. We spend £30 on only that person and confer throughout the year with each other what we'd like, so in essence, the person we're buying for will be receiving a much wanted gift(s) totalling that amount. Last year, we all had the easiest shopping ever. Everyone of us adults wanted a subscription of sorts, so no postage was spent sending these (we're spread out across the globe), and best of all, it was a gift that lasted throughout the year )

This also makes for a stress-free Christmas shopping experience and now all I need to buy for is my OH and friends.

mbaz

whatatwit wrote: »

I usually give MIL £40, she gives us £20 each, including Miss Twit.

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:rotfl: why doesn't MIL just give you £20 between you all??!!