Is Anyone Else Going to have a No Presents Christmas?

Dizzie77

jaja wrote: »

Hugs to you cw18, very sorry to hear that.


Thank you to others for tips on the photographs for Christmas, this is something I am already working on as it happens. I am training (myself) in photo restoration, so working on restoring some old photographs for the family to frame.

As this site has been a god send to me of late. If I can help anyone with this idea I would be happy too. So if anyone would like an old photograph restored as a christmas present, drop me a pm and I will have a go - I am only training but enjoy the practice. (no charge obviously).

....and if anyone wants me to help with the creative bit of putting them together into an album (with pretty papers/ribbons etc) then get in touch.
I live in Gloucester, so if you're local, you can drop it in and pick it back up....if you're not local and you're prepared to pay postage, then I will still help! :beer:

115K

I just want to say also that there have been some very sweet and generous offers on this thread, makes me feel all warm and fuzzy that people would be willing to help others like that.



(Sorry to hear that CW18.)

hypno06

Burlesque_Babe wrote: »

How about some volunteering on the morning of Christmas Day? Salvation Army, soup kitchen, singing on the wards of a hospital (contact the hospital chaplain). It won't cost anything and you will have the opportunity to celebrate the real meaning of Christmas - togetherness.

You'd then have a lovely meal and afternoon/evening together.

I was thinking the same thing BB - I am determined that one year I will volunteer for the Crisis at Christmas thing, regardless of how well off I may or may not be.

cw18

I've volunteered myself to help at a home on Christmas Eve (when they'll have Christmas Dinner in the evening -- if you can make sense of that!). My boys were happy for me to do so (checked they weren't going to be upset about it), and DD has agreed I can borrow my GDs (3 & 5) over lunch/early afternoon to take them to visit and join in a sing-song.

It's all subject to a meeting with a lady who works (and cooks) there, but I'm pretty confident we'll get on OK as we already have common ground (both members of this site )

hula-hoops

We were both made redundant in May/June of this year and I find out on 16 December if I am being made redundant again from the new job that I took in June.

We don't do much at Christmas - it's a cheap time of the year when you're Jewish!

meema

Merlot wrote: »

I'm reading this thread with interest too, feeling really fed up as I was in a major city yesterday on a training course and it seemed everyone had tons and tons of shopping bags and dressed in the latest fashions, I came home cause I felt out of it, I no longer have any debt due to this site, but I'm still feeling really really fed up cause I will not get myself into debt to buy myself anything, my husband says I have gone to far on the non spending, but he is in the building industry and I dread the day he comes home and tells me he is out of work.

Merlot.x.

Hi Merlot,

If it makes you feel any better, this time last year I might have been one of those people you saw with tonnes of bags and new clothes..however, as you can see from my signature I would also have been walking around with a huge (invisible) pile of debt hanging over my head. I wonder how many of the people you saw had that too. Well done for getting debt free, that's so inspirational!!

meema

I love this thread! I've really cut back on xmas this year. For the last few years (at my suggestion) my friends and I do a secret santa instead of buying everyone individual presents. That saved me loads but I have a huge immediate family, though this year my mum has stepped in and suggested we don't buy prezzies for each other as we're all skint My boyfriend and I have agreed a limit of £6 for each other!!

So I'll probably spend £16 this year on xmas..instead of the usual £250++

This also happens to be the first year I'm really looking forward to xmas..don't think it's a coincidence

Birdy12

I've just read this thread and it's brought out the 'don't get me started on Christmas' mode in me.

I've always felt embarrassed to admit that I don't get over-excited at the thought of Christmas just in case people thought 'what a miserable cow'. It's not that I don't like Christmas but just that I can't stand the stress and mass spending that comes with it. I had my MIL on the 'phone today, completely stressed out after Christmas shopping, saying that she's still got more presents to get as relatives keep asking her to get presents for other relatives. And, why oh why, did I suggest to my OH that perhaps we could have Christmas at home this year having been to his mother's in previous years; the look on his face was a picture. 'But Christmas Day is a day to spend with all the family'. Why? We see my MIL practically every week.

I make the effort because I have children and it's for them really but, once they're older, I'm offering my services to a soup kitchen for the day or I'd be happy to work if my job offered it.

OP - your Christmas Day sounds like the kind of day I'd like to have! And no offence to you as it might not be your top choice way to spend Christmas. Whatever you do, however, I hope you enjoy it.

space_rider

I cut back on xmas spending years ago. This year my daughters are all working so they can buy what they want or need so it`s just nice pyjamas to put on xmas day night and a few odd bits in their stockings. My little one gets DLA so she will have most of the things on her list that I don`t think are a waste of money. I stopped buying for relatives apart from my mum and granma many years ago.

I am always happy that I don`t have to worry about my Dec pay not lasting until the Jan payday unlike alot of people.

Sorry to those that have lost their jobs. I don`t think any jobs are safe now, although I do plan to retrain as a nurse as soon as possible next year just in case I get made redundant.

Spendless

OP- sorry to hear about your husband losing his job. Do your grown up children live away from home? Wouldn't one of them invite you for Christmas dinner? If you aren't able to take the offer of the Christmas tree due to distance etc, what about asking on freecycle?