4 all those bit down right now

gailey_2

I been thinking over last week how xmas can make being in debts and having little money feel worse.
Over last few years I always get bit down when shopping as see people laden with expensive bags whilst im hunting round cheapy shops for bargains and always feeling like I not brought as much as I would have liked or the right brands and always vow to save and prepare for following xmas swhich never seems to happen.

Then theres the constant hype and pressure of xmas which possibly gives us unrealistic expectations of what we striving to acheive like an american xmas movie!

I mean we bombarded with adverts

buy now pay later
sales on everywhere
constant toys adverts and daughter asking for everything she sees
supermarket adds telling s we need more food and alchol.

We have the news and newpapers discussing constant bargains and sales.
I think it current ecomnomic climate is seen as cool to spend less and shop in sales for bargains although I missed most of sales as been putting money towards debts and bills plus food/tree ect.
We have the poor wollies staff being abused by customers moaning thinsg are not cheap enough and queues too long despite them being jobless soon not much xmas spirit.

we got gordon brown telling us to go out and spend spend spend!
Bombarded with constant images of how tyhe prefcet christmas should eb with all the trimmings.

Is is it now wonder its gets us down?

But on positive things that make me happy

1)looking foward to seeing daughters 1st nativity play
2)making paper chains and decoarations with daughter
3)seeing how exited daughter is about xmas and santa admittly shes a toddler so easier she be happy with cardboard box!:j
4)looking foward to seeing family as not seen in ages.
5)looking foward to people faces when they open my well thourght presents
6)looking foward to tasty bird not sure which one whichevers cheapest and bargain tipple.
7)watching xmas specials on tv
8)watching cheesy feel good xmas movies never get tired of chevy chases xmas vacation
9)stuffing my face with tasty satsumas
10)picking and decorating tree finally done yestrday as had to save money
11)not adding to debt this year as sold stuff on ebay to fund xmas
12)selling old toys on ebay make another little girl very happy
13)finding bargain toys on ebay and carboots cheaper than sales as some nearly new but daughter wont know that.
14)Attempting to make presents although not sure how homemade shortbreda/ginger biscuits worked out but its the thourht that counts got xmas cookie cutters from poundstetcher for £1.50!
15)laughing at oh dance to dodgy xmas music or worse start howling!:rotfl:
16)making brandy and nut mice pies for 1st time and hubby liking them
17)going out for oh work dinner as not been out in ages
18)trying to put together cool outfits for xmas day and going out.
got daughter 99p pretty red dress off ebay.beats £20 monsoon i used to spend
19)making xmas cards and fun of wrapping presents with candycanes and stupidly big bows.

So what im trying to say is all this is cheap or free
not feel you need to keep up with hype or spend beyond your means
feel proud you shopped around for baragisn and not adding to debts.
try and enjoy what we all have xmas is about family and freinds.

Next year I really do mean this

going to

join postoffoce xmas club
start sealed pot for xmas
and save food stamps

so next year im prepared

in addition to this
will buy cheap in sales ebay and carboots

Hopefully this will take pressure off

I also signed up for pay off debts by xmas 2009 not sure if I do it as huge task however even if I pay off large chunk or all be best xmas present of 2009.

merry xmas to you all:beer:

Broken_hearted

Sounds wonderful. Have a very merry Christmas

cady

Hi,

reading your post its like your talking to me!!!! this is our 2nd xmas in our own home and bills bills bills are taking a toll on xmas and ive sworn this is the last time i get into this mess so i have joined the sealed pot challenge (its a tin that i put all my silver in and its getting pretty heavy and best of all i dont miss small change!!!) and im also in clear my debts in 2009 challenge too!!! 2009 is goin to be my year and im starting now .... the adverts on tv and in the papers are tempting me (who doesnt want a new phone/laptop/and to put xmas on a cc and not think about the problem???) but im a big girl facing my issues and im going to list the things that im happy about too.....

1) i havnt added to my debt this year!!!
2) me and OH are going to have a FAB xmas with loads of well thought out presents to open!!
3) we have a lovely home and nothing is bought on credit
4) we have budgeted our bills and worked out a good budeget to keep us on the straight and narrow
5) looking forward to a nice xmas dinner with family!!

gailey_2

Thats great cady I promise im not phychic its just I know how i feel and wondered if anyone else feels the immense pressure and gets themselves stressed and in debt to pay for xmas and forget the things that matter.
I think the pressure of sales at the moment is immense as everywhere has them everywhere you turn theres advertising.

Back in novemebr I saw lapland uk newforest site and really wanted to take family and 1st thourght was

I could save
however realised presents/food and bills more important than spending £90 for 3+petrol+food.
Am I glad now whole things a sham people got ripped oiff its closed now.
So maybe no money meant lucky escape as would have been huge dissapointment. I hope people get their money back.

New home congrats seems like impossible dream for us but have 3year plan sort of but sadly hubby getting paid less next year so nee dto think of new ideas.

1st thing get debt free
2nd save save save as banks want huge deposit!

cady

wow lucky you didnt go to lapland!!!! and well done for coming this far its great when you realise there is a way out !! we bought our flat last dec so last xmas was a real rush so this one is gonna be nice as the house is all sorted and after we have cleared our debt we are gonna save up as when we buy a house ill want a bigger deposit too lol were also trying for a baby so having the extra money will be great and hopefully our next christmas will be even more special!! .......... i think there is too much pressure on people at xmas and ive found that as im not buying loads and rushing round shops im enjoing it more too off to look for a gingerbread recipie as you have inspried me to bake lol!!!

MrsPorridge

Gailey - thank you so much for posting your thoughts - I wanted to cry!

I am trying hard to concentrate on the good things that are "free" as well.

Cady - 2009 is going to be my year as well! I'm hoping to clear all my credit card debts by this time next year.

Happy Christmas to you both.

cady

Hi Mrs Porridge and happy christmas!!!

its great to think of all the things we do have rather than the things we dont, and im happy with what i have right now and im sure when everyone thinks about it they will be too so we dont need to spend all this money because its NEVER made me happy!!!

gailey_2

Mrs porridge dident mean 2 make you cry!
just wanted to reassure people that xmas can make people sad being in debt sadder still so hope people can feel happier and positive for xmas and new year.
Well done you ahead of me on xmas 2009 challange so far.
Cady well done for positive thinking good luck wit baby they pricey little things but cute. Im hoping for baby no 2 by xmas 2009.

Have good christmas to you both and good luck with debt clearing.

Little_Miss_Uni-Debt

Hey all!

After having a good few months MSE wise I'd noticed the last few weeks getting harder and harder. I had been hoping to pull in some good money from my extra job this month. Perhaps I had begun to rely on it a bit too much, so it came as a bit of a shock when I've had less hours in December than normal and for the past 2 weeks no hours at all!

So after sitting at work totting up sums for my pre-xmas pay packet I was very sad to see almost nothing left to spend on the last few things i need to buy for Christmas. **sigh** I too contemplated using credit to buy a few things here and there and that made me feel worse! :-P and that stopped me.

It made me feel better when I saw this post. Sometimes you can feel like the only one not enjoying the spend spend spend of this time of year and this thread reminded me of what I do have to look forward to.

Here's to Christmas cheer and hopefully a (well deserved) relax!!! And to MSE saving the day and brightening my mood...yet again!

sunshine38_2

Thank you Gailey for starting this thread ... I'm so down in the dumps I'm in danger of being known as The Grinch!

In past years I've loved the build up to Christmas and hated the massive "after Christmas debt" in equal measure.

This is our first year without using any credit/catalogues or anything like that and for me, it feels like the pressure is mounting by the minute. The fact is, the kids will get what they have got - not much, but we've worked really hard to be able to get anything sorted. We've cut back as much as we can for other immediate family.

I'm just hoping that everyone will be happy with what they get.

I really want to know what it feels like to be the other side of Christmas knowing that, for once, none of it has been done with credit. Not long to wait now ...

Why does it all have to be about LOADS of everything, food, drink, presents ... why cant it all be about little acts of kindness and love. I never realised until this year just how stupidly we have spent money in the past because I thought the aim was to have LOADS of everything. For me, this year, it's brought back into focus the blessings that I already have around me and I just hope that I can continue to count those blessings throughout 2009 and beyond.

Merry Christmas Everyone

RAS

The best bit of christmas last year was when out teen and pre-teen decided to turn a whole load of old magazines into chains to decorate their den. A whole day of peace and harmony which cost almost nothing.

Check out you local council and transport. We have very cheap Boxing Day buses this year with 2 kids free for each adult. Most of the big attractions will be closed, but the parks and the countryside are still open. Take a torch, wrap up and have a moon-lit walk, then come back to baked spuds and cold meat.

Turn the box off and play board games or teach the kids card games. Or charades.