Thinking about xmas. i know it's only august

bonnie_2

Bearing in mind what people are like at xmas, is £5 a present too stingy, when i tested it out on my daughter her face was a picture, you'd have thought the end of the world had come.
Ok in my stupid days i used to spend £100's but it was all on tick, they never hardly used any of it, by june it was all binned and we're still paying for it years on.
I haven't had credit now since 2003 and have gradually cut down from £50 to £20 etc but with the ever increasing bills and the fact we are going away to pontin's for new year, can i justify spending any more. surely memories of a holiday are more use to you than plastic tat.

jessicamb

Surely its not the cost of the present its the thought thats behind it?

I would never be happy with any present that I had been given knowing that person could not afford it.

Maybe the answer is to have a challenge as to what can be got for £5, or a secret santa system where everyone in the family just buys one other person a present leaving more to be spent on individual presents. Or have a go at making things? Or start shopping for small bits and pieces now/save up freebies from the freebies board to give as little toiletry baskets...

I've spent too long down on OS - I need to get out/log off more :rolleyes:

elona

If you join Pigsback and do clickthroughs you can earn piggypoints that can be exchanged for Boots or other vouchers without spending any money.

elantan

i totally agree with jessicamb (she is so clever) it's the thought that is the most important although sometimes it is hard not to give ..my son will be 15 and a half this xmas and i'm gonna have a similar problem myself ..so let me know how it goes...good luck

buxtonrabbitgreen

I will be up for this buy a present for £5 if anyone knows where I can get a nintendo DS for a fiver. lol

arnie&caseysma!

I decided this year that as DSD birthday is in November and obviously Xmas is December, then she is no longer getting one big pressie for each (plus extras!). This year I am starting to get bits and pieces together - she is 13 in November so any ideas would be gratefully received. I am going to get a lash of toiletries and stuff from Avon (month by month depending on when offers are on); ladyshave, maybe a new jacket in a style she normally wouldn't get; and loads of other bits and pieces. Her room at our house has just been painted pink with playboy curtains and duvet set so maybe things for her room. As I said, any ideas would be wonderful........

piglet6

Agree with all thats been said so far - it is (or should be!:o) thought, not cost, that matters. However, as elona says, Pigsback is a great idea, and there are other ways to get "free" money to spend at Christmas, which is what I try and do.

I collect Pigsback points (have £50 of John Lewis vouchers so far...), Boots/WHSmith points (and I then spend the Boots points on their 3 for 2 offers which they put on near Christmas - if I'm going to get free presents, I want as much as possible, thank you!:p), I buy my petrol at Morrisons (when it is the cheapest in the area;)) and convert the £5 vouchers earned into Christmas stamps and pop them onto a Christmas card towards food shopping, I also collect £2 from Asda every time they overcharge me at the tills (you have to ask for this, because they are not very forthcoming in offering it, but they are supposed to give it to every customer in addition to refunding the amount overcharged, and I have never had it refused when I ask:D). All these little bits add up and help with costs.

Also, I find that by buying throughout the year, during sales and keeping an eye out for special offers, I manage to get much for expensive presents for a fraction of the price. Again, it may mean that I spend £5/10 per month on presents, but in small amounts I hardly notice it going and by November I will have the bulk of my shopping done, which means that I will go into the New Year knowing that none of my Christmas is going to appear on my credit card statements (which is a fantastic feeling, because a few years ago, my credit card statements in January would have taken me way down into my into overdraft, and this was the "norm" for us!). Quite often, if I don't buy something one month, but have a little extra in my purse, I tuck a £5 or a £10 away in a little pocket at the back of my purse and then I have "double" to play with the following month if I spy a bargain or two...:rotfl:

Hope this helps you further, but also wanted to say well done for cutting back as far as you have so far:T, and yes, I agree that happy holiday memories are better than loads of presents that you don't really want/need (always presuming that you are old enough to understand the situation, i.e. I don't think I could get away with expecting my 5 year old niece to understand that Santa was sending her to Pontins and not bringing "normal" presents, but teenagers and adults - definitely!).

Piglet

jessicamb

arnie&caseysma! wrote:

I decided this year that as DSD birthday is in November and obviously Xmas is December, then she is no longer getting one big pressie for each (plus extras!). This year I am starting to get bits and pieces together - she is 13 in November so any ideas would be gratefully received. I am going to get a lash of toiletries and stuff from Avon (month by month depending on when offers are on); ladyshave, maybe a new jacket in a style she normally wouldn't get; and loads of other bits and pieces. Her room at our house has just been painted pink with playboy curtains and duvet set so maybe things for her room. As I said, any ideas would be wonderful........

Hows about trying Primark if you have one near you for jackets? I think it was this year they had a really good copy of a designer jacket for £15.

Or if you want householdy things then Au Naturelle - they have lots of good bits and bobs at low prices.

Have you checked the Argos RO list of the Grabbit Board? They might have some things on clearance that you could get now.

elona

Have you had a look at the freebie section?
I have got nice shampoo sachets and perfume sample etc.

If you look at the section for magazine subscriptions you can get several issues of a magazine as a gift for about a fiver and a "gift" like perfume or make up for nothing. i got hair straighteners for DD last year that should have ben £40 for the price of a three month subscription.

She loves the straighteners and is usually very picky.

Iriahm

hi, i went MSE stalking and found a Christmas Old Style board where everyone had brilliant ideas about making stuff, and more of the points things. this Christmas OH and I are in Australia visiting his family so we probably won't have to buy many prezzies for folks at home (thank goodness!) and we get away with not buying for those we are visiting as its daft to carry them halfway round the globe......but i loved the making stuff boards for birthday prezzies (home made is a very thoughtful gift)

dinnae stress, everyone will help each other here!

Sallys_Savings

I'm sure theres a thread on the old style money saving board with christmas ideas...some of the tips may be helpful