is anyone else worried......?

mrslawrence2003

about Christmas this year and how they're going to manage with it moneywise? i personally am petrified. we are only just starting to get back on an even keel financially (meaning that instead of getting further into debt each month we will rather be staying level or even managing to clear some money off!) and it means that i have no money saved for christmas or presents. have to buy pressies for 14 ppl (not incl my husband), pay for train tickets between london, somerset and portsmouth.

now i am busy collecting points on pigsback but so far only have 1,030 and trying to get somewhere with quidco (but not so easy as have no cash to buy anything with) but this is a huge weight on my mind!!!!!

themaccas

Hi, do you need to buy for 14 people? that sounds like SOOOO much, can't you explain to them that this year you will be only buying for your immediate family - hubby (and kids?). We did this last year and although it felt very awkward and a bit embarressing, they sounded quite relieved. It saves them money too. Why do you need to do so much travelling? Can people come to visit you instead?

It's a worrying time and I am no different but this year we have set ourselves a strict budget for the kids and will be sticking to it - no more than £40 each and OH and I are going to buy each other a DVD only.

Pooky

If you really must buy for all 14 people then try and put off seeing as many as possible until after christmas and get pressies in the sales or recycle any unwanted pressies that your family gets.

Storm

I am worried, but I'm allowing £20 each month towards presents, plus I'm saving up Boots Advantage points etc to pay for stuff. I'm also going to be looking for presents on Ebay rather than in the shops & hunt around for the best bargains. I'm going to have to impose a strict limit on presents for people, and many of my friends will be getting something very small this year - but they all know my situation, so hopefully will understand (and if they don't, they're not very good friends are they?)

I'm going to my parents for Christmas day, and normally me & my bro's give about £50 each towards the food & booze. This is going to come out of my normal food buying budget, so will be on beans for the rest of December!

The bit that does worry me is the various parties going on - I've already been invited to three work ones (complicated job situation), although I think I'm only going to go to one!

I am intending though to ask my family for the practical things that I need for Christmas to save me buying them myself - my parents are getting me a kit of stuff for looking after my car - maps, oil etc - not very interesting, but they're letting me have it early and it's saving me loads!

If you're arty or creative in any way, have you thought about making some of the presents? I'm currently working on a sampler for a friend who had a baby recently, am goign to make my Christmas cards & decorations etc

Storm

all_hours

Can you agree not to buy presents with any adults this year and just buy something small for the kids?

I doubt I'll be buying much at all. I ordered the 3 free bottles for £5.99 postage
on the sunday times wine club. They are worth £6 each so that's 3 token xmas presents. I'll probably only spend another £20 - £30 in total.

Keep an eye out on the freebies and voucher forums.

yung

we used to be worry about Christmas but not any more because we usually set a target and start buying all the pressies from January onward.

Brassic

Look at the Christmas hamper thread on the OS board. I'm making up one christmas basket per family, including things like, hm jam, hm cookies/shortbread, hm spicy oil, hm chocolates etc etc etc all decorated with ribbons and silver fircones etc. I think it should be quite nice, and tis the thought that counts after all. We've also asked folks not to buy for us, just the kids.

HTH.

*zippy*

HI mrslawrence2003

I understand how you feel, a few years ago OH took a day off work so we could go christmas shopping, OH didn't know I had no money saved, we wandered around the shops all day and bought nothing, I just couldn't bring myself to put christmas on a credit card. I spoke to some relations and asked if they minded if we stopped buying for christmas and just did birthdays instead, they happily aggreed, now I just buy for our kids, both sets of parents and a few neices and nephews, OH and I haven't bought for each other for a few years.

From Nov I start buying a couple of extra food items that are on offer, BGOF's etc everytime I go shopping and hide them away.

Have you read the tightwad gazette, I got it from the library, there are afew good ideas in there on reducing the cost of christmas, give homemade gifts, set a £5 limit and have a competion for the best gift for under £5, another idea was a rota so each relative buys just a gift for one relative, for example, you buy for your OH..he buys for your DD...your DD buys for her brother...He buys for you.

Martin has a christmas saving thread running as well.
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/cgi-bin/viewnews.cgi?newsid1133802450,75185,

zippy xx

myrnahaz

It's very difficult - particularly as half the fun of christmas is in 'giving' gifts. However, I think you need to be firm (and sensible) and tell people that you can't afford to buy presents this year - and that they shouldn't buy for you either (it has to work two ways). It's not easy, but you have to stick to your guns. If you feel bad about not buying gifts, offer 'promises' instead (offer to babysit for couples with kids, or clean grannie's brass ornaments etc). If they are decent people, they'll appreciate your need to cut back and want to help - if not, then too bad.
Sorry if i sound like Scrooge, but it's hard enough getting your finances back on track without feeling guilty that you haven't bought gifts for other people.
And I'm certain that you and your husband could get by on token gifts from each other.

mrslawrence2003

Hi all - thanks for your replies. the 14 ppl are the barest minimum! they are all close family (eg parents & brothers & sisters). even if we say to the adults, look can we agree not to buy each other presents this year, they will go ahead and buy us loads of stuff regardless and then we will feel awful when we have nothing in return. you know how it can be with families.........

as for travelling, we live in london, and will be spending christmas quite poss with my family in somerset. however, my OH's family are in portsmouth, and as his sister is expecting her first at xmas, we will be expected there at some point around that time. will they travel to us? no in a word. my parents spent xmas in london with us 2 years ago and OH's family are reluctant to come to london, esp at xmas...........

also, it is my birthday on the 29th, and our wedding anniversary on the 30th dec. i said to my OH well how about we dont get presents for each other this year - went down like a lead balloon!!!!!! :rolleyes:

Bunnie1982

I am worrying a lot about Christmas at the moment, everything was looking fine until I have had to give up my job due to ill health. I am currently looking for another job but it probably won't be anywhere near the same salary.

Have made the decision this year I am not buying for my sister and brother, but buying for my nieces and nephews instead, which is still quite costly as I have 5 of them. Me and my husband have said we will only buy little things for each other.

Had a nice suprise though a few days ago, have found out that my parents have been saving some money on a Morrisons card for us, so we will have £50 to spend on food over Christmas.