Its tough, it will get better and guess what its freezing brrrrr!

UnderPressure

lauren_1 wrote: »

Sadly some of us don't even have the luxury of going to a shop to get presents, you are right though, £50 will get you 1 or 2 presents if that. There is no prize for being the cheapest or who got the most for their money, if anything i feel guilty as hell that everything is 2nd hand

As has been said already dont for 1 minute feel any kind of guilt about this as parent we do the best we can given our financial circumstances there really is not hin be feeling guilty about.

We to will be buying some things second hand for instance the notepad for eldest daughter is going to be a refurbished second hand unit knowck about £140 off the price which is great, darling son announced last night he would like an Ipod Touch I am loathed to buy him one I really am I see Apple as a complete rip off a designer accessory, you can buy things from other manufacturers that are light years ahead on anything Apple produces for a fraction of the price, if he is to have one then it will 100% be a second hand one off Ebay, I am still trying to talk him round though...........

We are also looking for a second hand kitchen for our youngest dont see the point in buying brand new if I can find something local that someone else spent a fortune on last year for a fraction of the price than absolutely I will be getting it

Buying some things second hand really stretches whatever money you have available and kids dont car not really for the last couple of years we have incorporated second hand presents at Christmas and it has worked out really wel as well as saving us a fortune of course

None of my comments were made to make anyone feel guilty and I really do apologise if they have made you feel that way, I could have worded the whole thing a lot better I was just struggling to get out what I was tryign to say, it was more aimed at the peopl that witter on they spend 50p a week on groceries and a tenner on christmas in 1 thread then in other threads start bragging about xbox360's and apple this that and the other

Chin up it will soon be over I personally cannot wait till new year big exciting year for use next year with a lot of change I am really looking forward for the first time in ages

All the best

dollydaydream07

i took my haul to the charity shop and they were really impressed by how much stuff i had given them!! still have some more to take but will take that to another shop!

went to adli and got the couple of bits i needed and was very impressed with myslef for only taking a tenner with me and not buying anything that i didn't need!! :j

have spent the afternoon making do and mending - sewed up 2 holes in the underarms of my best jumper and put a patch of material on the inside leg of my jeans as i had wore them down and they had a rip in them - feel really pleased as both items will now last me a bit longer(had the jumper 3 years already)

gonna go and get DD from school and when we get home i think we might do some baking, we have run out of pack up bits so she will need something for tomorrow and as i was good and didn't buy anything while i was out, we will have to do it!!

Fruball

Remember that anything you buy second hand... was bought because someone loved it and let it go due to growing up, financial reasons or no space for it any more... NOT because it is rubbish

So its ok to love your pre-loved purchases and definately to not fee guilty for doing so

RAS

Frugal wrote: »

Glad to help

Here is the link to the 20p seeds

And some more cheapies

www.alanromans.com - the cheapest open pollinated are 50p

and give Lidl a look in January; their range of stuff at 29p is limited but their 49p packets of peas and beans are the cheapest you will find anywhere and contain decent quantities (2009 prices).

CRANKY40

My 6 year old always asks if he can look on ebay if he wants something. He knows that sometimes he will be able to get toys that someone else has played with and finished with for much less money, rather than pay for a brand new toy from a shop. Imagine his delight last summer when we went to a car boot sale where he bought a whole set of 5 power rangers for less than the price of one new one. He used his holiday money to buy them, but it made his day.
The way I see it is that if he had an older brother or sister they'd be passing stuff on to him anyway.

[Deleted User]

we bought stacks of second hand toys in the past ie massive piles of lego, mechano, sindy toys and clothes, my little pony, action man etc. It was the most fantastic way of getting good presents for our children. They never ever moaned about them being second hand. We were lucky in that it was all before ebay so there were real bargains to be had

Bayleighs_Nanna

Hi,
I have just joined, i have large amount of debt which tonight i will sit down and work out my budget.My husband had a nervous breakdown recently, so i will be doing this alone as he would not cope.I have been reading alot on here since yesterday, and have got alot of good ideas. A few days ago i was feeling down. But after being on here and reading i feel a little more positive.
I Thank you all for the suggestions that i have read so far.Now i dont feel so alone.

Primrose

Frugal wrote: »

Remember that anything you buy second hand... was bought because someone loved it and let it go due to growing up, financial reasons or no space for it any more... NOT because it is rubbish

And you're not paying VAT on it either, so it represents even better value for money!

ifonlyitwaseasier

Bayleighs_Nanna wrote: »

Hi,
I have just joined, i have large amount of debt which tonight i will sit down and work out my budget.My husband had a nervous breakdown recently, so i will be doing this alone as he would not cope.I have been reading alot on here since yesterday, and have got alot of good ideas. A few days ago i was feeling down. But after being on here and reading i feel a little more positive.
I Thank you all for the suggestions that i have read so far.Now i dont feel so alone.

welcome to the mad house BN :j:j:j

well not totally frugal today, signed on then had to go and get healthy food (bliddy diet!) so spent just under £20 on fruit veg and lf yog's, i hate dieting in winter but i need to lose at least another stone (preferably 2!)

have got the majority of the xmas presents bought, from the point of view of a child (albeit a grown up one) i try and mention small things as gifts and this year have tried to be canny with the IL's and said all i want is them to come to us for xmas dinner, i'm sure they won't listen but what do you do

tho my best ever xmas present was a kenwood chef a couple of years ago all i need to do now is finish saving for all the add on bits i want for it!!!

hugs to all

ioiwe x

ginnyknit

Bayleighs_Nanna wrote: »

Hi,
I have just joined, i have large amount of debt which tonight i will sit down and work out my budget.My husband had a nervous breakdown recently, so i will be doing this alone as he would not cope.I have been reading alot on here since yesterday, and have got alot of good ideas. A few days ago i was feeling down. But after being on here and reading i feel a little more positive.
I Thank you all for the suggestions that i have read so far.Now i dont feel so alone.

I know what you are going through Nanna, we were where you are now not long ago but with the information on MSE and the support of all the fab people on here I didnt feel so alone. My OH is a unable to cope since he became disabled and had a breakdown but now our finances are better organised and though it will be a long trek we are on the way to being debt free. On other parts of the board are the threads with info on getting advice - we got help from CCCS and now have money left for food and the phone no longer rings with demanding debtors. The main thing is everyone understands what you are talking about - ie 'I have no money" unlike my swiftly departed friends. I am actually looking forward to Christmas this year