My Budget Christmas

Flibsey

I was trying to do extended family and friend's gifts for £80 this year as we're permaskint at the moment due to our rent going up... Bear in mind there's 26 people to buy for, plus birthday gifts for two of them too so that's 28 gifts.

I didn't manage it unfortunately I went overbudget..... I very nearly hit £95.... I am still VERY proud.

Mum in Law: A split Avon hamper. they were doing an offer of a spa hamper for £9.99, complete with basket, celophane, tissue paper and bow. I split it so half goes to my mum in law and half to my aunt for her birthday. aunt got the stuff mum in law wouldn't use!
mum: "free" hamper. loads of stuff, all gained for free or as near free as possible. I'll put photos on this week! with postage for a couple of items it's cost me £5.38.
dad: bottle of wine, two Liverpool football club soaps, some chinese snacks and a Guilian truffle bar £6
friends; of which I have 3 very close ones worthy of pressies lol... each has a "mug hamper". 1 sachet hot choccy, a small wrap of mini marshmallows, a milka choccy bar, individual packet of biscuits, mini grater (for the Milka, naturally) and a little bottle of home made blackberry vodka: £1.60 each.
friend's kids x 6: all friends of my daughter, so all deserving of a little something. each has a pair of Disney socks and some smellies of some form. £2 each, 6 kids, so £12.
uncle and aunt in s!!!!horpe: Takeaway secret, pre measured spices for two of the recipes (curry meat and curry sauce, pages 40 and 42 I think) and a paper bag containing my own Pilau Rice mix (basmati rice, tumeric, veg stock powder). all in a pretty basket which was nice and cheap too. £3.50 spend. uncle's birthday pressie is a cookbook on thrifty cooking from the free bookshop.
aunt and uncle in nottingham: as above. £3.50 aunts birthday gift is the other half of the avon hamper and a hand made photo frame (made by me)
cousin Frankie (girl, age 3ish): disney cutlery and some cute little girl smellies. £3.99.
cousin Miles (18): tube shots, chocolates, Far Side Book (brand new but from the Free Book Shop in the town centre) and a pretty pot of nice smelling moisturiser body creme for his long term girlfriend who I have yet to meet. £3.50.
Brother Oli (16) booksafe (book with hidden storage compartment), watch (free with husband's present!) spicy chinese mango, dried squid, Teeth DVD £8.00
sister Loo (14) avon makeup and perfume, spot-help clenser, hand made bag (crochet from upholstery cording given to me for free) £10
brother Tom (18) Pacman mug, Inspiration pad (http://www.tmsprl.com/shop.html) a ceramic model of a wolf, blackberry vodka, guilian truffle bar £14 (shhh don't tell the others!)
brother and sister in law: vegan brownie mix in a jar, all ingredients in layers so it's pretty. all they need to add is marge. Spelt pasta in a pretty jar, ceramic oil bottle and little bowls for dipping £5
other brother and sister in law takeaway secret, pre measured spices for donner kebab, blackberry vodka and home made kebab chilli sauce in a nice basket: £3.50
hubby's stepdad: grow your own money tree (free when I bought two other gifts, both for my daughter lol).
hubby's dad's on again-off again girlfriend: Mug hamper, 2 sachets hot choccy, bar of guilian, biscuits, mug... £1.02

so that's £94.18... but if you remove £4.50 for my aunt's birthday pressie (which if you remember was half of the £9.99 avon hamper) then we're below £90!

I still have to spend to get some pressies from Essex to Scu n thorpe (appologise for splitting that word but the profanity filter picked up on it lol!!) and Nottingham, but other than that we're done for distance family and friends.

hubby and daughter's pressies arn't included in this list, nor is hubby's dad's pressie as he's not bought one yet. that's his only job this year... humpf!!

Daughter's pressies were saved up for all year, as as we celebrate both Yule and Christmas she gets a big pressie for Yule and little gifts for xmas. she's getting a second hand laptop (£124), new speakers (£10) and dongle to make it wifi capable (£10) for Yule. for Xmas she's getting an Ammonite pendant necklace, dig your own dinosaur egg and a hand held microscope and a new alarm clock all coming to a grand total of £20... so that's an amazing £164. MUCH more than I'd normally spend on her to be honest, but still much less than my friends have spent on their kids! and it's for two festivals, AND it means I wont keep losing my laptop for ages when she disappears with it to play games!
hubby is getting a bottle of man perfume and me in pretty undies with a bow around my middle . £10 for the perfume... nice.

so for everything... under £270. 28 people's xmas pressies and two birthday pressies.

I look at this bottom line and it makes me go cold, but I have to remember it's spread over the year (I buy bits when I see them) and it's for 28 people!!! :rotfl:

also thanks to MSE for my mum's gift. without this site it never would have been possible!!!!

I know one of my friends has spent £400 EACH on her two kids. the idea of that actually makes me feel sick cos if I did that, not only would I have spent soooo much money but also where would I put the stuff??!

sungiggs1

wow your gifts sound really thoughtful, I like the mug and hot chocolate sachets set

violet_rose

Wow, really good pressies, on an tight budget.
Just goes to show ....you don't need to spend a fortune...to create some great gifts.:)

Well done:j:T:T

purple.sarah

You did so well! That all sounds great! Can't wait to see photos of the freebie hamper! Could you please post your recipe and instructions for the vegan brownie mix in a jar? I'm vegan and would love to share some vegan treats with people and show them it's not scary!

7roland8

Realy well dne - and some wonderful ideas for others to take away. I thogut you were buying for a lot - then added mine up and comes to about the same!
I spread the cost through the yr - starting in Jan - so not such a shock - my two sons get to pic something for around £60 each - adn they get smellies etc too - but otherwise I think my presents pretty much like yours.

Picked up something ready for next Xmas -2012!! They were seling really pretty sequin boxes on QVC - for gifts
but can also go on the tree - so bought 10 (think this pic was last yrs selection) - with p&p worked out at £2.50 each - but reckon will only need a lipstick or something for each small gift next yr. Also new ones on Ebay so have bought 5 more at £2 each - so will get little brooches or neail polish to go in - as OP said - Avon!!

raven83

i got to ask this where did you find such cheap cups for the mug hampers?

candygirl

Well done hun, you have put a lot of thought and effort into all your gifts.They will love em:D

Emmarillo

Wow you have done an amazing job- so thoughtful too. No wonder you're so proud of yourself.

Flibsey

raven83 wrote: »

i got to ask this where did you find such cheap cups for the mug hampers?

Mr T's!! it was on the MSE grabbit Mr T's household bargains thread months ago, september or october I think. some Mr T's branches had mugs super duper cheap.... my local one they turned out to be 12p when I went there. I got the last 4.

it was at the same time as the Hello Kitty clothes sets for £7, I think I was followed around the store by another MSE'er to be honest, he was going for all the same things I was hahahaha!

and thanks for the kinds words everyone.

LAM2011

Gosh well done - they sound like super pressies I am just struggling for OH as he has everything but likes gardening etc and I got him a book on that but saw on your list something about grow a money tree. May I ask what that is?

VfM4meplse

I can understand why you're proud of your MSE ways, but how many of these pressies are essential or even needed? And why buy for your OH's Dad's on/off g/f??

I'm not a bah humbug, but I think a nice hand-made card with a well-thought out message would be much better than investing in gifts that people neither need nor want. You could have cut down a lot by catering for the children only - I can understand them being disappointed at no gifts, but adults?