Buying on a budget for a completely materialistic family?

Rummer

Please do not feel pressured into buying things you can not afford. Have a look at the hampers threads on here and make up something thoughtful and inexpensive. As Fifi said a movie hamper is a great idea. We have also made cocktail hampers for adults with accessories like martini glasses (ikea), a cocktail shaker, cocktail book and all the little bits to make cocktails special like sliced lemon, umbrellas etc No alcohol so cheap to put together

sarahsarah

I just can't get over the fact that 33 year old and 37 year old brothers have lists!

Moomum

Cinema hamper sounds fab, I will be pinching that idea me thinks, thanks FIfi

wouldbeqaulitymoneysaver

Surely Wish Lists have a range of desireable gifts from cheaper to more expensive. Desires are wide ranging as I see it.??!!

kerry1979_2

It's awful being put under pressure to buy things you can't afford, I would probably buy the gf's children a board game between them and the brother and gf a cheap bottle between them, or speak to your mum and tell her at the moment lavish / over the top gifts are not possible this year.

I hope you come up with a solution xx

7roland8

Actually its very rude to do lists unless someone asks what you want!

Same goes for weddings - unless I wnated to I wouldn't get anything off a list - just something I could afford.

Back to Xmas - ignore lists and get little gifts you can afford. Your brothers can easily afford their own DVDs. Apart ferr my sons I never ask people what they want - they have what their given and can like or lump it.

Don't be pressurised.

DODO_2

A book on manners is needed by them all I think!

Failing that I would make homemade hampers up for them -cakes muffins fudge etc with a note to hopefully embarrass themto say u r sorry that it's materially small but you hope they appreciate the time and love you put into making it

If they don't like it TOUGH!

moonpixiewitch

try the poundland thread

why spend £5 on something they dont need or want when £1 will suffice? I would not buy from the list on principle!

my brother is married with a little boy and even his little 4 year old doesnt have a list !!! except maybe for santa

my brother and i declared a gift truce many years ago , as it was getting out of hand , and we ended up buying each other rubbish we didnt need or want .
we buy for his son and they buy for my daughter and we all club together to buy my mum a gift .

that said , I usually make christmas puddings for the family ,jams and chutneys and sloe gin , strawberry limes vodka , and limoncello , so they usually get some of those .

sethsgran

This is awful for you. Tell your brothers that as they have everything that you have made a donation to a charity, they don't need to know how much! I like the idea of a cinema hamper for the kids.
Don't be pressured into doing something you can't afford or don't want to do.

nuttybabe

Personally i would just make them something. last year my cousins boyfriends kids should have been coming to a family do and as i was giving my cousins kids sock bunnies i made some for these other 2 as well even though i hadnt met them. but it only really cost me time.

for the 6 year old girl a fairy sock monkey or a normal pink sock monkey. or if you can crochet a hello kitty you only need white and pink wool and a little black for eyes, mouth and whiskers.

for the 12 year old boy (i have a few in family and am struggling with them) but how about a football hamper, i saw some man u sweets today and might try to find a few bits in pound shop of man u and stick in a man u mug.

for the girlfriend you could buy a nice bone china cup and saucer (£1 at my local market today so hopefully you will have similar), am putting 2 posh tea bags in (that i got free, i believe twinnings are giving them away at the moment), some choccy (lindt truffles £1 in home bargains) and a facepack and sented candle (homebargains and poundland) and call it a pamper hamper or indulgence hamper.

if your brothers want dvd's could you find them cheap or let your mum buy them and then you put together a film night hamper so popcorn and homemade sweets, rocky road and biscuits. i think someone on here has made one already so you can get ideas from that.

hope you got some ideas from all that.