Buying on a budget for a completely materialistic family?

Gleek

nuttybabe wrote: »

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 you become a friend of Yorkshire tea they will send you some too. (you can also send 10 samples - so could send some to yourself too and have extras).

Other than that, you can get a 'taster' pack of tetley teabags for about 79p in Asda that has 12 teabags in it.



For the kids - something like this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tim-Burtons-Corpse-Bride-DVD/dp/B000BPCUTS/ref=sr_1_3?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1323383214&sr=1-3
with a tube of pringles & bag of sweets to share in cellophane? Comes to about a fiver all together.

nuttybabe

Gleek wrote: »

For the kids - something like this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tim-Burtons-Corpse-Bride-DVD/dp/B000BPCUTS/ref=sr_1_3?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1323383214&sr=1-3
with a tube of pringles & bag of sweets to share in cellophane? Comes to about a fiver all together.

thanks for reminding me. you could get the plastic throw away wine glasses and fill with sweets and xmas sweets and candy cane or whatever. then wrap in cello and they have sweeties that all kids love and a glass they can pretend to have wine out of. i am making these for all the kids in my family this year. got 17 to make! :eek:

elliemoo

I think you have enough on your plate to worry about buying pressies for people you do not know and mean very little to you.

cazpumpkin

im tempted to say if your mum is offering to buy some of the gifts tell her to buy them all if its so important

also why are 2 well off brothers living at home rent free? at their ages?

if its sauce for the goose ask if you can move back home rent free instead of a house share too

as for the gifts send the adults cards saying sorry no gifts this year Im skint, and get the kids selection boxes at 2 for £4 at wilkinsons

7roland8

Well shame on ytour mum fore putting this pressure on you and not being more supportive.
Looks like she's the one with all the idea of what you 'have' to get. If she's so keen let her get the lot - either that or say you'll just get what you can afford. Bet your brothers wouldn't notice (sounds liek they'll get a lot anyway).
Don't feel bad you can't spend hundreds on your parents - what woudl that prove? I never mind what I get off sons - a cuddle and a nice card would be all I'd need to knwo they love me - not wasting lots of money.
Are you with them for Xmas? If not don't fret.

fairy_bubbles

its sad that for some people, christmas does only seem to be about the presents.
can you sit down with your family/mum on her own and tell them/her just how tough it is for you this year?surely they will understand?
and if they don't,maybe its time to take a stand anyway and say that this year,you are starting a new tradition of only buying/giving thoughtful and inexpensive presents.it might make the rest of them rethink their own attitudes.

good luck!:)

viclspence

I had a list when I was 12, but once i'd stopped believing in santa it stopped. My sister can't afford to buy us anything this year, and I haven't asked her too, they should understand exactly what you are going through and accept it.

mrs_marty

How about for the flash brothers, flash car made by corgi of course lol To me it matches the childish attitude to having a list at that age!

Spendless

You have empathy from me. I know what it's like to shop for a materalistic family.

Offers, discount codes, loyalty cards, sales all help and sometimes people do surprise you when they see your purchases. I was given some money by a nan to buy gifts from her from my kids. I had £5 to use up, struggled to find something in budget that looked 'something' and then saw a hard backed book with all Disney stories in it, perfect for my 8yo DD. When I showed it my mum, she started cooing over the glossy pages and said she couldn't believe it had only been a fiver and peeled back the sticker to try and see what the original price had been.

The dvds to your brothers, is your mum paying for them to help you out do you mean or do you mean she's just picking them up and you need to pay her back?

If you think you are likely to be landed with an expensive gift list from kids you've never met IF you are going to buy for them (and I consider it more than cheeky to be expected to) my suggestion is get something now and then say 'oh I've already got something' if asked.

Do you have a home bargains? That is my fav shop. Fab for gifts thats look a lot more expensive than they actually are.

7roland8

The only person who ever used to ask what I wnated for Xmas was my dear Mum - and I would pick some clothes from the catalogue.
Since then its just get what you are given.
I too have managed to have a lovely heap of presents under the tree all thanks to the bargains I have been told about on this forum - so thanks all.