£5 christmas challenge

mrsmagpie

Hi everyone

I've lurked for a long time and finally decided to post!

I have a biggish family aswell as well as 2 lovely kids so christmas usually costs an absolute fortune - probably close to £1000.
I spend the most money (after my kids) on my 2 sisters and 5 nieces and nephews, but this year none of us can afford it.
We've decided to do a £5 per person challenge and the best present wins (we're not sure of the prize yet). We're all massively competitive so I'm starting mine now!

The rules are:
£5 exactly must be spent. If it costs £4.95 then the remaining 5p must still be spent. Reciepts need to be shown!
It must be appropriate for the reciever, I'm not allowed to buy my butch army loving nephew a barbie for example.

My sisters are also 2 of my very best mates so I want whatever I get them to be as special/personal as £5 will get them. I'm not bad at crafting so I'm trying to find something I can make that I haven't made for them before.

Last year I spent £35 on each sister and £15 on nieces and nephews - which came to £145 :eek: This year will cost me £35
Just in case anyone sees anything worth me buying please let me know. Many have birthdays between now and christmas so I need to double up on some presents if I can.

17 yr old niece [STRIKE]Birthday[/STRIKE] copperfoil gift set / [STRIKE]Christmas[/STRIKE] Nail art hamper
8 yr old niece [STRIKE]Birthday[/STRIKE] Barbie / [STRIKE]Christmas[/STRIKE] Teeny meez
8 yr old nephew [STRIKE]Birthday[/STRIKE] Mr popper penguin dvd /[STRIKE]Christmas[/STRIKE] Puss in boots Wii game
4 yr old nephew [STRIKE]Birthday[/STRIKE] Truck / [STRIKE]Christmas[/STRIKE] JCB truck
3 yr old nephew [STRIKE]Birthday[/STRIKE] Rocket / [STRIKE]Christmas[/STRIKE] personalised puzzle
Mum [STRIKE]Birthday[/STRIKE] gardening hamper / Christmas
Dad [STRIKE]Christmas[/STRIKE] computer hamper
Sister 1Christmas
Sister 2 Christmas
Husband [STRIKE]Birthday[/STRIKE] 80's CD / Christmas
Brother in law [STRIKE]Christmas[/STRIKE] Dara o Brian boxset (if it ever gets delivered!)
Best mate [STRIKE]Christmas[/STRIKE] Wooden 'Love' blocks
Best mates son [STRIKE]Birthday[/STRIKE] Nerf gun / [STRIKE]Christmas[/STRIKE] Green lantern ds game
Friend Christmas
Friends hubby Christmas
Friends 14 yr old son Birthday / [STRIKE]Christmas[/STRIKE] Aftershave
Friends very tomboy 10 yr old Daughter Birthday / [STRIKE]Christmas[/STRIKE] Xbox game
Boss Christmas
Step brother, wife and new baby. Family present
15x cousins and their kids, will just buy a mass token present for each family.

If anyone can help with any ideas or even join in please do xx

Anglea

Welcome to the site :j

This is a thread you might find interesting an overall list of all the gifts and hampers you can make that are personal to each recipient..

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/414524

Wendy5704

If you look at car boot sales you can pick up some brand new gift sets for a couple of quid. I bought a sanctuary spa for £1 and a Gok for £1.50 on Sunday. One of the boxes was a little tatty but it doesnt matter as I am going to make them into a couple of hampers anyway. You could either buy a cheapo gift bastket or use a small box and wrap in paper.

mrsmagpie

Thanks for the suggestions Angela and Wendy

I've been wandering round thinking personal-cheap-personal-cheap like a song in my head! I think for my sisters I'm going to get all our kids to pose for a photo each holding a letter which spells out 'family'....or something like that. Trying to get a 2 and 3 year old to pose with a bit of paper is probably going to cost me more than a fiver in bribes! I'll try to get the frames from a bootfair if I can.

I've already bought one 8 year old niece a present from the grabbit board :j£4.94 from £15. Cant post links as a new user but it's the Teeny Meez fashion designer set, hopefully she'll like it.

One down 7 more to go!

mary-op

Super idea:T
Charity shops are always worth a look. A lot of people hand in unwanted gifts all wrapped and good as new. Good luck:)

sethsgran

I had a friend whose daughter did the photo, can't remember what they said on the pieces of card but she found a 5 mount frame so that each one of the girls were photographed individually in the same room with their part of the phrase. She then framed them and it looks fantastic. Might be easier to do with little ones

mrsmagpie

Another present down!!! Bought my arty 17 year old niece 12 nail art pens for £3.66 so had enough to buy one of those rhinestone wheel things for 99p. Going to make a little hamper out of them and use the remaining 35p for some sweets.

Feel a bit of a fool at the minute, found a puss in boots dvd (which my nephew wanted) on Play for £3.99. Bought it feeling all pleased with myself thinking I was going to make him a film night hamper, but I've just looked again and it's not the pixar one. What a wally. Can't even cancel it! Ner mind, will just have to send it back when it gets here and keep searching.

I've got my mum, dad and best mate in on the challenge and have decided to spend a fiver on EVERYONE bar my kids.

mrsmagpie

Bought 8 year old nephew Mr poppers penguins instead, £5 exactly! Will have to be very inventive to make a film night hamper for nothing

got-it-spend-it

Could you look out for BOGOF on things like drinks, crisps, sweets then you could give him the free ones? Or keep an eye on the freebies board on here. I've had some free chocolate bars and vouchers for free bottles of drink in the past from there.

mrsmagpie

What a brilliant idea got-it-spend-it, it really is! Thanks very much, I would never of come up with that myself

midnightraven3

argos have connect four for £3.99 just now

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3902679/Trail/searchtext%3ECONNECT+FOUR.htm

might be good for one of the children