Old Style preparations for Christmas 2012!!!!!

MrsCD

goodlife10 wrote: »

I have started Christmas preps- as you can see from my signature I have no extra pennies for the festive period.

Firstly, I have bowed out of works Christmas parties (easier than I thought- not much nagging from colleagues).

I have also had the dreaded chat with both our families- they finally now know that we have money problems (after years of hiding it from them). We have explained we will be spending less on Christmas presents and will be giving token pressies only (bottle of wine for example).

I have used B**ts points to buy a couple of things and have been saving small amounts with my mum to buy pressies for DS- he also knows pressies are not going to be endless this year.

I am going to concentrate on lovely times with our families rather than expensive pressies.
GLx

Well done for taking control :T It is much easier when you explain to family that you won't be buying. I remember when our extended family had lots of youngish children and one year we all decided not to do it, and no-one was offended, just relieved. It left us all with more money to spend on our own children. Having said that , it's not about how much you spend, it's about how much time you spend. Have a lovely Christmas

chinagirl

I agree, I am tempted to broach the subject with friends and family. However I am seeing how ingenious I can be with not much money. I find setting myself an upper spending limit per person helps. :beer:
Cousins, their children, Aunts, Uncles = £3 per person
Brother, his wife, baby neice = £35 total spend for the 3 of them.
Mum and Partner = £30 with 2/3rd to Mum, 1/3rd Mum's partner.
My 3 x DS (all teenage and up) this is the expense for me, but I love to be able to provide something they really want, and would not get at any other time of the year = £150 each.:o
DH = £20 ish, perhaps a book he really wants. We tend to not buy each other expensive presents, as we think buying new tyres for the car is more of a present than some trivial gift which would clutter up a drawer somewhere.:p

Justamum

The only people we buy for are our own children. I've never bought for uncles, aunts, cousins, nephews, nieces etc. My DH and I don't buy for each other either as we don't have the money for it.

When my own children are grown up I won't spend anywhere near the amount I do now on them (not that we spend an awful lot now as we don't have it) - it will be just a token present.

BigMummaF

chinagirl wrote: »

....
My 3 x DS (all teenage and up) this is the expense for me, but I love to be able to provide something they really want, and would not get at any other time of the year = £150 each.:o
DH = £20 ish, perhaps a book he really wants. We tend to not buy each other expensive presents, as we think buying new tyres for the car is more of a present than some trivial gift which would clutter up a drawer somewhere.:p

I suggested to my lot, that we cut down on crimbo gifts & concentrate on birthdays, as a birthday is a special day for the individual. That way, on your budget, you find £150 for three times through the year, as opposed to £450 on top of all the other expenses buying for others too.
Thankfully The Offspring are of an age where, for a few years now, we've had a limit of £20 per person with an option of two or more joining up to buy something for another. We include 'nan' so no-one spends more than £80 for their whole prezzie budget

We are also not adverse to things like cash towards new brake pads, or a stock pot to cook bigger steamed pudding :rotfl:

Savvy_sewing

OKay, so Today I have decided to stay at home, and to start thinking/doing Christmas plans. Back to Basics as during the year everything went to pot and the Money pot has been leaking funds to support the grown up/children to keep their homes together.
So ingenious ideas will have to take presedence instead of big money things.
I am going to go back to the beginning and start with some Decorations. Making them for them as well as for me. I love being creative so there is a start..
I made some paper chains last night out of the Waitrose newspaper I picked up. (Hope they wont mind I never actually got around to reading it!). DGD and I can make some of those for her Mum and Her Auntie as well.
But I would like to experiment with some Paint/glitter sprays maybe.
I would like to see what else I can make so today is my Creative Day.

jalapenojojo

Just wanted to say how much I am enjoying reading - lurking - this thread. I am coming out of the shadows now!
I love Christmas but usually spend far too much on little extras that are totally unnecessary. My mum tells me off about it all the time - I am 27 with a mortgage and dog
Anyway I am lucky enough to be off work this week on holiday (but not having a holiday as such) and yesterday visited an outlet village with a Next store, managed to get some furry boot cuffs for £2, down from £12. Also then got a lovely black knitted hat, scarf and glove set for kiddies at only £1.
As my mum says, its not how much I have spent, its how much it is worth. Now I just need to keep telling myself that but I am sure you will all keep me in check!

littlegreenparrot

Couple of ideas to add to the pot...
I was in £land the other day and they had little bottles of dry shampoo. I was with my brother and pointed it out to him along the subtle lines of "see, this is what should go in a stocking". He needs tips or his poor gf will end up with screenwash :eek:

Now its November I'm starting to feel like its time to get involved. Must buy the advent candle in the next week or so, I often think about it to long and they sell out.

We always go to my parents, so don't need to worry to much about food. I have thought about getting a few goodies in to store - but don't think they'd still be there come xmas!
I really like the idea of an afternoon tea, especially as most of that could be baked and frozen in advance.
I spotted this a few weeks ago, the gingerbread rock cakes would be great for it

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/oct/12/rock-cake-recipes-dan-lepard?INTCMP=SRCH

FeistyFidget

Back in January, I swore that this was going to be a home made Christmas, I had planned to make gifts throughout the year, and even had a huge board on the popular PINning site for DIY gifts.

Fast forward to the beginning on November and I had achieved nothing I am pleased to say that I have now managed to complete a pair of knitted converse booties for DHs youngest second cousin, have almost completed a knitted scarf hat Cat combo for my best friend and have made lots of cute little gingerbread men and candy cane shaped chocolates! I have my ingredients on the way for bath Fizzies and some bits and pieces to make mugs filled with hot chocolate and marshmallows on a stick!

I made cake jars last year (where you put all the dry ingredients for a cake in a kilner jar) and they went down a storm!

We will be making 75% of our pressies. The only people we will not be making for is my cousin's children - the boys would think nothing of complaining about their cheap gift

littlegreenparrot

I found bags of snowmen shaped marshmallows in Lidl this morning, mine are destined for the gingerbread house, but they'd be great for hot choc and stuff.

Feisty - your very good. I would make them something anyway (probably out of veg to really annoy them) and greet any complaints with a cheery denial about having no idea what they wanted anyway, so wanted to help them grow big and strong

ManPants

daisiegg wrote: »

I usually make and freeze Nigella's Boston Baked Beans from her Christmas book; doesn't sound typically Christmassy but they are delicious and great with sausages/gammon etc over the festive season

New one on me but looks amazing and just what the Doctor ordered for a simple supper over the Yuletide period!

Thank You!