Help with budgeting for May?

nat21luv

I hate the social pressure parents put on each other when it comes to kids birthdays. I personally couldn't give two hoots where you lived, what your house is like or if you gifted a present. All I care about is that your child and mine are friendly to one another and have fun. PLEASE don't be pressured into doing things you just can't afford, I have never had a lavish bowling party for my child or hosted a 5yr olds party at the local football ground inviting the whole class. It's just rediculous, 'keeping up with the jones' and all in all a bit vulgar. I am pretty sure, seeing as you both work, your daughter would just love a day being spoilt with mummy and daddy's attention. As for a gift, I bet she would love nothing more than her faourite pop stars picture in a frame to go by her bed!! get creative, dress up and have a dance party to her favourite songs, it'll be the best day ever

unimaginative_user_name

As Jonesy88 says framed photos are great. When money was really tight one year I gave my daughter a framed photo of one of her favourite Strictly dancers and she loved it. The frame was a couple of pounds and I emailed the dancer's fan site and was sent a signed photo for free!

One year for Christmas I did some little cross stitch pictures for female relatives. I got the pattern from a magazine and it basically involved an initial and a Christmas rose. They looked lovely in little frames from the pound shop. I have also baked gifts as well.

If you have a little spare money to buy gifts I would prioritise the children. The adults should be old enough to understand.

angelpye

I agree with wllthe suggestions so far but understand its difficult. For kids parties I give handmade pencil case and pens or sometimes Argos have good gifts on sale at reduced prices. Others on here have made aprons or put together cooking sets etc.
I don't have a wand to sort out may for you but think about what skills you do have...or research on the internet. Loads of wedding gift ideas - I love the idea of home printed tea towels (freezer paper used as stencil and can be bought by metre on eBay then fabric paints in the range of dunelm) and also paper cuts - these are cheap and fashionable. Good for christening and wedding - people who sell these for £80+ on Facebook etc and you check out their designs for inspiration or in a book at the library. There are loads of how to tutorials online. Put it in a frame and hey presto.
Other sites like group on and social living do great deals for gift certificates for many things too.

We have a rule now that gifts either have to be an experience, handmade, fair trade and occasionally if known its definitely needed/wanted. I don't buy for people unless I am seeing them particularly for birthday or Christmas and we also have a Eco friendly wrapping rule so sometimes hand printed/painted by me or kids on the cheap paper on a roll from wilko or a nice double page from magazine or newspaper/old poster - at Christmas my in laws now wrap everything in newspaper! Love it! I also use brown paper with string and home printed gift tag on on cut up old envelopes.
We mainly started due to Eco views but when the shtf and I became a single mum I was really grateful all that pressure was gone.

Mse has a few gift guides somewhere for ideas of Xmas for under fiver, tenner etc. Hth, good luck

notanewuser

falko89 wrote: »

Like its my daughters birthday next month, in my day birthday parties never really happened or at least for me they didn't, but every other weekend my kids have a party to go to and its usually at an adventure playground or the like so my kids expect the same, my daughters only 6, we could do something here and invite the kids from her class but my wife doesn't want the parents around as they all live in big fancy houses etc we as we live in a battered old semi and have no heating as we can't afford the oil. We could do nothing but then my kids have payed out £10's every other weekends as presents to other kids so they should at least get it back, and my daughter still needs some sort of present.

So you've prioritised £550s worth of presents for other children over your car tax and MOT.

Did you really not see this coming?!

angelpye

PS for daughters birthday a sleepover usually means handing over at the door or if your local cinema does cheap family film usually Saturday morning then this with a trip to pizza express with a voucher could work. Re gift for her, if she is arty how about a cheap tool box from pound land, wilko or charity shop filled with paints stickers, roll of paper and bits and pieces with a book on how to make things for her age. My niece loves my sewing so I got her a book with ideas in for herage group and let her raid my stash but a few bits of ffabric would have done too. My dd1 was given a voucher for a bead shop to choose her own jewelry making bits - she loved it. They get some of your time with these gifts and its not necessarily only mum - my brother in law does the sewing with my niece.

angelpye

Pps! For you and wife, make it a treat night in either cook each others favorite meal or buy two dine for £10 at m&s etc, candles, nice music etc nice film, bottle of wine then dessert and a massage - that's my mind of birthday :)especiaaly if a homemade birthday cake is thrown in!

TDMum

falko89 wrote: »

OK let me paint the picture for you, at the moment me and my partner are on a DMP with CCCS/Step Change, we are both min wage workers, I work full time my partner part time.

In May we have got a lot of things that require money and we don't know how to prioritize them or how we can afford to pay for them.

1 - My mothers birthday - pinch some pictures of you, any siblings you have, memorable occasions etc and make her a scrap book type thing. You only really need to buy some glue. Go to the DIY stores and pinch wallpaper samples and use them to create the scrapbook backgrounds/pages etc.

2 - My wifes godsons/nephews birthday How old will he be?
3 - Our daughters birthday again how old?
4 - Her brothers wedding Do you have any picture frames lying about the house? If so have a snoop on google for black and white photo's of everyday things that look like letters. I don't know how to explain it very well. Google "photography letters" and you'll see what I mean. Then pick out the letters that will spell the new surname of the married couple and frame it. A lovely personalised and unique gift for almost free. Hopefully you have a printer which you can use.
5 - My wifes birthday cook her a nice meal at home
6 - My birthday
7 - Car tax priority
8 - Car MOT priority
9 - Godsons/Nephews 1st Holy Communion Sorry i'm not sure the age this happens or the "tradition" if you can fill me in a little I can try and help out with a home made gift.

So as you can see quite the list. Our DMP does allow for some emergencies but thats minor £50 per month if even. Obviously we can cut out our birthdays but thats not gonna have any impact.

Any advice?

Hope some of these ideas help a bit.

TDMum

Sorry, I didn't read through all replies and realise I've copied some. Apologies.

notanewuser

"4 - Her brothers wedding Do you have any picture frames lying about the house? If so have a snoop on google for black and white photo's of everyday things that look like letters. I don't know how to explain it very well. Google "photography letters" and you'll see what I mean. Then pick out the letters that will spell the new surname of the married couple and frame it. A lovely personalised and unique gift for almost free. Hopefully you have a printer which you can use."

While that's a nice idea, it's a hell of an assumption that there will be "one surname".

TDMum

notanewuser wrote: »

"4 - Her brothers wedding Do you have any picture frames lying about the house? If so have a snoop on google for black and white photo's of everyday things that look like letters. I don't know how to explain it very well. Google "photography letters" and you'll see what I mean. Then pick out the letters that will spell the new surname of the married couple and frame it. A lovely personalised and unique gift for almost free. Hopefully you have a printer which you can use."

While that's a nice idea, it's a hell of an assumption that there will be "one surname".

I'm sorry I'm not quite understanding what you mean?