The financial nightmare that is christmas...

SpottyKnickers

We only buy for the children in our families rather than the grown ups. I do however normally bake things for the adults and I buy my Nana a copy of the school photo the children have done together at school.

With regards to my own children, I use nectar points and clubcard points I have saved throughout the year.

Its not about the amount you spend, its about having time as a family. We go on wintery walks and collect stuff to make wreaths and Christmas decorations, make Christmas biscuits and Christmas cards together. Its fun and it doesn't involve ££££.

fake_smile

I am only buying for girlfriend and 2 best friends this year. OH is insisting on contributing to half of the xmas food so that will be less of a worry. I really wish I would start earlier in the year. Every year I swear I will but never do

DUKE

I try & ignore it (far too early to say the C word yet) for as long as possible, then rush our moaning & groaning & buy a few presents. I'd cancel it given half the chance as it's a complete waste of money where we all exchange one load of cr*p for another. Give me a good holiday any day

CC-Warrior

I don't feel the pressure to buy in to the event at all. We as a family, don't bother with it, and me and my friends don't exchange gifts either. I may buy something for my partner as I suspect she'll want to buy me something.

Addiscomber

As we have very few relatives I do understand your wanting your own children to have lots of things to open. Are your children young enough for you to get away with buying things like clothes or duvet covers or other things that you will have to buy any way, and wrapping them up as presents? That might involve bringing some expenditure forward a little, but not increase overall spending.

jellyhead

I'm finding it a bit easier now that I've written everything down. I have a spreadsheet with everyone I have to buy for, and all the birthdays around the christmas period, then I can mark down everything I've bought when I saw it on sale, for example the Thorntons 5 things for £20 deal, I could consult my list and buy for around half of the people on there at a cost of only £4 each.

Once I saw it all written down it seemed silly, so by mutual agreement with friends we decided to stop buying for each other, and even the majority of my siblings said once they had children that we should just buy something for the children and not buy for each other.

I felt like a skinflint broaching the subject, but everyone was relieved to take me up on the idea of only buying for children, or not at all. We all buy for our parents although they say we shouldn't, but they buy for us and I would feel rude not to give a gift to everyone who gives one to my children. To be honest I've tried to cut that down as much as possible too - they get too much.

My youngest gives a small gift to his best friend because the best friend's family does that. My inlaws are totally different and we get gifts from people I have never even met, and we've been married for 12 years!

I have cut my friends and a lot of my relatives from my list (there are still 30 people outside of my own household though!) but can't cut the inlaws family off because it would offend people.

jellyhead

On another thread yesterday I noticed that somebody had said their children get 4 things ... one they want, one they need, something to wear and something to read.

That sounds perfect to me, certainly in today's society where our children are surrounded by throwaway plastic mountains of tat.

We didn't get much when I was a child, and I didn't have 30+ people buying for me either, just my parents and grandparents, and one aunt who we were closest to. Grandma would knit me a new jumper and my other Grandma would give one present, usually a book, whereas nowadays both grandmas pile mountains of stuff on my children.

SpottyKnickers

jellyhead wrote: »

On another thread yesterday I noticed that somebody had said their children get 4 things ... one they want, one they need, something to wear and something to read.

That was me. i worried that I might sound a bit tight .

It works well, and because the children only get one thing that they 'want', it makes them really think about it rather than reeling off a long list that they have seen on the TV.

System

Christmas is going to be brilliant for me this year. A couple of months ago hubby paid his £500 a month loan off. He has struggled to pay it for 5 years now and ive had to be inventive and had to spend every penny I have on Christmas with no input from him.

Its going to be different this year.;)

Brighton_belle

jellyhead wrote: »

I would feel rude not to give a gift to everyone who gives one to my children.

As someone one without children who buys for other people's children, it truly never occurs to me to expect something back and I don't want anything either.
Interesting insight though so I'll make sure as new children come along that I assure the parents that the pleasure is all mine in getting them a little something and I absolutely don't want anything back (I always check with the parent first with what they want/I might get)