Is it just me being a Scrooge?

Janepig

jellyhead wrote: »

We have a wheelie bin for recycling, but for the post-christmas collection we can put out extra cardboard but only if it is tied in bundles, and not bagged. So there's an advertisement that your kids got tablets and PS4's I suppose.

My husband puts things like playstation boxes in the loft. Initially I thought it was to increase their value if he traded them in against newer models, but no, it harks back to his childhood in a place where there were more burglaries, and advertising your expensive new purchases to all and sundry who pass your house on the way to the corner shop would have been foolish. It still would be here, I suppose, and we usually hear of a burglary in January.

I don't know where the nearest wheelie bin using county to us would be, all the neighbouring ones use bags afaik. We have a mini wheelie bin for our slops!

DH tends to keep boxes from playstations, etc... For reasons of being a hoarder more than anything else, but I do think there's something to be said for being a little bit savvy with how you deal with your post Christmas rubbish boxes.

Jx

bossymoo

I was a bit surprised to see a friends FB pic recently of all the presents they laid out on Xmas eve. And pics since, clearly they have spent huge amounts. Which is their own business. But I do wish she hadn't confided in me recently what dire financial position they were in and that is why they couldn't join us on our (inexpensive) little pre-Christmas memorial afternoon out for my late DH.
Fair enough don't come, me and my kiddies have plenty of other support. But don't try to elicit sympathy from me about frugal times ahead

pennypinchingpenguin

i felt exactly the same way when i woke up on Christmas day. shocked and disgusted at some - and then i felt embarrassed and ashamed that we couldnt afford more.
my step son is 5 and we dont get him until boxing day.
we always get him a lot of clothes but usually sale items from tesco or primark - he grows so fast so they are needed. and this year we just got a few toys - tesco points in the christmas club so our vouchers are sent in time for double up. 342 on toys covered him and my baby nephew (clothes also covered by vouchers) as last year he got so many things and he doesnt play with anything.
i did take pics of him opening his and i did upload them to fb. but this is so my family (including those abroad) can see - he certainly didnt get any electronic stuff. im told he got a tablet from his gran - up to them to waste their money. i am sure they are very useful and can be very educational if monitored and used in the right way. its becoming the norm where schools are putting pressure on parents too. we could never afford to buy such things. our lesson was learned last year at his birthday. mum and dad insisted he should get a nintendo ds for his 4th birthday! i disagreed from the start but stepparents dont always really get a say. the deal was we each paid half. we searched the internet for a decent bargain - got one for around £70 with a few games. after a week he broke it at his mothers by standing on it when he was told to put it off. they were all mad and i was just mad at them for picking such a stupid present anyway! had he been at ours with it, his usage would have been monitored and it would not have been in a position to be stood on. since then i put my foot down and decided seperate gifts. and you know what? he was so overjoyed with what we got for him! :T in the end i know things will get tougher but we cant afford to fall victims to the peer pressure to outdo each other with kids gifts. if i had bucket loads of money i probably would spoil him more but he still wouldnt get such gifts that take away from being a kid. a lot of people think his mother is english as he speaks with a slight accent learned from the tv. he is now addicted to the wii, easier days when i was that age all i did was play with lego etc. sad times. he doesnt even understand how to play.

jellyhead

Can you teach him how to play? My eldest had to be taught, and he REALLY wasn't interested for many years. He eventually developed an imagination - I cried the day when he asked me to push some imaginary lions on the swing next to him

My husband was better at teaching him how to play, because he would play rough with action man whereas my games involved talking and feelings, I suppose.