How are you coping with Christmas finances?

katkin

I think I'm fortunate at Christmas as my sons are grown and don't want never mind expect expensive pressies. Hubby is happy with new socks and "naughty" IOUs

I don't buy for the few friends I put on an evening of nibbles & drinks and some themed entertainment / games. This has been a good arrangement for a while now. I make silly crackers, set up daft games for a laugh, do homemade face masks, nail painting and other silly cheap beauty spa sessions! I think they like my wee surprise themed nights

We don't have a lot of family and they don't live nearby so I post nice calendars or home organisers that I see throughout the year and can customise. I'm quite crafty with the sewing machine so this year they are getting fabric reusable simple shopping bags for groceries etc.

All in I spend less than £100, which includes our Christmas dinner - its the best thing about the whole day for me, that and a walk on the beach, collecting shells post pud.

I really feel that some time and thought into doing something personal can just be as nice as a shop bought gift. It's still a special occasion whatever (or how little..) is spent.

Jonesy88

Please don't get into debt. Be inventive!

How about ious for relatives (ie I promise to garden) or a homemade voucher for a summer activity? Then you won't have to pay out until then (only do this if you will be able to afford in 2015).

Last year I was skint so I ebayed a few items and got £10 approx. I then searched for 99p items with free delivery. There are actually quite a few "vintage" necklaces that come up from China. Exactly the same as some I'd seen at a vintage fair for £8. Cute wrapping and bit of ribbon, and voila! Cheap cheap cheap.

Another good idea is to get a really nice photo - look on your phone. We capture some really nice moments that never see the light of day. Put it in a cheap photo frame (charity shop/asda etc).

Butterfly_Brain

janb5 wrote: »

Originally Posted by Butterfly Brain I do the 'sistercas fund' which is to put £1 a day in a pot so by Christmas I have £365

Sorry to be thick but what was ` sistercas fund?

One of the oldstylers called sistercas started the trend in a thread a couple of years ago and many of us oldstylers now do it.
It is basically putting £1 a day into a pot starting on Boxing day and by the time Christmas rolls around you have £365 to spend.

bluebag

Citygirl1 wrote: »

Thanks for your replies. Looks like saving over the year is the best option, but I do struggle with that. I try to put something into my own savings if I can so other savings can be tricky. I come out with approx. £1.200 per month and £700 or so of that goes on rent and bills and monthly bus pass, I live alone so have no help with the bills and of course I need to buy clothes and things and like to socialise, I am not extravagant though by any means. The only beauty pamper I have is having my hair coloured at the hairdressers, and having my eyebrows waxed, everything else I do myself.

You may find it helpful to do what I do, I put money away as if it was a bill. I have a direct debit set up into an account and basically treat that money as unspendable ( don't even think that's a real word !) until christmas shopping time.

Even if you can't put much away, just having a something to count toward christmas helps.

GreyQueen

Christmas is chilled for me.

I don't have kids, and the adult relatives get books, a 'little else' thingy on the day such as chocolates, and a sum in cash for a sibling without much money, so they can get themselves something they really need/ like, probably secondhand as they like their money to s-t-r-e-t-c-h. The books I buy during the year when I see something likely to be of interest.

Older relatives with homes full of knick-knackery get edibles so they eat them and then are gone. The cats get nowt but strokes and tlc because a) they live like princesses all year and b) they're terrified of cat toys.

Cards are hand-delivered to some people who like that kind of thing, but I can't see much point in giving cards to people in the office. I choose not to do the works Christmas meal, we pay for it ourselves and I have other things I'd rather spend the dosh on.

Christmas, from my point of view, has got far too big for its boots. I can't be doing with Xmas cards in July and carols in shops in November. I just treat it as a chance to spend some time with the nearest and dearest, have some nice but not excessive meals, drink a small libation or two and go for some walks.

One of which will have to take place during the Queen's Speech as is tradional - the royalists will be in front of the telly and the republican awkward squad will be walking in the woods.

Mangoed

This year is a nightmare for my family. I have my husband, mother, mother in law and nephews birthday on the 24th November then my grandmothers on the 27th. Then Christmas we have two children but one is one and the older is 13. My oldest never expects a lot and my youngest won't even know so wont spend a lot on either. I think kids get spoilt at Christmas.
Then on the 27th December my brother in law is getting married and we are all invited so need new outfits. Plus I'm cooking dinner for 8 on Christmas day. Last year I was super organised and had bought all bday presents and xmas presents by this date. But due to a blip in my employment this year we have struggled to buy stuff. Honestly I'm dreading it!!! But saving through the year is always the best way. You feel less stressed and enjoy so much more.

Butterfly_Brain

A niece has a birthday at the beginning of December and my sister and one of my nephews have their birthday on the 12th then it is the outlaws 63rd wedding anniversary on Christmas Eve so I know how you feel.

We all agreed years ago on both sides of the family that once the children reached 16 we stopped buying for them unless it was for 18th and 21st birthdays.So we only buy for our little family, the outlaws, our next door neighbours who are very good friends and two little old ladies that we keep an eye on.
A lot of our pressies are home made such as this year's which are candle holders that we got in the January sales for £1 each with a festive glittery tea light candle and filled with a handful of quality street.

Approx cost for each £2.50

The men usually get some home brew which costs pennies to make.

The outlaws get their main pressie but I always make a small Christmas cake when I make mine, mince pies, some home made wine and chutney plus, some HM fudge and tablet and make them up a hamper between them.

My parents are no longer with us so I don't need to buy for my side at all.

Antispam

Hb5 :SPAM: REFERRALS

Spendless

I buy throughout the year if I see something, starting after Christmas each year and getting bit in the 70% Boots sale if I can and am not scheduled to work.

This year though, I spent a couple of hundred pounds on car reapirs only for the car to 'die' 3 weeks later of something else. I then spent more money replacing the car to something not ideal but needed to get dd to panto rehrsals, only for the production to be withdrawn hours after I'd bought it. Add in costumes ofr dd's drama for xmas shows on top of fees and ds announcing that he was going to comic con cos I'd agreed it months ago (and no one said a word since so I didn't know it was on, I hadn't budgeted for it, son hadn't saved!) and I'm feeling the strain!

We buy for 17 people including our own household. I know people on forums say 'just buy for the kids' but the people we buy for buy for our kids and then don't have kids of their own (cos they've grown up or have never had them). I wouldn't feel comfortable stopping buying for my grandmothers for example when they've bought for me my whole life and have included my husband and then our children when they came along.

What I am a fan on is items that look as though you've spent loads more than they've actually cost. The clinique example earlier was a good one. In savers they had a set of 3 nails inc polishes for a fiver.:money: I've got that for sis in law along with some handcream and other bits and have a heart shaped basket to put them in and cellophane.


If you list people you buy for and ages we might be able to come up with ideas.

Teacher2

It is far too late to take some of the advice given here as people have been putting money away all year and you can't.

I think the first piece of advice to give you is the assurance that your real friends (and your family) will NOT want to think of you getting into financial hot water buying presents - many of which they neither really need nor want.

So the first thing to do is to let them know your situation (swallow your pride. I bet some of them are in the same boat and will be relieved) and make an agreement about presents. You could say:-
-no presents at all
-only very cheap presents with a limit
-presents only for the kids and then only inexpensive ones
-get together for a home cooked Christmas meal together where everyone brings one course
-home made presents.

My daughter, finding herself with 17 presents to buy for friends, decided to make them all a cushion. She bought offcuts and charity shop dresses to cut up, downloaded a pattern for free and used a design that overlapped the opening at the back rather than using zips which are costly. She appliqued their initials on the front. They are absolutely lovely and, being personalised, I bet her friends will love them.

Alternatively, you could make home made lemon curd, jam, marmalade or cakes. Don't buy branded ingredients but for for the bargain shop brands. You can cut lovely fabric tops for the jars and make labels with beautiful script from your computer fonts.

Good luck!