Anybody else totally dreading Christmas present buying?

poppy_dozen

I started my shopping a couple of months ago - got some great bargains! I have 8 nieces and nephews to buy for, 2 brothers, 1 sister, my partner, 3 best friends, plus brother and sister in-laws - thats not even getting started on my parents/grandparents.

I managed to get a big order in at an online book company - got about £250 worth of things for under £50.00. As I spent over £45.00 I got free delivery and a free gift of a set of handmade gift bags, wrapping paper and tags! Also got cashback on it all.

If anyone wants to know the site I got it all from just pm me and I will send you the link - seriously amazing items.

Otherwise i'm now not too worried, I've saved up my vouchers which I have gotten from doing surveys etc throughout the year and also got about £50 in clubcard vouchers.

There are always ways around the xmas situation - main thing is to not worry and to not put yourself in trouble financially. Spend only what you can afford, after all, you're the one that ends up suffering whilst trying to pay it all back for the other 364 days of the year.

completelyspent

iwanttobreakfree wrote: »

i love crimbo shopping but i have no bloody money at all this year

Have you signed up to Pigsback? I've got a couple of £10 Boots vouchers and only joined a couple of months ago-refer a couple of people and make sure they claim a reward and then that's a couple of presents sorted-plus Boots do 3 for 2 on Christmas presents and sometimes triple points days too for advantage card holders..

painted_lady

I have made a start, I have got some nieces and nephews gifts in sales, including £2.50 (but paid with points) for a £10 set in boots, seriously reduced toys for nephews etc.
I am also planning the following,
- making christmas cakes as gifts, especially good if you can ice them and present them well
- knitting for the babies
I also have nearly £200 in xmas savings, I have been putting a little away each month this year
- I got 10 rolls of wrap and 2 boxes of cards for 60p in January

cat4772

I made a start in the January sales - bought loads of smellies and gift sets for the male members of the family, but I've got nothing yet for the females! I'll be doing that from October (one lunchtime each week I'll be buying gifts, but I'm not going crazy this year). I'll be doing little pamper packs - bath salts, candle, manicure packs for the women and books for the children (I'm fed up buying expensive toys that are broken by Boxing day)!

For work, I've joined the secret santa so one pressie (£5 - £10) for one person and that's everyone done!

I've got wrap, ribbon and bows saved up from two january sales ago (box costing £2 I picked up for 20p, so I picked up a dozen or so).

Hubby learnt an expensive lesson last year - I'd bought pressies for his brother's wife and four children and asked him to get something for his brother - he gave him £20! Christmas morning he received an England shirt (knock off) from the whole family that had cost less than £10! He wasn't impressed!

Finger's crossed we'll have everything done by December 1st, so that we can then go shopping in the sales again ready for 2008!

Cat.x

rayday2

Thought I was sorted with Christmas till today grrr! Finances are fine been doing surveys so got about £400 in vouchers and Amazon. Tesco and Sainsburys points for food, also been saving on a Game gift card all year to buy a wii.

Its bloody family politics killing me! I fell out with my mother this year and my sister (who I think is part of the problem!) told mum it was hypocritical to accept presents for my children from her, so now mum has got it into her head to send presents to my ex husband (some of you will know nearly died beginning of July and has far more things on his mind than my bloody mother) when will my family realise that he is nowt to do with them anymore. I got on with him but they should not be involving him at all.

Grr sorry I know its not strictly on topic but Christmas does involve famalies - I think I need a shopping trip now to calm down!

lauren_1

I have nearly finished mine, for all our family and for the kids (ok ds will be having a wooden train set left over from dd's 4th birthday which we hid months before and then only just found it in the house move and a trike we got for £19 off of boots in the clearance) we have spent £139.00 but still need to get 5 more so not too bad mind you we did start in february.

lauren_1

And for those you really dont like much or just really cant afford to buy them a present get the kids to make something something nice, large glass jars or vases from car boots can be painted with glass paints to make 'bespoke' lanterns. Same goes for large pebbles they make great paper weights and door stops.

HairyHandofDartmoor

I am totally dreading christmas as I have little money and a large family.

I have 2 sisters, 1 half brother, 3 stepsisters, 1 step brother, 2 sets of parents, and 12 nieces and nephews! And that is just my side of the family!!!

Oh has 2 brothers, 1 sister, and 3 nieces and nephews, plus we have 3 children of our own to buy for!!!!!

We don't buy for cousins or friends, needless to say, but even with a £10 spend for most people, we usually end up spending hundreds of pounds we just don't have.

I need serious help, don't I?

Despite all this I love christmas (it's the fairy lights, they get me all excited!)

MadDogWoman_2

My christmas shopping is quite easy this year for nieces and nephews (11 in total) they each get a selection box.

I then only have to buy for DD, OH and parents. DD shouldn't be too difficult as she will only be 8 months old so only needs a little pressie as she'll probably enjoy playing with the wrapping paper more.

Our families know that we haven't got the cash to splash as I'm on Maternity Leave so haven't been able to save quite the same.

MDW

momisa

I stopped buying Christmas presents a few years ago. I'm lucky though as I'm an adult as are all my friends and family now. What I do now, is offer the "Gift of Time" with people where we decide to do something on a particular day, preferably during Advent. That something could be a movie, dinner, theatre etc but it could also be to spend the day together doing things that don't cost anything such as museums, art galleries, walks in parks or whatever.

My friends have been asking me this year when we're doing our "Gift of Time" which is great as they felt they should buy a gift, and wrap it etc and my compromise with that is to still exchange birthday gifts. It's taken a while but they all embrace their day now and I have great memories of the time I have with them.