Christmas hamper help

mrs_motivated

Hi everyone,

I have a friend with 2 children and they are really struggling financially at the moment. For Christmas I would like to give them a food hamper, but the commercial ones are not really practical (to fancy and not very good value)so I want to make my own, filled with more practical food.

My budget is about £80 to £100, so far I am thinking a small turkey crown, pigs in blankets and mince pies.....but not sure what else to put in Any ideas? I have set aside a shelf in my freezer and will give it to her a week before Christmas , but want it to be a surprise and be I know she will really appreciate it.

I have invited them over to mine on Boxing Day, when we normally have a buffet so that sorts that day out for her, children are 10 and 12 and will eat just about anything.

Do you think it would be best to fill the rest of the hamper with things like teabags, cereal, and everyday food or would you stick to Christmassy treats?

VfM4meplse

What a lovely thought!

Given your friend's circumstances, I'd probably run with the vast majority of long-life staples, with a few treats on top. So yes to tea, also to rice, pasta, couscous, lentils, dried fruit, jam, biscuits, condiments, pickles, breakfast cereals: anything with a long date that can be enjoyed every month until Christmas 2019. It will make your friend's weekly budget stretch so much further and she will thank you for it!

Spendless

If they're struggling financially in general, not just with any additional christmas costs, I'd do a mainly practical hamper with a few additional xmas treats filled in.

Are they staying at home for Christmas day and so will buy a turkey or alternative themselves, or are they going to a relatives, in which case is it still worth getting them one?

Brambling

This is a really nice thing to do

Personally I think if she is really struggling financially she would properly appreciate every day food to feed her children, treats are nice but it would be better to feed them for a week rather than a day.

Maybe add in some nice biscuits or sweets as a little treat

mrs_motivated

VfM4meplse wrote: »

What a lovely thought!

Given your friend's circumstances, I'd probably run with the vast majority of long-life staples, with a few treats on top. So yes to tea, also to rice, pasta, couscous, lentils, dried fruit, jam, biscuits, condiments, pickles, breakfast cereals: anything with a long date that can be enjoyed every month until Christmas 2019. It will make your friend's weekly budget stretch so much further and she will thank you for it!

Thank you, I think you are right about long life staples and I know they do eat quite a lot of pasta and rice based meals. This would also mean I could buy such a lot too ( although the actual 'hamper' might have to become a large Santa sack)

mrs_motivated

Hi Spendless

She has no real family to speak of and is normally at home on her own with the children on Christmas Day, but I take your point about the turkey. Maybe a couple of chickens she could freeze if need be would be more useful than a turkey?

VfM4meplse

mrs_motivated wrote: »

Thank you, I think you are right about long life staples and I know they do eat quite a lot of pasta and rice based meals. This would also mean I could buy such a lot too ( although the actual 'hamper' might have to become a large Santa sack)

You could buy 10p bags for life, they'd be very welcome too I'm sure!

mrs_motivated

Great idea about the bags for life VfM4meplse, especially for the food staples and then perhaps an additional small hamper with a few specific special Christmas treats in for her and the boys.

I just love the OS forum, I'd been thinking about this for ages and kept changing my mind about what to do....a quick post on here and a clear plan is emerging.

Bigjenny

Another suggestion, make the hamper slightly smaller and include a supermarket card with some money on it.

THIRZAH

Perhaps a piece of gammon if you are not sure about the turkey? It will keep for a while in the fridge and be cooked when she needs it.


I'd certainly include a few treats-maybe a box of chocolate biscuits if she has children.

mrs_motivated

Bigjenny wrote: »

Another suggestion, make the hamper slightly smaller and include a supermarket card with some money on it.

I didn't know you could do that, do all the supermarkets do this? I'm thinking Aldi, Lidl or Asda would be the most useful for her as all 3 are in walking distance of where she lives.