HOW DO YOU AFFORD CHRISTMAS?

[betula]

I have just read on another thread about someone not being able to afford Christmas.

Call me old fashioned,but I think it is all about good preparation much earlier in the year.

When my kids were small ,money was so tight.I joined a Christmas club at one of the local stores,chose my goods that I wanted for my kids and the store would store them.I used to go in every week and pay something towards the amount I would need to pay.Bingo,at Christmas ,all paid for.NO debt.

I suppose I am lucky,I have a mother who came up the hard way and knew all about organising money.

Anybody else got any good ways of coping without the credit card?

[betula]

[trinity]

I buy a money box at the beginning of Jan one of the ones that you have to open with a can opener I put in all my £2 coins an £5 or £10 a week depending how much I have to spare  and I save Morison's saving stamps . but as a single mum with three kids I still find affording Christmas's a bit difficult but not impossible. but a lot of my Friends get out loans and get stuff on hire purchase which they know they probably wont be able to pay :o . I think they are Idiots for doing so. my kids know If I have the money they can have any thing they want and if I don't they have to wate

I think some people seem to find it hard to say know to there kids ??? and get them far to much for Christmass.

its like when you see a three year old screaming for another go on one of them coin rides an the adult says no but two minutes later gives in and lets them  but with a lot more money being wasted on things they will never be played with and they don't need ???

(my kids get a go if I have change and they have been good and don't make a fuss if I say no as they know it means no)

don't get me wrong I like to spoil my kids and offtern go without things for me so they have everything they need and want but I would not go in to debit to do so

[pippy]

I tend to spread the Christmas shopping out - buy the crackers one week, wrapping paper the next, etc from mid November.  I also save up the "points" supermarkets give you and put that towards the booze and the "big shop" just before the big day.

Like you, I don't spend a lot on the kids.  Sometimes they can surprise you - last year the number one item on my 5 year old's list to Santa was "a snake".  After nearly falling off my chair I resolved to find a rubber one!!  He was quite happy with it!

The kids do get lots of presents from grandparents though and after experience you have to give them guidelines!  Otherwise you end up with things that don't fit in the house!

[thegreatgardener]

I afford Christmas very easily. I only have 5 people to give to and each gets a £25 debit card.

[posie]

Every year I plan to be organised and every year.............I never am.  I do collect saving stamps from the supermarket for the meal and trimmings etc.  The kids stuff however I normally use vouchers from a doorstep collector, but only at a level that I know that I can afford, I never go over the limit from that.  It's not ideal, but with my personal circumstances as they are it suits me at the moment.  Maybe next year I'll be more organised lol  ;D

[honeybee]

Years back I used to have something like 20-25 people to buy for, but now I am more sensible and just have six or seven people on my list and a few secret santas.

My boys are grown up, but I love Christmas and they still get heaving sacks but we are in a position to do that and its lots of fun so thats fine with me.

When the boys were young and I stayed at home to look after them and money was tighter, I used to have a savings account that was just for Christmas and from January to December  every year without fail,I would save my family allowance and tuck it into my account..
Like Betula said, I had a Mum who was very organised with money, in fact my parents ran a fruitful business and taught me how to manage from a very young age so that it became second nature.

With regards to food, first and foremost I have over the last couple of years learned to be less extravagent!  :-[
Waste not, want not and all that!
Towards the end of November, I buy in something extra each week, whether it be alcofrolic  :P ....or crisps, nuts, pickles or whatever and then I watch out for offers. Last week at Tesco they had half price salmon so i bought eight sides of salmon and stuck them in the freezer.
I enjoy being organised, I know its sad, but it gives me a sense of satisfaction  ::)  ;D

[Emagggie]

Over the years we have wasted food by buying extravagantly. Not any more. I wont buy the tins of Quality street as every one moans that they really shouldn't eat them, and the kids (25 and over) get their fav chocs in their stocking. No bags of nuts that hang around for ever, no tins of biscuits.
Gifts amongst the grown-ups now have an upper limit of £5 and even better if they are home made or amusing and/or from a charity shop. We all agreed it's more fun this way, and as Boxing day is the day we all get together, we all contribute to the food and drink. So much less stressful. ;D

[debster]

i have to say that we are fairly lucky as we both earn quite well, however we do have to pay maintenance for 3 children (not that we object) i do start buying stuff from about august onwards or when i see stuff that is suitable for people.
as for food we dont buy anymore then we normally would only more christmassy stuff, never buy tins of chocolates we usually get given enough, the most money we spend is on the 3 children and my nieces and nephews if we cant afford it they/we cant have it simple as that we pay cash for everything

[flossy]

   Years ago , things were tight --  divorced Mum two kids in college and we decided that we would only spend £5 on each of us,  well it was a bit of a challenge [ 1970 s ]

  The  biggest outlay was the tree, and it was awesome with the lights and angel hair that made the
  lights look like glass  ' bulls eyes ',  well we started with a good english breakfast and opened our
  presents, hadn't had so much fun for years .

  Our breakfast turned into lunch and coffee turned into wine, there were four of us , son daughter
  boyfriend [ hers ]  me and our cat, it was special because we laughed a lot talked and didn't want to l
  leave the table.

  floss xxx

[Suzanne]

I am old fashioned, more so than my family for who the most part are about amount spent and reciprocating. I have tried setting a limit on the amount per gift so people really think about what the recipients hobbies are - most of which are economically accommodated as long as you are willing to spend time and effort thinking about the best present. All to little avail.

So this year as per others I'll buy things that I think they like then max it up till it becomes expensive. Total waste as I the things I think people like are the ones you have really thought about and are personal..........well that's what i like anyway.

You will have to forgive me tonight - its been a hard week at work, I have had a bit to drink (hope my spelling etc not suffering too much) and a bit free with my comments.

[kt.]

We buy the supermarket food stamps and save monthly into a Christmas kitty.  I also buy Christmas paper and cards in the January sales for the following year.  Every year I always go nuts with my OH for over spending on every man and his dog. I could easily cut Christmas expenditure down by at least 1/3rd if it was just down to me ;)

[Borlotti]

Well I must be really, really mean, only buy for the children/granchildren, but saw a lovely book in the library by Noel Streatfield, 'When the siren wailed' cost 10p as they sell off old books (my sister remembers the war, but I was only a baby).  Will certainly read it first to see if it is suitable to give to her.  Bought a leather purse from the cat charity shop for 50p and it is brilliant.  Everyone wants to buy everything for everybody but it has got too commercial, and babies enjoy the wrapping paper and boxes better than the expensive toys.  When we were really hard up with two children bought mother-in-law a beautiful table cloth, she kept it in a drawer and two years later gave it back to me, said it wasn't her taste and she had never used it.  She wasn't being nasty, it is so dificult to buy for people, I know that most of the time I wish people hadn't wasted money on me.  If you have the money spend it, if not don't, I spent more when I was working but now I am retired I play the 'poor old lady' game.  The adverts on TV and the build up starts in November and by December I think everyone is fed up and glad when it is Boxing Day and the pressure is off and we can get back to normal.  

[cocopops]

Since we met ten years ago we have spent an average of £15 on each sibbling and their OH.  My husband is one of five and I am one of two.  Thats £150 before we get into nieces/nephews, friend's children, parents etc..

This year we told everyone that if they wanted to buy for our two children then that was fine but we did not want anything ourselves.  We said they would get a token present from our children but not to expect anything grand.  I have managed to get something for all of them for about £4.50 each.  

When my husband went back to see his mum (we live in Brittany) he came home with an extra suitcase full of presents for the children and us!!!  I firstly felt guilty that we should have to buy extra presents then thought we gave them fair warning and they will have to have what I planned.

IMO Christmas is for the children and I really do not need any more 'smellies'.  Maybe this year I will be able to concentrate my limited funds on my children instead of a likely unwanted gift for a family member.

[debster]

my brother is buying for kids only this year as he has a new baby which is absolutely fine by me i have still bought something for him and his partner though as he has done lots of little things for me my sister in law was really ill and with a new baby they wont be getting much for themselves so id like to treat them

[Hyacinth]

I have just read on another thread about someone not being able to afford Christmas.

Call me old fashioned,but I think it is all about good preparation much earlier in the year.

But it's a changing world, and it's changing/has changed so quickly :'( Peeps who had no idea at the beginning of the year that they'd be 'credit-crunched' (to use the 'in' jargon) out of their homes, their jobs and their lives and couldn't predict it would be....

We were so fortunate back in the Olden Days - and the Golden Olden Days weren't too many ago? - when there was job security & therefore income etc. to be able to plan ahead & save a nest egg that wouldn't be raided for more essentials, ie a roof over your head/gas/leccy> was....errrr....secure? Those days have gone. :'(

I'm pleased that I'm not young any more.  We, and our parents, despite us being War Babies, had it well.....there was at least a future to look forward to and work for our parents to be had.

[Hyacinth]

......and Oh Suzanne!, you are my Cyber-Sista ;) ;D I so agree with all your beautifully-typed  ;) comments 8)

[valmarg]

You really need to read the moneysavingexpert website.  He always bangs on about Christmas Day being 25th December every year, so it shouldn't come as any surprise.  To pay for it you should start setting aside money in January, not have an expensive binge on the credit cards in November/December, and need to find the money in January/February.

Its common sense, but from personal experience 'easier said that done'.

Anyway, as gardeners, by Christmas we will be past the Winter solstice, and days getting lighter every day.  Roll on the sowing season. ;D ;D

valmarg

[Amazin]

My offspring wrote me a book of vouchers for things like a day's work on the allotment, a day's work in the garden, a day's decorating, etc plus a few blank ones at the back for me to fill in as I wanted. Best prezzie ever -  that and the remote control fart machine - brilliant!

(sigh... he knows me so well)

;D

[valmarg]

Amazin, I don't suppose you could get your offspring to put us on his list for a bit of 'gardening' and 'decorating'.

The only thing we could 'trade' are free tickets to Alton Towers.  Come to think of it, that's probably more of a punishment. :o :o ???

valmarg

[Amazin]

Ah, so you don't want the remote control fart machine then?

;D