stressing about xmas.... help.

[welshcowgirl]

ok, sorry to put i downer on the board, but i am so stressing out.

theres, about 7 weeks to xmas, and we havnt started saving yet, or bought a thing. and we have 4 kids to buy for!!!!

the 8yo, wants and ipod touch, 7yo wants a new motox bike and the 5yo wants either the other 2 wants. plus a 13 mo.

dh worked out if we save from now we will have £700. nowhere near enough.

I so dont know what to do.

 

[Scally]

Do u have tescos clubcard vouchers coming through, we have just got ours- you could double them up on toys or something?
there are lots of places with sales on at the mo, u could have a trawl on internet sites and see who is selling the things cheaper? x

 

[princess_bump]

i agree, keeping looking online, use ebay as well. when you google search, it will bring up the froogle search shopping results which show the cheaper prices.
Christmas can be a really stressful time, but try to remember all the good things, like just being there for each other xx

 

[Amy-Lea]

Is there any chance of getting a littlewoods or very catalogue and paying off them after the new year? x

 

[welshcowgirl]

ohh thanks for the replies girls!!!

so nice of you to give some sugestions.

we dont use tesco, so we dont have a club card.

and me and dh have bad credit, so catalogues are out too. x

 

[Blah11]

It's not worth getting yourselves in debt over. You'll just need to save as hard as you can but not beat yourself up about it. Just budget and bargain hunt. Moneysavingexpert has a grabbit board in the forum FULL of great bargains.

 

[welshcowgirl]

thanks for the reply blah.

no we really dont want to get into debt, as we have a baby due in may, so once xmas is over we need to buy a double pram ect, and that is more essentials than a bunch of new toys.

its going to be really tough though as I dont have a spare penny, so what dh saves will be it, and he cant save any more than £140 per week.

so, so dreading xmas now!!!

when I was little, I was greatful for a 2nd hand bike.

these days they want i pod touches and bloody motox bikes!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[krissie1234uk]

If you buy second hand you will get a lot more for your money. Try preloved, ebay and looking in your local paper.
I'm sure you will manage and just remember that it's the memories of time spent together as a family that will stay with your kids throughout life, not what presents they got.

 

[Blah11]

Yeah, an 8 year old wont care if his ipod is 2nd hand, thats for sure!

 

[bumps_a_daisy]

I would tell the kids Santa doesnt make ipod touch, (my mum told my brother and i something like that when we were little and couldnt afford the silly list of toys we asked for) Or give some money towards it and ask other relatives/friends to give money this year so they can save up money for the ipod ect.

Xmas is about family and over eating not about who has the best present.
Hus

 

[KiansMummy]

my brothers into motocross such an expensive hobby, always trying to convince him to do football much more cheaper lol. xx

 

[xCorkettex]

I agree with bumps-a-daisy, its not about who has got the best/priciest present.....if my son asked for a present that i couldn't afford i would tell him outright that im not giving santa that much money. Luckily for me my son asks for toys that are age and price appropriate but i plan to tell him that in the future if he asks for expensive gifts.

 

[hazzabeanie]

i agree with above posters, he is only 8 why dont u say to him, we will give u money and u can save for it?? cause kids dont understand the concept of money hun xx

 

[welshcowgirl]

great ideas girls, thanks.

only prob is the 7 & 8 yr olds arnt biologically mine, they are dh from a previous relationship, and are incredibly spoilt. their mum buys them new toys every week, and i dont mean from the pound shop!!

their will be a major strop if they dont get what they want.

we dont encorage that behaviour here, they get nothing, maybe some sweets or something cheap from time to time.

for example it was the 8yo birthday a few weeks ago, and he was going on about how many presents he was going to get, and I reminded him, it wasnt how many presents he got, he was tobe greatful and thankful for whoever remembered his birthday..... somebody gave him £5 in a card, and he stomped off.

 

[bumps_a_daisy]

^^^^^ blooming eck
Stick by your guns, or perhaps talk to the mum and explain that you have other priorities now. I think giving some money would be really good.
x

 

[welshcowgirl]

I dont speak to their mum, never met her, only seen her from the car when we drop them off.

maybe I should explain a bit better, the older 2 get whatever their mum buys them o xmas morning, then they come here in the afternoon and get whatever we buy. they dont take what we buy them to their mums, and vice versa.

dh doesnt have much contact with her, he texts her couple times a week to see how they are, then she will do the same at the wkend when they are with us. then on a sunday takes them back to her door, hands over maintenance, and then leaves.

 

[lornapj83]

hey this year ive been making things like buying stuff like cheap pens pencil crayons ect and making my boys a craft set i DO NOT buy selection boxs either as my boys dont like all of the chocolate so i buy sweets from iceland 4 smarties or maltesers etc for £1 and ill make them for my boys myself and kids dont need everything brand new ebay is freat and amazon i always google what im buying and getting it from the cheapest place xx

 

[MrsBop]

If you can't afford an ipod, he can't have it, simple as that, kids need to learn they can't have everything they want and unfortunately money doesn't grow on trees, I have told my son that i can only send so much to Santa so he might not get everything he wants, could you do the same? Please dont stress so much over one day. xx

 

[welshcowgirl]

think it looks like we will have to be doing that

 

[country_girl8]

at the end of the day if u cant afford something then dont buy it thats my motto lol