Hmmmmm Christmas nope no shopping done. I have however made most of my Christmas cards but I start them in June. Should really get moving as dear duaghter is due to present us with our third grandchild on the 12th  December and I will have my hands full helping out with the older two while she gets into the routine.Thinking about it also have my nieces 18th before then aswell

Well after posting about my parents on here last night i felt guilty about going away for xmas and leaving them on their own...thats what they do to us...so today like a good daughter i rang them and asked them for xmas lunch today,a bit early but it worked...my parents,my son and his girlfriend all had a lovely day.
I had to rush out this morning and get everything for lunch..including crackers.
Their happy now so in turn im happy.
Dogs loved xmas lunch.

> I am going on holiday on Monday for 10 days and will probably panic when I get back. 
>

Where you going?  If possible I try to do some shopping whilst away, things always seem to be so much cheaper elsewhere, assuming you're going abroad Duty Free this time of year should be a real bonus!

I've done a few things, mainly bought things when I've sen them on offer, also finished making all my own cards last night in front of Top Gear!  This is the first year I've made them & I'm quite impressed with myself, loads cheaper than buying & gives me something to do in the cold, dark evenings.  I've bought some church candles I'm going to decorate too & give as gifts.  I'm trying to be a bit more creative & make my money stretch a little further this year - so if anyone has any creative, easy ideas please let me know!!

From reading the replies on here I'm glad I'm not the only who isn't feeling really festive yet.

We always have a very low key Christmas, we don't have kids and although I have loads of relatives we don't go all out on huge presents.

We have 7 people to buy for, plus each other this year, and I think (hope) we will probably spend less than £150 in total on all of the presents for others.

I have got 3 presents sorted out already, my Mum loves flowers and also fairies and things like that, so I have made her a big silk flower display on a plate, with a model fairy on top, surrounded by glass beads and pearls. It's taken weeks to make, but has only cost around £14. I am painting an abstract for my best friend to go with her newly re-decorated lounge (this is what she asked for!!) The canvas has cost me £7.99 and I have some paint already, so maybe only another £2 or £3 for some extra paint if needed.

For OH, I have bought him a Nokia slide phone that he wanted, they are going for around £150 on ebay, but my friend at work had one, and has just upgraded to a new phone, so she offered me her Nokia for £30! I will need to get it unlocked (£10) and that is my pressie for OH sorted(he is over the moon with it too!) I think he is buying something for my car (we both race) so it will be something useful, but I would rather have a useful present than luxuries (my parents bought us some pans one year for the kitchen!) :-)

If we can stick to our budget of £150 for other people's pressies, and no more than £50 on each other then I'll be happy.

Claire

I was only trying to help you, i feel really bad now :( :( :(

Don't feel bad Yorkies, everyone feels differently about Xmas.  No need to feel bad about getting festive.

I love the way everyone focuses on Christ at this time of the year! ;-) Funny how it's all because of Him, yet no-one sees it like that anymore!? :-(

>Funny how it's all because of Him, yet no-one sees it like that anymore!? 

A few years ago I was gobsmacked to overhear someone complaining about how people kept 'harping on' (their words) about religion at Christmas ...

Kay, if some people could see your Vet bill then maybe it would put them of trying to make a quick buck by breeding 'WILLY NILLY'!!! :-(

(I'm not suggesting you put it on here...but it should make some people think!);-)

It is very sad, especially for us as we are Christians...almost all get caught up into the 'theme' of Christmas, but not many think about why we do it!

Luvhandles £1000!! I thought I spoilt my two at about £250. We have our own business and the boys have grown up now (20's) and they just have to learn that money is earnt it does not just arrive.
Ben & Helen have moved into a flat so they have had money towards furniture and a few odd things. Sam & Sophia are in Kent and Im buying a few bits and some cash for Sam. But both boys have no real concept of money they just write a note and I usually choke up some, but as Builders times are getting tougher and they have to help us out.
Ben would think of nothing spending £2500 on a mountain bike we have had to curtail his spending now he's a flat owner. I blame myself for their expensive taste. My parents were/are wealthy but my OH's arent so his more (polite way of saying tight) better way means we have savings and pensions now, left to my own divices we might not have.
Ohh Im lecturing - sorry.
Anyway Ben is home for two days, Sam isnt he is staying in Kent so we have booked from 27th Dec a narrow boat for 6, us two dogs and an open invite to any family & friends to join us for a day or two travelling really slowly and doing very little....
Its how we like to be now we are approaching old farthood!!!

Can I come??? lol ;-)

Kiger, if it makes you feel any better, we have the same problem this year - we have our own business and it's so quiet at the moment. we don't really buy many gifts, just my parents and our two boys (they are the problem) One wants an apple Imac and the other wants an LCD tv plus lots of other bits and bobs.We always tend to spend about £1000 on each of them but it just can't happen this year 

  Kids can often impress us with their understanding. Just because they have had parents who have been able to give them quite a lot at Xmas previous years certainly doesn't mean they will be any less grateful this year with less in my opinion :-)   There is nothing wrong with given them what you can afford when you can afford to as long as they understand why you are able to and when you are not able to.  It comes down to good parenting really and I am sure they will understand Luvhandles.

so we have booked from 27th Dec a narrow boat for 6, us two dogs and an open invite to any family & friends to join us for a day or two travelling really slowly and doing very little....


Sounds lovely Whistler. I was just looking at booking a week away in the sun from the 27th..  Can't believe how many companies are out of circulation this year.

Well Im finding it very hard to get motivated this year - Its my first christmas as a divorcee (that bits good!) but I have the ex trying to win brownie points by offering to buy a large present for our daughter (as he does not have her for the rest of the year, only an hour a week). I do have a new partner but as it was me who instigated the divorce - with good reason may I add - and my ex is unhappy with his single life, it is frowned on that I should have met someone else. So he's got to be kept under (festive) wraps, so to speak. Oooh so complicated!
I used to love christmas. Hope I get that back one day?

Yep enough room for a newfie any day luckily enough it has two bedrooms and two shower rooms (one for smellie dogs)
Two bunks as well we cant wait, we did a canal boat holiday in 2007 it was great so now its us and doggies in the cold lovely..

> Nope I still refuse to even acknowledge Christmas, not December yet

Ditto... OH was also with out job for 10 weeks , (used xmas pressie money),  means no Christmas bonus either  that is the short fall !!
Waiting for  DEC 19th wages that .. Easy no problem gives me a whole 6 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How many Satsumas to the £ ???

Dont worry you arent the only one I never really got on with my Mum simply because she was not a nice person!! Dont feel guilty. I used to have christmas with my parents for years and years, then a huge family arguement - then christmas with my kids in my home & boxing day with the rest of the family.
My OH cooks and we eat late afternoon, boxing day with all the family at my brothers - him with the big house, 27th off on the canel boat with the doggies and son's, friends meeting us at various stops for a day or two... cant wait.

Friends of ours had a brilliant idea last year, which they're doing again this year - and I'm tempted. The whole family agree to spend no more than £5 on each person, and the gifts all have to be bought at charity shops. So not only does nobody get into debt over Christmas presents, they all have a lot of fun hunting things down (you can get some marvellous bargains in charity shops) and charities benefit as well. The Spirit of Christmas lives!

Very, very good idea JG!! I actually said I am going to a Shop in Bold, Liverpool, that only sell 'FAIRTRADE' goods...some things are a bit pricier than maybe you could get something for, but the stuff is pretty unique, usually very attractive(like dangling starfish and tortoise!) and you are 'giving' in a way to Charity too!

I do Fairtrade for all our Corporate gifts for the workman and their wives at Christmas.
I have found some lovely hand made teddies from a lady in Dorset an all different materials - I have got 5!!! the one in red tarten is called "Angus" for Ruben hes 16 weeks noy and they have a white one with rosebuds and a paisley one all lovely - hence 5!!!

I have done this with OH for years setting an amount this years its £10.

I mentioned to my family about doing the spend no more than £... on presents for each other. They said it to do with the thought not the money spent. I then made a point that with money being tight it was a good idea..
really want to get someone some chickens from Oxfam for Xmas, though none of my family would take kindly to receiving a gift to say that some chickens has been donated on their behalf...Ooh like the toilet as well...

The thing is that my family, and myself included like the finer things in life.. Siblings always try to outdo the other one in getting the best present for parents etc... Its a nightmare. So glad i;m working on nights now, get to spend the day alone in the house while all family go to lunch together..

I think we all like the finer things in life, but we had goats one year and the card stayed up for about 12 months in stead of forgotten in 5 minutes.
It is a state of mind really I am guilty of trying to buy more expensive gifts when I was a lot younger now OH and I have a trip away and spend £10 (1 year when we moved house I got him a £5 push mower from ebay in a big box!!) last year a £10 old fashioned flying jacket sheepskin for cold dog walking!!  I go for quirky stuff now (I want one of those shop on line) I just will not waste money any more. But it is diffecult if the whole family will not join in.
My brother has my OH and old fashioned sweetie jar filled with "flying saucers" his best sweeties from years gone by!!
His wife and I are off to a spa day together we each pay our own but we have such a laugh together.