no i really do feel bad for thinking we'd not get him much as he won't know! will have to re think that now!!!!

i think i'm an absolute tight ass!!

i only spend about £100 on each of them, but they get a present from each of my siblings, both of their grandads, sam's brothers etc so they're spoilt rotten


i have a huge family...5siblings, all their partners, 8nieces and nephews, dad and his partner...all sam's family too so xmas is pretty bloody expensive for us

Susan,Libby+1 wrote:

marioandthestuntbubs wrote:

Man im a tight ass i think

If you are then we are too

I just couldn't justify spending so much money when there are other more important things to buy, especially with another one on the way.

Mind you saying that, I've just spent £80 in Next on clothes for Libby

The other reason is we are going to be treating Libby to something when this one x comes, which will probs be a doll, pram etc so around £50. x

Yeah we have already got c a present from bubba put away and its her bd 6 weeks after that.

Im same as kenty as well, c will get summat from my mum and step dad, my step mum and dad, neils parents, both my sisters, her godmother and possibly both her uncles too

It's disgusting! I hate it! And tbh..the kids don't really appreciate it at all. Last year we bought the two of them those mini Dell laptops, speakers and doo-dahs that go with it..and tonnes of clothes..and toys for Madisyn...they just toss em all aside..and could care less. For the rest of the family..we draw names out of a hat..Shayne and I give to my dad and a BIL..and we always buy for the nieces and nephews. I do manage to throw together a little box of goodies for my parents..even tho it's breaking the rules. This year, we are going to buy things they need..like new bedding sets..Matt wants the Quicksilver set, and Madisyn wants the Bobby Jack Peace set. Makynlee is easy..clothes..few toys..and whatnot.

I only buy for the kids, OH, my mum, OH's mum and that's it really! This year we might get OH's niece and nephew something and I have got my bro and his gf a little token (less than a £5 spent on each of them!)

I hadn't spoken to my dad for over a year up til a few weeks ago but I will probably get him a bottle of wine, and his wife a little something (but only cause I have too!!) and will get my half bro who is 13 something too! The rest of my step bro's are over 21 so don't get presents!

I think christmas is so over hyped about what you should buy etc! and for me its about spending time with the family!!!

As for food OH gets a turkey and other bits and bobs from work which saves a bit. His lovely mum has offered to get and roast a joint of beef for us so thats meat sorted. Just veg etc to buy! My mum likes baking so will probably make some sweet bits like cakes and mince pies! As for booze non of us drink that much (I still have 2 bottles of vodka left from last christmas!!) and I have already bought my bottle of mead for my christmas tipple although not sure how much I will get to drink as hoping to BFing!!!

xxxx

Have any of you pre paid for those Christmas Hampers? The Chriso ones advertised on tv?

Ive spent a tenner on my sisters this year as they are now 20 and 22 i really don need to go nuts on em and my step bro and sis im not buying for cos i speak to em like once a year

i've spent about £200, which is a lot but bought her smart trike in with that . i just think it's special being her first Christmas.

usually me and OH spend £200 on each other but we've set a budget for £40 each.

yeah i have huge family - well 4 of em, both mine and oh family are divorced and remarried, so it does cost a fortune!!
i am feeling really bad for spending so much on them now coz they also get loads from all 4 sets of granparents, and all 6 aunties, as well as my grandparents and my aunts and uncles, and OHs aunts and uncles - ive never realised how much of a waste of money it all is before i have spend about £250 each on em so far, i think i may leave it at that.
god i do feel well bad now though, what a waste of money

It really baffles me how times have changed..there is absolutely no way I could justify spending all that money on toys/gadgets for my LO. Eventually we will have 2 LO's and spending 2/300+ on each is just mind boggling That'd be well over a months rent Its only xmas?!

jenshayne wrote:

Have any of you pre paid for those Christmas Hampers? The Chriso ones advertised on tv?

nope. not organised enough to do that!! lol xXx

It's all the high tech shit that costs a fortune..computer..ipods..cell phone..drum machines keyboards/synths..video game consoles and games..all of it..this is what the older kids expect now..and it's like you feel like you have to "keep up with the jones's" now days.

too right jen...sam always asks for an iphone, coffee maker, laptop...proper expensive stuff and it costs me a bloody fortune...


i ask him for nothing...ever

Them Jones's can go swivel I've never liked their style anyhoo

Neil asked me for a table this year

evan gets spoiled from my parents aswell they spend far to much on the grandkids in my opinion! so other than the 2 toys ive seen im not buyin him anymore toys

Last year we spent over £200 on callum atleast £30 on each family member and £160 on eachother.
Not this year were really tight for money untill march cos big bills that hit us till then so each family member gonna get like a set frm boots or some thing like that upto £15ish. Were not buying eachother anything.

Callums got a slide £20 ball movin toy £12 and were gonna get him a trolley with the food and a till and il fill his stocking with lil bits n thats it.

In march were taking callum on a big toy spree to make up for it hes gonna have pressies to open n family all will have pressies for him to open. were just gonna treat in march i cant wait

I want a toaster this year

i have spent about £100 for xmas for lilly and £200 for her birthday (4 days after) luckly i had bought everything by september! but as i am not working now funds are tight so my family have said not to bother buying for them this year, my mum and nan buy quite a bit for lilly too. i bought OH his new xbox when they came out as a joint bday xmas present so dont have to worry about what to buy him!!
x

Im not spending much on the boys this year. They dont know any better and they have pretty much everything anyway. We are going to center parcs after xmas as well so they will get spoilt there as well no doubt.

Lisa wrote:

I want a toaster this year

Lol you are as exciting as us. Neil wants a table for his rc racing so ive got him one and im asking for vouchers for bedding and baby stuff

ummm i asked for a pair of wellies from santa (or father birthday, whichever) we bought eli a jumperoo on offer this week which he will be in in a couple of weeks but that's pretty much his christmas...he will be 7 months by then so a few little bits and pieces - he won't really need much

we have set a limit of £60 each for me and hubby because we still have a bit of money but this is the last year that we will haha last year we spent ludicrous amounts so we are much more careful this year

i did hampers for my brothers and parents (so 4 boxes with little things like bedsocks, sundried tomatoes, meccano, gift card etc just random things that would suit them) other than that we don't really buy for anyone else!

Arwyn's getting a jumperoo and maybe a couple things in a stocking but there's no point when she's not even 6 months old, we've asked the family not to go mad either. but even when she's older i think it's obscene to spend that kind of money on her, maybe £200 max cos things add up but no way could we justify more than that!!

Does anyone else spend more on one side of the family in comparrison to the other? MIL although she's quite well off prides herself in being tight. My Mum on the other hand will always buy us something we either really want or really need eg she bought us a new front door last xmas along with things to unwrap and a trip to the theater. Whereas we got smellies from MIL. So we kind of buy something we know my Mum will really love (I bought her a very limited addition print and went through hell and high water to find it) and MIL's prezzie gets bought by OH who rarely puts much thought into anything. I feel awful for it but it's just how it happens. Plus I only buy for my Mum and Grampy on my side whereas OH has 2 sets of parents and 2 sisters and their OH's, and his grandparents.

we sort of just do our own sides - i see to my parents and brothers and oh does what he wants with his side (kick them up the arse for all i care haha)

we have asked people not to buy elijah much, i know they might want to get him a couple of things but our house isn't big enough for piles of stuff, especially nasty plastic crap that makes noises (like our jumperoo, hypocrite!), im such a snob