- This topic has 3 replies, 1 voice, and was last updated November 16, 2007 at 12:17 pm by .
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If you think you can use it, how about looking at various Christmas
charity groups? It’s not much help (more people in recent years
needing the help, and less people being able to donate), but it IS
help.
You could also try and do some homemade items for giving them. It
wouldn’t hurt to sit them down, either, and just explain that
Christmas may be a bit smaller this year, because of bills.
I bought my first Christmas item at the begining of September, and
I’m got the kids mostly done. This year has been good for us in
terms of a bit of extra money, though.
When I was in the closet the other day, I also found a stash of
items I had picked up last year that I never gave to anyone, which
finished off what I bought for my older neice, as well as giving me
a special ornament for both the girls- In March, I found a Hallmark
that was going out of business, and got some cute girly ornaments
for around $1 each. I still need to get my son something, but at
least the girls have it covered.
You could also try looking at Dollar Tree. I don’t like to buy junk,
but I love perusing what they have, because often, they have great
little items.
I found packets of tiny sparkly stickers (Spiderman for Chris,
Tinkerbell for Raegan, My Little Ponies for Gilly, and Barbie for my
neice Aubree, who will be here Christmas morning) for the stockings,
as well as gel pens for Raegan, matchbox car for Chris, Dora the
Explorer card games for Gilly & Aubree, etc.
They have character bubble bath right now, and yesterday I found a
heart shaped trinket box made of those velvet “posters” that you
color- the box has purple velvet, and Tinkerbell all over it, then
it has 4 mini paper posters to color inside of it, and markers.
Raegan will love it. a few days ago, i found her a cd full of
sleepover music, like “girls just wanna have fun”, etc.
they have socks that are fun- raegan is getting a pair of white knee
highs with bright colored metallic stripes running up the sides, and
gilly is getting a cute pair of white socks with a green carebear on
them, and pink hearts. nothing for boys, though. 🙁
i would just start there. my goal is to look at items, and if i can
find each kid 1 nice item there when I go, I’ll pick 3 things up and
tuck them away for Christmas.
It’s not big spending- $3 each time, but it’s given me a stock pile
of small gifts. Because we’re buying them each a hand-held game
system this year (ds for the older two, leapster for gilly), they
won’t be getting a lot of gifts, so these nicer dollar tree gifts
will help round out the tree.
then, of course, there are thrift shops. i found raegan a brand new
paid of soccer ball slippers (she loves soccer) for $2 months ago,
so she’s getting those, all wrapped up with her knee high socks.
Jst the other day I found brand name boutique style clothes, like
Limited Too, at Goodwill. I got her 2 Limited Too shirts, and a
Limited Too short brown short sleeved jacket with sequins on the hem
of the sleeve. I have no doubt that jacket probably originally sold
for around $40-50, and I got it for $2, in brand new condition. She
LOOOOVES Limited Too, but no way I’m paying those prices! I also
found a pair of brown pants from Target with the tags still on them
for $2. I walked out of the store with 4 nice clothing gifts for $8.
Too bad it was Blue tag instead of green, or it’d only have been
$4! 😉
Get creative. Kids don’t care if someone else loved that outfit
before them, as long as it looks good still. We also lucked out- my
father-in-law sends us stuff all the time, including clothing my
husband would never in his life wear. We use it to give to other
people. This week, he sent a box with new clothes for Chris, and a
bathrobe for him. Well, he told Nick to go ahead and wrap it up
from “Santa” or “Mom & Dad” for Christmas if we wanted, so I did.
The robe is going to go to Raegan, though- Chris got a brand new one
this Spring when they were on clearance really cheap, and doesn’t
need it. I’m going to get out this fluffy purple fuzzy fabric I
have, and “girl” it up just a tad, but Raegan has been asking for a
robe and will love it.
— In Budget101_@yahoogroups.com, “maria”
wrote:
>
> Does anyone not have the Christmas spirit?? Or have the case of
the
> Grinches??My cell phone has that themesong folks!! I usually start
> shopping for Christmas in August,but the last two years,things
poped up
> and low and behold here I am still pondering where the time
went,how I
> am going to get it all done,and where the money is going to come
from!
> I still hadn’t even gotten my Turkey and fresh sweet potatoes!! I
am
> going to have 4 family members to shop for and my tradition is buy
the
> ritual underware,socks,toothbrushes and paste and Christmas pajamas
> (which I let them open on X-mas eve) to get the Christmas eve
picture!
> But being the gas is now 3 dollars a gallon and daycare(so I can
work)
> is at 70 dollars a week(12 dollars extra a full day)I barley make
> enough to pay the bills! I am needing a Winter coat and there just
> isn’t enough money to go around again this year!! How can I make
it a
> good Christmas,any advice or things you can come up with would
help me
> greatly.
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