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Old 12-02-2016, 01:40 PM
 
Location: Las Vegas
14,229 posts, read 29,970,145 times
Reputation: 27686

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It's no fun to be broke during the holidays. But it's even worse to spend money you don't have and then do without to get the debt paid off. Gifts don't have to be expensive there are lots of used books and DVD's that can be had for a few bucks. Make a budget and stick to it. Be creative!
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Old 12-02-2016, 02:09 PM
 
Location: near bears but at least no snakes
26,650 posts, read 28,557,937 times
Reputation: 50477
Long ago I had a friend who didn't have enough money for all the presents he was supposed to buy for his nieces and nephews. He was a chef so he made cookies for them. They COMPLAINED.

Most kids today are too spoiled and they get brainwashed by all the commercialism. They see ads on tv and they HAVE to have that item. You just can't keep up with that.

So if it's for kids, send them a Christmas card to let them know you're thinking of them. Even a gift card won't do it. I tried that but they don't appreciate it. Not unless it's for about $100 or more--and I bet they still won't appreciate it.

For little kids maybe you can make something. My husband and I don't bother for each other but we make a few special pies. The grandchildren live in England and it cost well over $50 last year in postage to send a LIGHT WEIGHT box, not counting the cost of the contents. But for a birthday I sent something they couldn't get there--an inexpensive child's bracelet made by natives in South America. I then printed out a world map and drew lines showing where the bracelet came from and how it went over the sea to England. Did the same thing for the little boy--just a plastic lobster from Maine with lines drawn showing its journey and a printed note about lobsters (along with a suggestion that the claws are very good for nipping someone's nose! LOL) Their mother thought those were great presents! Better than the expensive box of Christmas presents with the high postage.

So I guess I'm saying to either make something--knit, crochet, sew, build, construct. For an older kid, make a little cookbook of favorite family recipes. Or do something educational that they can learn from or use in school. I've also thought of drawing up their family tree for them with pictures of them and their mom, dad, grandparents. You can find templates online, print it out, and fill it in, keep it simple. Put it in a frame that you buy at a thrift store.
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Old 12-03-2016, 06:42 AM
 
Location: Elsewhere
88,292 posts, read 84,292,537 times
Reputation: 114639
Quote:
Originally Posted by oregonwoodsmoke View Post
Foot note here: if you do have children to give gifts to and if you bake, you can give a package of home made cookies, even to children, and that will be an appreciated gift. Not many kids don't like cookies and if you pick the right recipe, cookies can be fairly low cost.

I have a brief little memory from when I was very young. I took the wrapping paper off of a gift from my aunt and it was a Sees candy box. I was absolutely delighted until I opened the box and it wasn't chocolates, it was a pair of mittens. I think that was the year I was 5; kids like food gifts, too.
Beat me to it. My sister was broke as heck when her daughter was little, and she used to bake cookies as gifts. They were good. As you said, if you can scrounge up enough for butter, sugar, eggs, and flour, you can do it.
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Old 12-03-2016, 08:11 AM
 
1 posts, read 806 times
Reputation: 14
We skip the gifts when the extended family gets together and everyone brings a dish to pass and we play board games.

I have a cousin who is strapped this year and has 9 grown children, some with families of their own. What she did was shopped garage sales and thrift stores throughout the year and made gift baskets for each family. With a little something for each person in their family basket. She is rounding it out with some dollar store items as well.

What we are doing this year because everything is so expensive is just giving cash to the older kids, and few toys to the younger ones, then we are going to go to the movies (cheap $2.50 matinee) one day, and on another day we are getting take out from a deep fry place. We rarely ever eat our or go to the movies so this will be a treat for the kids.
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Old 12-03-2016, 08:42 AM
 
Location: Wisconsin
19,480 posts, read 25,056,304 times
Reputation: 51113
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sammick View Post
We skip the gifts when the extended family gets together and everyone brings a dish to pass and we play board games.

I have a cousin who is strapped this year and has 9 grown children, some with families of their own. What she did was shopped garage sales and thrift stores throughout the year and made gift baskets for each family. With a little something for each person in their family basket. She is rounding it out with some dollar store items as well.

What we are doing this year because everything is so expensive is just giving cash to the older kids, and few toys to the younger ones, then we are going to go to the movies (cheap $2.50 matinee) one day, and on another day we are getting take out from a deep fry place. We rarely ever eat our or go to the movies so this will be a treat for the kids.
Thanks for the great ideas.

Gift baskets are a great idea. For many years (well over two decades) I used to shop the after, after holiday sales. One specific department store would put all of their seasonal items on sale for 90% off about a week to a week and a half after the holiday and I would be there as soon as the store opened in the morning. With the Red Card giving me an extra 5% off it was like all of these new items were tax free. It was amazing what was considered "seasonal" but was still very useful and nice for other times of the year.

I used to make these huge, huge gift baskets to donate to various organizations as raffle prizes or door prizes. While others were buying new items at full cost or at sale prices to donate to the organizations, as fundraiser gift baskets my items, while new, were often purchased at 90% off retail prices so I would be able to put together items that would raise loads of money at silent auctions for a very small amount of cash.

Sometimes I would use these items as gifts and if you purchased the basket & several of the items inside for 90% off, even if you purchased a "Wow" gift as the centerpiece, it was still very reasonable in price.
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Old 12-03-2016, 08:51 AM
 
Location: Wisconsin
19,480 posts, read 25,056,304 times
Reputation: 51113
Quote:
Originally Posted by in_newengland View Post
Long ago I had a friend who didn't have enough money for all the presents he was supposed to buy for his nieces and nephews. He was a chef so he made cookies for them. They COMPLAINED.

Most kids today are too spoiled and they get brainwashed by all the commercialism. They see ads on tv and they HAVE to have that item. You just can't keep up with that.

So if it's for kids, send them a Christmas card to let them know you're thinking of them. Even a gift card won't do it. I tried that but they don't appreciate it. Not unless it's for about $100 or more--and I bet they still won't appreciate it.

For little kids maybe you can make something. My husband and I don't bother for each other but we make a few special pies. The grandchildren live in England and it cost well over $50 last year in postage to send a LIGHT WEIGHT box, not counting the cost of the contents. But for a birthday I sent something they couldn't get there--an inexpensive child's bracelet made by natives in South America. I then printed out a world map and drew lines showing where the bracelet came from and how it went over the sea to England. Did the same thing for the little boy--just a plastic lobster from Maine with lines drawn showing its journey and a printed note about lobsters (along with a suggestion that the claws are very good for nipping someone's nose! LOL) Their mother thought those were great presents! Better than the expensive box of Christmas presents with the high postage.

So I guess I'm saying to either make something--knit, crochet, sew, build, construct. For an older kid, make a little cookbook of favorite family recipes. Or do something educational that they can learn from or use in school. I've also thought of drawing up their family tree for them with pictures of them and their mom, dad, grandparents. You can find templates online, print it out, and fill it in, keep it simple. Put it in a frame that you buy at a thrift store.
My kids used to get gifts like that from one set of grandparents. Although, they were mostly non-purchased items like a fancy rock, or a bouquet of spring flowers, or a bird's nest or chips of wood that a beaver chipped off while cutting down a tree or an antique farm tool. Frankly, my kids were A LOT more excited about getting one those gifts than the $100 worth of "store bought" gifts from the other set of grandparents (but they did appreciate those gifts, too).

Gifts do not have to be expensive to come "from the heart".
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Old 12-03-2016, 09:10 AM
 
Location: San Antonio, TX
11,495 posts, read 26,801,420 times
Reputation: 28031
Quote:
Originally Posted by germaine2626 View Post
My kids used to get gifts like that from one set of grandparents. Although, they were mostly non-purchased items like a fancy rock, or a bouquet of spring flowers, or a bird's nest or chips of wood that a beaver chipped off while cutting down a tree or an antique farm tool. Frankly, my kids were A LOT more excited about getting one those gifts than the $100 worth of "store bought" gifts from the other set of grandparents (but they did appreciate those gifts, too).

Gifts do not have to be expensive to come "from the heart".
My kids' all time favorite from my parents is an egg carton with different kinds of rocks, and my dad's old jewelers loupe to examine them with.
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Old 12-03-2016, 09:22 AM
 
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,660 posts, read 57,778,624 times
Reputation: 46126
Quote:
Originally Posted by chattyneighbor View Post
Unemployed, sick or otherwise struggling - without money for gifts, fro frau or any of the holiday nicities - people dropping you off the guest list and gift lists -

What's a poor person to do over the holiday season?
Homemade gifts, or hand written / designed cards.

All is well.

For those who have the option (the millions of other readers besides OP) ... Holiday jobs are booming. Lots of 'help-wanted' signs out. Work 3 shifts/ day for a month.
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Old 12-03-2016, 03:27 PM
 
12,999 posts, read 18,851,211 times
Reputation: 9236
The benefit? You find out who your true friends are.
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Old 12-03-2016, 03:34 PM
 
Location: Sugarmill Woods , FL
6,234 posts, read 8,410,624 times
Reputation: 13809
Quote:
Originally Posted by chattyneighbor View Post
Unemployed, sick or otherwise struggling - without money for gifts, fro frau or any of the holiday nicities - people dropping you off the guest list and gift lists -

What's a poor person to do over the holiday season?
Get another job!
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