xmas on a budget

[zzxxee]

what ideas do you have for cheap or even freebie presents?
for people of all ages
we are shopping on a shoe string this year
for mum and dad im thinking of two big baskets filled with fav smellies, drink home made cookies ect what do you think???

[sara3]

I think it's a great idea, with so much more thought and effort than buying some useless gift :o)

and if there are cookies left over..... !

[zzxxee]

its about the only thing i can cook sara lol

[ummmm]

I don't buy presents anymore. Now that's cheap :-)

[zzxxee]

not at all ummmm ???

[starone]

Ask what they really want and pick the cheapest. Now that I have grown old I do not allow anyone to buy me anything I have not asked for. I am fed up with things I do not want and never use. My daughter has a cupboard full of unwanted presents, which she labels with the names of the one who gave and redistributes the following year to other people in the hope they will eventually get to someone who might want them. Bet there are hundreds like this.

[yogi-bear]

Seems shop's such as Boots and Superdrug always do offers near christmas, zzxxee..........3 for the price of 2 etc, so worth looking at for smellies and maybe biscuits too. x....

[Sqad]

ummmm....neither do we.

Never send Xmas cards to those that we see regularly, only to those we see on an annual or less frequent basis.

[zzxxee]

i am all for recycling unwanted gifts great idea

[GKU35]

I downloaded old pictures of where my parents were brought up and where my dad worked (now demolished), printed them off and put them in a frame of about 5 or 6 different images. They loved it

[zzxxee]

i am attempting to make my own cards this year

[ummmm]

Not really zzxxee. I'll get a few token gifts for the kids and Marty. Don't buy for anyone else anymore. My family is so big it just became too much stress...so I stopped. I enjoy Xmas so much more now.

The kids get money....

[zzxxee]

thats the reason we are on a budget vibra !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[redcrx]

how about making chocolate truffles and then making some nice boxes for them to go in?
I have managed to get a lot of good deals this year with the 3 for 2s at argos and boots. Plus boots have had a few events where you get £12 of points for every £50 you spend too.

[starone]

Me again! I have told everyone I am not sending Christmas cards this year. First there is the chore of writing them all out and matching the cards with the person you are sending to. Then there is the cost of postage, which is now quite often more than the card. Sound like a right old misery, don't I. And kindly don't agree with me! Incidentally, I always bought my Christmas cards in the January sales. Now there's optimism if you like - always assuming I will still be alive for the following Christmas.

[zzxxee]

thats great ummm i think xmas is very overated people panic buying for the sake of one day

[ummmm]

Oh...I do buy loads of scratch cards and put them into xmas cards.

[zzxxee]

all good ideas thanks :0)

[redcrx]

zzxxee,
take a look on here too for ideas for budgeting and homemade gifts

http://messageboards....co.uk/iv-ukntfestive/

[zzxxee]

thanks red will check that out x