Christmas When You Were Financially Broke

**forHISglory** · 12-17-2008, 10:58 AM

Can you remember the Christmas when you were at your lowest financially? When you were broke? What did you do?

While Hubby and I have always tried to be careful and we don't give expensive gifts, one year we just absolutely had nothing. Various emergencies (we all know about those, huh?) drained the little reserve we had. We refused to use CC for Christmas.

So we used what we had to decorate the house, and I used what I had on hand to bake some bread and cookies. WE decorated the baked goods and gave those as gifts. We wrote out coupons to the kids, good for things like longer than usual back rubs and bedtime stories, a game night, and other things like a new shirt after the new year. Hubby and I did the same for each other: coupons. He made little wooden cars out of scrap wood and painted them for the kids, and I made pancakes on Christmas morning and used the batter to spell out the letters of the kids names.

Although we all understood the situation we were in (the kids did to a certain degree), and we all made sacrifices, we still wanted to do something special for each other. So we drove over to the mall and had a virtual Christmas. We walked around the mall, enjoying the Christmas music and elaborate decor, and we picked out gifts that we would like to give others in the family. Then we "presented" our gifts by showing them off. For example, my son "gave" me a massage chair because he knew how my back was hurting. We spent huge amounts of virtual money and had a ball doing so. Then we all went to the food court and shared an order of wontons. And that was our big splurge for the year.

Have you have to improvise your holiday because of no money? What all did you do?

**homesteadmamma** · 12-17-2008, 11:13 AM

Yes the year we moved to our present home. We had paid cash for our home and dh didn't have a job. Our finances were pretty low. We decided to have a pioneer Christmas, where everything was homemade. The kids used their imaginations and did a great job making gifts. I did more baking than usual and we decorated our home far more than we do now, all with homemade items. The kids remember this Christmas far more than others and often talk about our pioneer Christmas. It was wonderful.

We still don't have a lot of finances at Christmas and don't spend a whole lot of cash even to this day for Christmas. I'll always remember that Christmas.

**Marie78** · 12-17-2008, 06:34 PM

I wish I had a Christmas story similar to both of yours. I would imagine it would be memorable not for the lack of presents, but for the creativity and imagination put into a Christmas that's not store bought. My family always gives lots of presents at Christmas and always has. This will be the first year that the extended family will not exchange gifts. The immediate families have set a limit too and hopefully everyone stuck to it.

Once Dh and I have our family I want Christmas to be more about togetherness, shared experiences like: baking, decorating the house, singing carols, and enjoying the sights and sounds of the season. Presents have a place, but shouldn't be the focus. I really hope with the economy the way it is now it changes Christmas for the better for my family members, more about being together and appreciating each other than what is under the tree.

**Grayce** · 12-17-2008, 08:32 PM

The first year I was married I was in college and DH had just quit college to work fulltime. He worked at KFC and I worked at McDonalds. To say we had no money would be an understatement. We had just moved into our first apartment on Dec. 15th. We had very little, just a few pieces of furniture that were hand-me-downs from my parents. We did not even have a bed, instead we were sleeping on a pull-out couch that we had to put cardboard and newspapers on to stop the springs from poking into us. We had no tree, no decorations, no $ for any holiday treats. We got a few Christmas cards given to us and they were taped on the walls for holiday decor.
We tried to beg off of doing gift exchanges with our families because we just didn't have the $ to buy anything for anyone including each other. My family was understanding but my MIL insisted we had to buy gifts for their family. We ended up using $20 (that we got in a card) and went to a discount store and were able to buy 3 gifts with it. We got a t-shirt for FIL, a nightgown for MIL and a really cheap little toy for BIL (who was about 10 at the time).
We had an OK Christmas because we went to my parent's for Christmas lunch and his parents for Christmas dinner. We accepted offers of leftovers too. At home we ate a lot of KFC because my DH was able to bring home leftovers when they closed at night. I got pretty good at making it into different dishes. I would strip of the skin and use the meat to make casseroles or cheicken salad.
I actually didn't miss getting a present from DH. We were married for quite a few years before we had enough income to buy gifts for each other. I am glad we did not have children at the time because it would have been a very dissappointing Christmas for them.

**Jeanna** · 12-17-2008, 10:03 PM

Actually this year is ours. I am still trying to figure out how to finish buying for the kids. Now mind you I know there are many way way worse off than we are but I hate not having the money for what my kids really want. But one thing about it I have learned to be a lot more creative with presents.

**perSue** · 12-17-2008, 10:09 PM

i'd have to say this year has been the lowest financially for me.
and thru the whole year i looked for bargains, sales, freebies, etc.
and i have most of the gifts i'm giving this year are homemade.
and i've been working on them all year long... so i really planned ahead!

i hope to be able to do more stuff next year along the same lines, but look at a few different places for bargains. I'm also making "coupons" for those people who i didnt have enough time to make something for that will say something like: here's a coupon, good for one handmade item, by me. I may specify on some people's as to "one winter item" or something like that... i dont have time to be making prom dresses here!! LoL

**Libby** · 12-17-2008, 10:14 PM

As best as I can recall, I had no money saved up, was not working and was sick as a dog. My dad and I were cooped up in the house, my siblings all off on vacations in the US. My dad and I made a huge pot of homemade soup and just sat at home in our jammies and watched tv and ate it for 3 days straight.

My gift was waking up being able to breathe through my nose on Christmas morning. My dad asked if I felt well enough for a roadtrip and took me down to the casino to have buffet dinner so he wouldn't have to cook.

I think I spent the rest of that Christmas holiday break cooped up at home playing online games and chatting with my other 'alone' friends. Was like having Christmas with my online family, regardless of where in the world they were.

Ah yes, the good times. If I could, I'd sit at home and watch tv or read this year. I kinda want to be home alone. Been blah this season

**3tomboys** · 12-17-2008, 10:22 PM

The Christmas I remember as being very creative was after I had quit working to stay home with dd's. I tried to plan ahead as much as possible because I knew there was no extra money. I saved UPC's (I don't remeber the product) but they were giving away a tape player and headphones. My oldest dd was 4 at the time and loved music, so I saved and got that for her. Pepsi was having a point give away type of thing so I only bought pepsi for dh's lunch for several months. It was 1 six pack a week. I sent the points in for a set of small soccer, football and basketball set. I had enough left to get my dh a Pepsi hat. My other 2 daughters were 2 months and 18 months. I went to Pic and Save and got them each a toy. I made homemade cookies for extended family. We started the tradition of looking for Santa that year. We loaded the dd's in the car and drove around and looked at lights and for Santa. This was one of are best Christmas.

**UUMomof3** · 12-18-2008, 08:28 AM

The first year my DH and I lived together. He was in Malaysia for work, I was working nearly full time and carrying a 20 credit course load. He was due back the week of Christmas. Oh, how I hated that Christmas season. I worked retail and the songs were stupid, the people insensitive. I was exhausted and lonely and wished the whole holiday away. But then I changed my mind. I decided he would come home to something special in our teeny tiny 1 bedroom garden level apartment (think 1920's).

I took the bus to the craft/sewing store and spent very carefully. I got a velvet remnant and a 9 foot pine garland (plain pine, no sparkle or berries or bows) for under $20. I made stockings with the velvet and supplies on hand. I hung the garland over the really long picture window in the living room. Gods eyes out of toothpicks and embroidery floss, origami figures and the odd piece of sparkly costume jewelry decorated the garland. The stockings went on the built-in bookcases either side of the window. (I still miss that window and bookcase set up).

It worked. We use those stockings every year. He still wears the slippers I bought with my employee discount.

**steelergal** · 12-19-2008, 03:09 PM

I love posts like this, it shows that the most memorable Christmas memories are when times are lean and it shows how creative you can be!

The year our youngest was born was the toughest year. Shortly after having the baby, I went to my grandma and asked for her help making the oldest an apron and kerchief set (she loved helping me bake!) and a blanket and rag doll for the baby. We managed to pull off an entire Christmas using a $25 gift card to the grocery store (for Christmas dinner) and $65 for Christmas presents (which was half change!).

Me and the oldest baked cookies, made decorative soaps (using a Christmas candy mold and soap you can melt in the microwave) and cinnamon and applesauce ornaments to give as gifts (about $20 total!). With the $45 left we bought wrapping paper, sweat suits for both girls, bath toy set for the youngest and diapers, the oldest got a little girl bath set (broken up for stocking), a doll, craft set and some baking stuff. We had about $8 left over and got ourselves something small(I got candles and hubby got a tool).

Even though that was our leanest Christmas, I am so happy that we managed to get through and provide a Christmas for the kids!