With Christmas on my mind...

**momof2inpa** · 07-21-2007, 03:59 PM

I was curious if anyone has any Christmas horror stories or really tight budget Christmas stories they would like to share? I have 2 different stories to share- one is horror/tight budget and the other is just tight budget!

I will start with the horror one! This happened before I knew to plan ahead for Christmas! Money of course was tight and we had to wait for our last paycheck/Christmas bonus before Christmas (of course it was not due to come in until the 23rd of Dec!). Needless to say it did not arrive until Christmas Eve- about 25 minutes before the bank would close and 1.5 hours before the stores closed! Thank goodness- I was smart enough to figure out what we had to buy groceries and presents with and made a list of what was needed! My hubby dropped me off at the store while he and our oldest (she was our only one at the time!) went to the grocery store. I had to get everything (including tape and paper!)- I got everyone on my list and just a few presents from Santa (of course I could not get any of the "Hot" items on the list and the more expensive ones!). By time my hubby got me- we had to hurry and seperate the presents and I had to wrap presents in the car on the way to a Christmas party! By time we got home, put the little one to bed and got everything ready- it was 3:30 in the morning! We wrapped every single present to make it seem like a big Christmas! That was our Horror of a Christmas and I really don't know what we would of done if the check did not come until after Christmas!

Our tightest Christmas happened while I was pregnant with our youngest. I was laid off of work when I was a few months along and knew that my unemployment would run out shortly into the fall. My hubby was not making too much money but we figured that we could try to have me be a SAHM (since we can't afford daycare). In the spring I came up with our Christmas budget which was going to be $250 ( $75 for his family, $50 for my family and $60 each for our kids and $5 for the kids stockings)- this was going to happen by taking a little bit of money out of each pay. Of course our oldest always asked for a Barbie house and we never had the money for it! I kept going to yard sales and thrift stores in hopes that I could save money somewhere in hopes of a better Christmas dinner (It was looking like a meatloaf Christmas dinner!). After a day of thrift store shopping for the impending Christmas/birthday for oldest/baby coming turned out nothing- I stumbled across a yard sale that was shortly ending. The older couple said I could browse as they were breaking down some tables and I was talking to the wife about me looking for Christmas and etc. She asked her hubby if there was any Barbie stuff left and he went to check and it turned out that he forgot to bring the stuff out! It turned out that they had a granddaughter that recently moved crossed country and they wanted to get rid of all of her Barbie toys! They pulled out a brand new Barbie house with the $40 tag on it- I asked if they would be willing to let it go for $25- to my amazement they gave me it all for $25- they did not want to bring it back into the house! Of course I started to cry and tell them how happy they were going to make my oldest (she only had 4 barbies and a few things to go with it). It covered her birthday and Christmas (of course I got her a few extra things for Christmas like clothes and books) and that year we were actually able to have a ham instead of meatloaf! That was my most favorite Christmas and they "cheapest" we ever had!

**sdrjeolsen** · 07-21-2007, 06:04 PM

Wow, what a great Chirstmas blessing! Thanks for sharing your story.

**Odilia** · 07-21-2007, 06:31 PM

I love your Barbie Christmas story! I bet you made that couple's whole day, too.

I don't have any Christmas horror stories of my own. Growing up, we always focused on faith and family, and the gifts were less important. We always had gifts, though. And my mom is fantastic in the kitchen, so we always had lots of yummy treats and a huge banquet of a meal. We'd have Christmas dinner with my dad's side of the family (BIG family), and there'd be a gift or two for everyone there. There's so many people, the presents would practically bury the tree! (14 kids in my dad's family, so when you add in the spouses and kids -- it adds up to LOTS of people.)

My husband, on the other hand, did not have happy Christmases growing up. They never bought the kids presents. His mom wasn't one to bake cookies or any special treats. He and his brothers would wrap empty boxes to put under the tree and then lie to friends about getting stuff.

**sunshine** · 07-21-2007, 10:00 PM

Story from my childhood. . . my mom got paid once a month as a teacher (dad got paid once a year as a farmer). They waited until mom got her Dec. paycheck on Dec. 24th. to buy presents for us 3 kids -- all young enough to still believe in Santa.

The 3 of us kids went to Grandma and Grandpa's for the afternoon/evening, while mom and dad went shopping. Unfortunately, there was a blizzard and my parents were unable to drive home. So there sat my grandparents with 3 kids expecting gifts in the morning.

My grandmother dug into her stash of fabrics and made my sister and I dresses, rag dolls and the dolls had dresses to match ours. Then she made up batches of fudge , divinity and some sort of hard candy for our stockings. My grandfather whittled a rubber band gun for my brother.

My parents made it home about noon on Christmas day --- and I don't remember a single gift they brought us, but I vividly remember the gifts from "Santa' that year.

**FrugalMomof3** · 07-21-2007, 10:18 PM

Thanks for sharing your story. My Xmas shopping starts this time of year when there are tons of yard sales and flea markets... I shop for new in box items or clothes with tags and I usually make out awesome... we have 7 kids, my mom, step-dad, myself and DH and I can do reallllllllyyyyyy good and only spend like $40 for everything.

I shop at the $1 store for stocking stuffers or again since I know my prices on things I shop the yard sales to see what I can find, most items that are marked $1 I get for 25cents at a yard sale so that's 4 items for the price of 1 at the stores.

Thrift shops are good too, you can find new with tag items for $1-$4 which is great when it's a gift for a person to whom you only buy a single item or 2.

This year I already have the 4 step-daughters bought for, my mom, some items for my DD who's 11 (12 in October) and little stocking stuffers for the 2 kids who will be living at home come Christmas.

Money is tight now so it will be no brand name store bought items this year unless a blessing comes our way, but we always make do, thank goodness for my frugal ways

and my ability to find the greatest items at yard sales.

**Dancing Lotus** · 07-22-2007, 10:09 AM

Tracy, will you go yard saleing with me? I love to go yard saleing but around here I mostly find junk.

Last year was tight for us. For the first time I gave my kids second hand toys and you know what! They didnt care or even notice , now Im gonna do it every year. I made all my gift wrap out of fabric and made draw string bags with iron-ons I made out of fabric. THey were so pretty that someone even asked me if they could buy some. I have been fortunate enought to not have any bad stories.

**FrugalMomof3** · 07-22-2007, 01:10 PM

OH Ann, I love the idea of making the drawstring bags and stuff and of course I would love to go yard saling with you... ANYTIME!

**Dancing Lotus** · 07-22-2007, 02:12 PM

I bought christmas fabric from the markdown bin at walmart after the holidays. Then I took childrens coloring books or printables from online and use them as a pattern to cut out from felt , I used iron on stuff to apply the picture. IT really comes out cute if you use different textures and patterns. The best part is that you can use them over and over again and make them just the right size to fit the gift.

**pkellyc** · 07-22-2007, 10:11 PM

I have never had to shop at flea markets or tag sales for gifts with the exception of collectibles. I am not so sure I would have been as smart as some of you are. It just never would have occurred to me back then in my not so frugal days to do so.

But I have for years bought "previously viewed" videos and DVDs for my DD's.
I would diligently peel off the previously viewed stickers and wrap them up for Christmas just like they were new.
Then (as it was bound to happen) it was discovered one Christmas morning that a overlooked sticker was left on.
My youngest DD was a little irate but my oldest DD was intrigued and asked me how much it cost me. After I told her she thought it was the greatest thing ever. Now at Christmas time she hints at the movies she would like letting me know if they are old releases.

**mikandmari** · 11-06-2007, 10:05 PM

I enjoyed this thread in the summertime, and went looking for it to give it a 'bump' now that that holidays are approaching.

It's funny how the most difficult Christmases -- when I was young and flat broke, and the kids were really little -- are the ones I treasure the most! I really believe that the more money you have (or spend) the more complicated the season becomes.

**mikandmari** · 11-06-2007, 10:09 PM

Oh I forgot to add my story

. We were broke, I was pregnant, we lived in a little dumpy rental house, but it had a great yard. My 2-year old wanted nothing more than one of those big motorized Power Wheels Jeeps to ride around the yard, but it cost about $300. In October, I found one on clearance at the toy store for $125. It didn't have any of the accessories with it. So what? A 2 year old doesn't care! As an added bonus... my 2nd was born just a few days before the holiday, and we brought her home on Christmas Day. My 2 year old thought Santa brought her!

**Momof4cats** · 11-07-2007, 08:41 AM

Hmmm....I'm sure there were rough ones when I was growing up, but I never really noticed. Mom was on disability and Dad didn't believe in paying his child support, so I never wanted/asked for the 'latest and greatest'. Mostly we got new clothes for Christmas, with maybe one new toy or book.

The hardest one I remember as an adult was in 2001. My mother had died in 2000, my then-boyfriend had just moved down here the beginning of December. He had already found a job but hadn't gotten the first paycheck. I was working 2 jobs. I got some felt stockings at the store and we decorated them with some stuff in my craft stash. Then I gave each of us $5 to go shopping at the dollar store to fill up the stockings.

**latierra84** · 11-07-2007, 11:23 AM

love that barbie christmas story. dh and i dont have any little ones yet, and im not sure how im going to handle christmas when it comes time to with them.. but i just hope we build warm memories like some of yall have.

**HandyMom** · 11-07-2007, 10:51 PM

One of my Christmas's was not looking like it was going to go well. I was living by myself, my parents had just divorced and it didn't even feel like the holiday season to me. I was one of a few people who volunteered to work on Christmas day for double time and a half. To be honest, I was glad to be there most of the day instead of all day with the rest of the family.

**mcphlips** · 11-09-2007, 09:55 AM

I love the Barbie story too...what a blessing.
I don't remember any really bad Christmas' that were tight, but I do agree that as I get older I like the challenge of getting what I want frugally. This works for me until the stress kicks in about a week before Christmas.. then I tend to blow the budget. I am hoping to not do that this year.