Christmas and ZERO spending money = stress!! - Page 2

[spring978]

First off Big ((hugs))  I totally understand your sadness and frustration.  I have 4 kids and NO money this year as well. 

So far my plan is to make Christmas about everything but gifts this year.  I will save every penny I can find to buy food for our feast.

Next Christmas starts on the first I plan to do some Holiday activity everyday of Dec,  we will make chains, ornaments, cookies, and cards.  We will have hot cocoa and go see the town lights one night read special stories. 

[Chicky2]

We're broke too.  Like really broke.  I make an advent calendar w/a fun activity for each day.  Last year we all piled into our bedroom and listened to an episode of "Cinnamon Bear", which is a free old time radio show online.  Pretty neat, and I got the idea here on MDC.  We'll read stories and make gift bags out of old wrapping paper, make paper chains, decorate the tree, make coffee filter snowflakes (even though my kids are a bit older now they still love this stuff).  I decided not to stress.  I'm stressing about the bills getting paid, but not the lack of $ for presents.  We will manage to get new socks, new long underwear, new jammies (or used from the thrift stores), new gloves, and a much-wanted toy from Santa, but that's it.  I despise the commercialism of Christmas, and we are very secular, lol.  Oh, and I have old jeans that I've been collecting and I'm making a couple of area rugs for gifts.

[cheryl mama]

Originally Posted by AndtheStars 

Here's a  from someone.  I know the feeling of comparing to other people and finding your situation wanting even though in your head, you know that its not about comparisons.  Maybe patchwork slippers from the felted sweaters?  Maybe you could write your own storybook staring members of the family?  One of my favorite things that my parents 'gave' me for my birthday one year was a 'Maria' day.  I was in charge of the family for a day and I decided what we ate, where we went, what we did, etc.  As long as the kids know that there is a money limit or a no spend provision and your kids are old enough to enjoy the autonomy, that might be a really good gift. 

I love the idea of putting the child in charge of the day - my daughter would eat that up!
 

[saoirse2007]

back to this again...ugh