Who else is broke this holiday season?

singing_sea · November 2009

Some people are finished holiday shopping but I can't even fathom beginning. I doubt I'll be able to get anyone anything at all. I'm currently living paycheck to paycheck (work cut us to 32 hours). Got paid yesterday but up until that I had about $30 in my account. Any cheap/hand made ideas for gifts? I've already made the entire family blankets, scarfs, and burned old x-mas home videos onto the dvd. I could do the cookie thing again this year but I'd really like to actually give them something they can unwrap. Maybe skip gifts and get the fam together to do some charity work? I used to volunteer at a food bank. Sigh. Can't wait till I have regular hours again

marafaye · November 2009

totally broke. Wedding is in 2 weeks, we had to scrape together what we still owe the venue... FI got laid off 2 months after we got engaged, i'm a teacher so we have a meager income plus meager unemployment. Luckily though, gifts are going to be IOUs of wedding photo books, and FI is working part time at GameStop, and gets a huge discount at barnes and noble...everyone will get books!

Brie2010 · November 2009

Kind of. I'm broke now, but my paychecks are finally starting to come in so I won't be (hopefully) soon. When I was in law school and broke I made everyone baked goods. This snack mix is so good, and festive looking if you make it with holiday M&Ms and put it in cute bags (hope it doesn't screw up the formatting, I'm C&Ping from an email): 1 pkg. 10 oz. mini pretzels5 c. cheerios5 c. corn chex2 c. salted peanuts1 lb. M&M's2-12 oz. vanilla chips or almond bark3 Tablespoons vegetable oil In large bowl combine first 5 ingredients. Set asideIn microsafe bowl, heat chips/almond bark and oil on med hi 2 min. stirring once.Then microwave on high 10 sec. Stir til smooth.Pour over cereal mixture & mix wellSpread on 3 waxed paper lined baking sheetsCool. Break apartStore in airtight container

kikibaby · November 2009

I'm super-broke. I'm making peanut brittle and peppermint bark, plus maybe some other goodies and putting them in a nice tin. My sister made the cuuuuutest sock puppets for everyone last year. One of my favorite gifts ever!

Nebb · November 2009

I started saving for christmas in August (thats when I started my shopping), I knew I wouldnt be able to afford it otherwise. Ive just been setting aside 1-150 each paycheque. To save money though im making truffles for some family members for christmas, im thinking of editing and framing some photography I took of my aunts garden this summer for her (I already have the photo paper so I would only be buying the frames). The blankets and scarves you have made sound great, I love stuff like that. What about that plus cookies or something edible you can make?

CurlyQ284 · November 2009

Broke as a joke. We were both laid off, but both of us start new jobs next weekend. Yay! Gotta catch up on bills

DanielleH910 · November 2009

I'm not broke but have a lot less money then usual for Christmas shopping.Earlier in the year they cut our hours to 32 a week as well, and I just wasn't able to save as much as I need to for wedding stuff.My friends and I decided instead of buying everyone a gift we're doing a secret santa so we only have to buy one. And FI and I are going split gifts for my family and his, should work out to be a little cheaper.I got a gift once that was a basket with a dvd, popcorn bags, and some other "movie snacks". I know it wasn't exactly home made but it was a fun cheaper gift.

ivystar57 · November 2009

My mom made ornaments one year when we didn't have a lot of money. She bought styrofoam balls from joann's and a bunch of straight pins, ribbon and some fabric. She cut the fabric into sections and folded it into a pattern that looked like a quilt, pinning each piece in place on the ball. It's a little country, but a very cute idea. What I have seen more recently that you could do is feather balls. That would just take the balls, feathers, glue and a ribbon. This would rpobably be faster and easier.

andyandhillary · November 2009

I hear ya. I am beyond broke.I would love to bake things for everyone but unfortunately FIs family does this whole thing with a website and you have to claim a gift. They aren't expensive gifts, but I would feel like an arse to not follow the website and not get them a gift they specifically requested, you know? I might do that for my family though (baking). Anyone know any good sugar free recipes? My dad is diabetic

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Soon-to-be Mrs. Vogt · November 2009

Making things is great. Maybe bake people some things, and then also give them a recipe book? It sounds like you like to bake, so give them a "Christmas Goodies" recipe collection. Write out your favorite recipes for cookies/candies/desserts and put them on one of those rings you can get at office max. People will really appreciate being able to make those goodies they just ate throughout the year.I love the charity idea. Each year, H and I go to the Salvation Army angel tree and get a kid. We spent the day shopping for them and getting exactly what they want for their list. H's family also does a really cool thing where his grandma gives all of us (all 25) an extra $10 in our gift. We then give the $10 back to her to put toward charity if we want to (and of course everyone wants to). She puts all that money toward buying a portion of a cow or pig for a deserving family in a country where livestock isn't affordable or even available, so a lot of people aren't getting the nutrition they're needing. Usually whatever we put toward the animal will feed the family for a year. Things like that make you feel much better than getting a new jacket or DVD will

Good luck!

lilgina64 · November 2009

Every single couple in my family has a spouse who is not working for a few months (immigration waiting period, lay offs, major illnesses)... I took it upon myself to call everyone and say "we're all broke, we don't need monitary presents, let's just get together for christmas/brother's wedding and be greatful we have each other"... All agreed. So this year... no xmas presents... and I honestly couldnt care less. I sound like one of those bad after school specials where they are all "all you need is each other" but right now, it's true.

singing_sea · November 2009

Brie2010 - That snack mix sounds yummy

Nebb - You've got me thinking I might do scarves and these "snowball cookies" I make every year. Thanks for the ideas peeps!

singing_sea · November 2009

Soon-to-be Mrs. Vogt - What's funny is I'm a terrible cook but I love to bake. If it's dessert I'm all over it

Soon-to-be Mrs. Vogt · November 2009

I used to be that way too. Hated to cook, loved to bake. Then I decided we needed to eat something more than cookies, so I learned to cook

My family used to give me crap that I couldn't do anything but burn toast (they still do, actually), but none of them has a problem coming over to eat dinner!

ffmaid · November 2009

Some things I have done in the past Glass painted ornaments My sister still loves and I do every year now.( Print yearly calendar of all the family dates birthdays ect and include 6 days a year that I will babysit all her kids for free preschedualed) Custom shaped and decorated sugar cookies to people interests

squirrly · November 2009

Not broke, per se, but trying to save for the wedding, so we're trying to cut back on spending. I'm doing family cookbooks and scanning a zillion old pics/slides for everybody. And I will probably do baked goods of some sort, too. Going to try to cut back severely on purchased gifts, if possible.

MissLeahM · November 2009

I would suggest the candie ideas too. Mason jars of cookie mix or soup mixes are always good to give. Especially for the people who aren't the best cooks.

jamm2019 · November 2009

Me!

Who else is broke this holiday season?

Re: Who else is broke this holiday season?

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