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- How do you make your child happy on a budget?
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How do you make sure your child has a great holiday while not blowing the family budget this holiday season.
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- Sons: Ages 9 & 6
- Stay at home
- schoolmom1852 - December 05, 2008
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I have my kids narrow down their Christmas list to those things they REALLY want several weeks before Black Friday, so that I can do my research. By the time Thanksgiving ads are here, I know how much it is online and whether or not the ad price is worth the getting up at 3am. I have also told my kids that Santa is on a budget with that many kids to make presents for, so only pick that one special gift that you want. Santa only brings 1-2 gifts per child in our house.
- By scresto
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I do the same, and on their letters, I told them after they list everything they think they might like, to ask Santa to pick out "what the best one would be for me". Santa brings them one or two things, Mom and Dad do the same, and so do Grandmas and Grandpas. It adds up to a lot!
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- ketsoz3 - December 05, 2008
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I have two different tacts, and am doing both simultaneously. We're lucky my husband's job seems secure right now, but his compensation has been cut about 15%. Normally, we save our Disney Visa reward dollars to go to the World every couple of years. This year, Santa did 3/4ths of his shopping at the Disney Store. A Camp Rock electric guitar for my 8 year old, and drum set and U-Command Wall-Efor my 5 year old son. Video games and clothing for the whole family will round things out nicely. We probably won't be able to take a big vacation anyway for a while. Also, we've been impressing upon the kids how lucky we are to have not only toys but warm clothes and a home. Our babysitter teaches at an inner city school where many are not so lucky, so we're making care packages out of our gently used warm clothes from last year, with a special one for a sweet boy who is homeless. We've also taken food to a local food pantry and plan on doing it again a couple days before Christmas to reinforce that Christmas is about GIVING not getting. That's a hard concept for kids (and some grown-ups) but we're trying.
- By schoolmom1852
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Schoolmom1852 is on the right track! We can only TELL our kids so much. Taking them to actually SEE how some families truly have nothing is so important, and the fact that you also did it before the holidays started is a great thing. Sometimes our kids forget that people need us all year round -- not just during the holidays. Instilling these values in our kids as early as possible is the way to do it. My 6-year-old son is saving money to "build homes for people who don't have them"; oh yeah, and "then I'll by myself a Wii" - LOL. (At least he's putting the homeless first!)
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- Son: Age 18
- Daughters: Ages 23 & 18
- Group Leader
- FamilyHost_Pia - December 06, 2008
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I have two different tacts, and am doing both simultaneously. We're lucky my husband's job seems secure right now, but his compensation has been cut about 15%. Normally, we save our Disney Visa reward dollars to go to the World every couple of years. This year, Santa did 3/4ths of his shopping at the Disney Store. A Camp Rock electric guitar for my 8 year old, and drum set and U-Command Wall-Efor my 5 year old son. Video games and clothing for the whole family will round things out nicely. We probably won't be able to take a big vacation anyway for a while. Also, we've been impressing upon the kids how lucky we are to have not only toys but warm clothes and a home. Our babysitter teaches at an inner city school where many are not so lucky, so we're making care packages out of our gently used warm clothes from last year, with a special one for a sweet boy who is homeless. We've also taken food to a local food pantry and plan on doing it again a couple days before Christmas to reinforce that Christmas is about GIVING not getting. That's a hard concept for kids (and some grown-ups) but we're trying.
- By schoolmom1852
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This is a great way of teaching your children. Way to go!! :)
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- Son: Age 18
- Daughters: Ages 23 & 18
- Group Leader
- FamilyHost_Pia - December 06, 2008
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[....] My 6-year-old son is saving money to "build homes for people who don't have them"; oh yeah, and "then I'll by myself a Wii" - LOL. (At least he's putting the homeless first!)
- By ketsoz3
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That is so cute and so rare to see!
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- Sons: Ages 9 & 6
- Stay at home
- schoolmom1852 - December 07, 2008
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Another thing we've done is trying to stress MAKING gifts. A couple of months ago my boys and I wove a basket out of newspapers that we will put food in as a gift to my parents. Then, when an online order was delivered with literally 15 feet of brown paper crumpled inside the box, we used stamps and paint to make our own wrapping paper. I told them that I would love a present they make, which is something we encourage every year. When I got a free digital picture keychain with another purchase, I asked my husband if he and the kids would load it with pictures of themselves as a present for me.
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- Son: Age 18
- Daughters: Ages 23 & 18
- Group Leader
- FamilyHost_Pia - December 08, 2008
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Another thing we've done is trying to stress MAKING gifts. A couple of months ago my boys and I wove a basket out of newspapers that we will put food in as a gift to my parents. Then, when an online order was delivered with literally 15 feet of brown paper crumpled inside the box, we used stamps and paint to make our own wrapping paper. I told them that I would love a present they make, which is something we encourage every year. When I got a free digital picture keychain with another purchase, I asked my husband if he and the kids would load it with pictures of themselves as a present for me.
- By schoolmom1852
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AAwww, those are great ideas!!! Since most of my family is overseas, I will give the little digital picture frames as presents this year. I know my mom will really like it.
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- Daughters: Ages 5 & 5
- Work part-time outside home
- reeciemae - December 10, 2008
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you come up with several traditions that are low cost or no cost at all.
1) we have a christmas countdown bag that a small token is placed in it every night, it could be a piece of candy or stickers or an ornament to put on the tree. my girls love this so much that they seem to look forward to it every morning as much or more that christmas morning. we also come up with different goodies to bake once or twice a week. we get lots of books and read, and get involved with all the activities at our local library.
2.) on christmas eve, i hide the three wisemen from our nativity set, and they can't open presents until all have been brought back to the baby Jesus.
last but not least, we love to go and look at christmas decorations around town, and follow it with hot chocolate.
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- Son: Age 18
- Daughters: Ages 23 & 18
- Group Leader
- FamilyHost_Pia - December 11, 2008
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you come up with several traditions that are low cost or no cost at all. 1) we have a christmas countdown bag that a small token is placed in it every night, it could be a piece of candy or stickers or an ornament to put on the tree. my girls love this so much that they seem to look forward to it every morning as much or more that christmas morning. we also come up with different goodies to bake once or twice a week. we get lots of books and read, and get involved with all the activities at our local library. 2.) on christmas eve, i hide the three wisemen from our nativity set, and they can't open presents until all have been brought back to the baby Jesus. last but not least, we love to go and look at christmas decorations around town, and follow it with hot chocolate.
- By reeciemae
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Those are great traditions and make for wonderful memories :)
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- gabsmack12 - December 11, 2008
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i have a very smart way of getting it all for my kids and all for FREE, Yes FREE and i do that by earning points on a website i belong to. I wish i could post my link here but i think its not allowed or else id invite all of you to join me there. You sign up and search for whatever you like, anything and everything and while doing that you win points which convert to amazon certificates and much more. Every 500 points is $5.00 amazon and when you do this for a while it adds up fast. I earned over $350.00 total this way and had fun shopping for free.
Since i cant place my link here jsut send me an e-mail to Inkygurl41 (@) gmail dot com with subject line " I'd like to join your website to earn points for gifts ", and your first name and e-mail address you will use to join and ill sedn you my invite...you'll be up and running in no time...you'll see.
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Frohe Weihnachten ( merry christmas in german as i am from germany )
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- Son: Age 18
- Daughters: Ages 23 & 18
- Group Leader
- FamilyHost_Pia - December 13, 2008
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i have a very smart way of getting it all for my kids and all for FREE, Yes FREE and i do that by earning points on a website i belong to. I wish i could post my link here but i think its not allowed or else id invite all of you to join me there. You sign up and search for whatever you like, anything and everything and while doing that you win points which convert to amazon certificates and much more. Every 500 points is $5.00 amazon and when you do this for a while it adds up fast. I earned over $350.00 total this way and had fun shopping for free. Since i cant place my link here jsut send me an e-mail to Inkygurl41 (@) gmail dot com with subject line " I'd like to join your website to earn points for gifts ", and your first name and e-mail address you will use to join and ill sedn you my invite...you'll be up and running in no time...you'll see.
- By gabsmack12
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Wow, nice way to do your Christmas shopping!
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