Christmas presents

Thank you Newquay. Just thought it was appropriate.

Thanks for all your suggestions.
Lots said don't give to adults, or do aSecret Santa but these are my children, their partners and children. I don't give presents to others except my sister and one friend. I always try really hard to find unusual gifts suited to each person but know that the recipients often think my choices a bit weird. Perhaps they'd actually prefer a boring token and that would be much easier.

John Lewis vouchers - something in there for everyone and can be spent at Waitrose too. Its what our family asks for.

I make up hampers. Sometimes it is as basic as a cardboard box covered with Christmas Paper. In it I put a selection of goodies - fancy biscuits, cake, pretty tissues, I even put in very basic things like kitchen towel and toilet rolls (which means they don't have to buy them, so it works a bit like a voucher).
I like baking so my cakes and biscuits are home made.
A glossy magazine of something that interests them and a trawl through local charity shops for last years unwanted gifts.
They are always well received and I feel that they know I have cared enough to make an effort rather than just lob out money that the youngsters never seem short of.

I give everyone under 25 itunes vouchers and over 25 Amazon vouchers.
It sounds boring but they get used. I even get thank you text messages from the kids - they seem to be really appreciated as one year when I asked the youngsters I got "I'd love itunes vouchers again please" comments from them all.

We will be 10 for Christmas. Our limit for presents, arranged some years ago and still respected is £10. It brings up some clever and interesting solutions. As the only grandparent I do 'help' over the year and very much agree with whoever said they gave experiences. Feeding the penquins was an achievement but loved by the child that did it and was in addition, of course, to a Christmas Present. That's what Grandmas are for, IMO.

Oh dear, its that time of year again,I have four teenage Grandchildren and they have asked for, or I have asked them what they want, and the answer all round is money! so that solves a big problem of buying things they dont want or would never use, I will get them small things as a surprise, lots of things in Primark will be suitable.
The Adults will probably get vouchers, or maybe a bottle of wine, or toiletries for the ladies, cant come up with anything original, but good luck Watermeadow, I think you are very generous. Happy Christmas.

My son does call me the Grinch. But here goes. I would never buy presents for adults other than in closest family. We are impossible to buy for unless you're going to spend loads. Or go the other way and do
Homemade gifts. For kids it's easy to get things that are cheap. Best present my children had were woopie cushions! £1 each. Lego too. A promise to take them out to the cinema plus some tat to unwrap. Forget the adults!

Not sure who you are buying for or how close a relative they are, but you are buying presents for lots of people.
I never buy my siblings anything and my nephews & nieces gifts are stopped at 18.By the time I retire It means they are all grown up at a time when my funds will be lower. I now only buy for my Grandson, my step grandson and my children. Not even for my husband & I as the family gathering is far more important.
Though I've had one little surprise this year, my younger brother ( in his late 40s) has just produced another niece this year.

I would just put the £20 cash in one of those Christmas money cards.We have eight grandchildren and thats what we do now. They rather like having the money to spend on what they want.
I thought I'd made it easier for myself doing that but now I'm searching for one of those Hatchimal Eggs. Apparently my smallest granddaughter has it on her Santa list and her mum can't find one anywhere.All sold out.

Usually I give only toys to the children but this year giving a relative's family a voucher to pay for the whole family to go to the cinema together. Only problem will be the demand for popcorn.

Boots tokens for men and women, cash for children, itunes vouchers for teenagers.
I always feel guilty giving my god-children cash but they always appreciate it as they can buy whatever they want.

I asked a friend recently what she and her (large) family do when they have their annual get together and she said Secret Santa too-£5 limit.
Brilliant thought I, so I googled Secret Santa £5. Well. . . . . The most decent item was a small China bell-labelled 'fart alert'!
I think £20 per head is quite generous. Some of the ideas here are excellent.
LOVED your poem Yorkshire gel.

We only buy for the kiddies apart from my sister in law who I always buy a small hamper for which I arrange to arrive between Christmas and New Year (something I have done for years).. I am knitting a dress each for my two eldest granddaughters and will be buying a single present each for them, and will be sending money over to the US for my grandson and granddaughter there - did send presents one year and the postage was dreadful, we agreed that it was better to send money instead. My grandson will have money as well - he is 13 and likes to spend it on what he wants. I will buy my daughter a small present as she is a single mum and she appreciates the thought very much. I have gt gt nieces to buy for now, my gt nieces and gt nephews are all adults so have joined the 'card only' group

Used my Tesco vouchers and bought different family members a senior railcard, membership of Ramblers, a family outing to Safari Park and English Heritage at the 'boost' rate which was 50% off and under your £20 a head budget.. Obviously the people concerned liked getting out and about and only works if you have the right tesco vouchers nectar points or whatever

The Best Christmas of All

Do you remember when we were small?
Our parents had no money at all
They would feed all us children the best way they could
And keep us warm with sticks from the wood

Do you remember getting up in the cold light of dawn
Father telling us about a child who’d been born?
He was laid in a manger for his bed
A bright star was shining overhead

Three wise men travelled night and day
To get to the place where baby Jesus lay
Dressed in coats that were trimmed with fur
They gave him gold, and frankincense, and myrrh

Do you remember the tree our Father had found?
Deep in the wood sprouting out of the ground
All of the branches hung down low
You could see Father’s footprints there in the snow

He’d sat carving figures all through the night
And there, under the tree, we saw such a sight!
Baby Jesus snuggled up in a manger so warm
And his mother and father, smiling down on that tiny form

You had a wooden boat; I got a wooden bat and a little ball
Those are the gifts I will treasure most of all
So thank you so much for your gold watch, and the silver pen
But you know the best Christmas presents I ever had
Were the ones in the wood, way back then

One of mine.

www.thecufflinkstore.co.uk/

Great bargains here for men.

Also here:

www.sportsdirect.com

Some good buys here for toys:

www.theworks.co.uk

Unisex:

www.31dover.com/drink-gifts/pick-and-mix.html

Ladies:

www.prezzybox.com/gifts-for-her.aspx

Or you could always buy a rose bush or indoor plant?

are is

Quite a few suggestions are for gift vouchers. Excellent idea, however, not so good if one is sending with card in the post. You might as well be putting cash inside which P.O. advises against - emailing e. vouchers are a much safer bet.

I always go for goody bags when I'm on budget, you can buy the bags in the pound shop, get multi packs of sweets then look for offers in the supermarket on small gift sets often 3 for 2 ,you can buy bulbs a cd, all sorts of bits and bobs . If you have 3 or four items wrapped in some tissue paper they look quite nice.

I bought some gorgeous fluffy dressing gowns & some silky kimonos for the ladies I buy for & some super PJS for the men -all well under £20 & excellent quality from Matalan

Gift vouchers for their favourite shop/eatery.

I am lucky as I only a few to buy for - DD easy this year, she needs new clothes (new DGC due end of May) + chocolate, her OH is a Liverpool FC fan, I'm collecting "pin badges" bought throughout the year + chocolate. DGS game for PS3, Books, Jigsaw (UK Map showing all League Football Teams) + chocolate & any stocking fillers I find.

DM is 87 so it will be cash unless she finds something she wants.

Couple of friends - just small gifts.

I do like to start buying small gifts early if I see something unusual. Next year (all going well) there will be one more DGC

Anything food/drink for the adults maybe something a bit extravagant they wouldn't normally spend £20 on themselves if you have a local deli or farmers' market. All of the above suggestions for the young uns are good so won't add any more. Here's a thought for next year..in our family and group of friends we all spend £5 on 5 individual £1 presents which we put into a lucky dip..cue much hilarity at the crapness of some of the gifts and surprising usefulness of others. We all really look forward to it and even shopping for the presents is great as there are marvellous hilarious things to be got from charity shops, Christmas fairs, pound shops etc. And echoing a lot of the posts £20 isn't at all mean when you're on a limited budget..bring on the real Christmas spirit and hope you have a lovely one!

£20 per person - that's fine, and probably quite a lot if you have all those gifts to buy. I confess I tend to see and buy things from about September, then ask for one specific idea from each person. In the last few years I have gone from 0 to 6 grandchildren and step grandchildren in a rate of acceleration rivalling that of a Porsche.