To parents who are broke this year for Christmas...?

Years ago I was a divorced mom with two kids, no child support, a job that didn't pay much, and I was always broke as I didn't make much money. My kids were 6 and 3 when I divorced, and 8 and 5 when I remarried, and my new husband and I still didn't have a lot of money. However, my kids were small, and so I just made sure that I had some things they really liked under the tree.

In 1981 and 1982, I spent maybe $30-$40 dollars between the two kids as it was all I had, and dollar stores were not around then. I did all my shopping at Kmart, on sale, and made it look like a lot.

In 1983, Cabbage Patch dolls were all the rage. My daughter was 5 years old and she really wanted one of these dolls. I absolutely could not afford one. I told her that Santa was out of Cabbage Patch dolls because so many children wanted one, but for her birthday (in March) we would get her one. She was heart broken, but there was nothing else I could do about it. We ended up getting her a knock-off doll for her birthday in March and she was tickled pink.

We ended up with 8 kids. I stayed home to care for the kids, and we never had excessive amounts of money. We always kept Christmas reasonable, the kids would get some things they wanted, and they often did not get all they wanted, and definitely did not get expensive items they wanted.

If you don't start out expensive and you keep it reasonable, your kids will understand. Ours always understood, and now most are grown with their own children, and they often talk about some of their favorite Christmases and gifts, many of which were in some of our leanest years!

DO NOT go in debt to get your kids Christmas!!!! If you are living pay check to pay check, the last thing you need to do is to go in debt for a bunch of junk your kids do not need.

I used to "shop" at yard sales, thrift stores, dollar stores, and on sale items throughout the year for my kids and other people in the family. In fact, I still do this and so do my kids. One daughter does almost all of her Christmas shopping at yard sales and Goodwill. She finds gifts that fit each person and we always love what we get. Gifts do not have to be new in order to be appreciated.

I would not worry about what the kids at school think! Let your kids know that those children's parents have more than you, that their families have more than you, and that Santa does not always have enough to go around so that they will not feel bad. If you try to keep up with the kids at school you will go broke. These are also not good values to be teaching your kids (keeping up with the Joneses).

You should also focus on why we celebrate Christmas~it is Jesus' birthday, not a gift grab. Jesus came to give the ultimate gift of eternal life to those who accept him as their Savior If you focus more on this, then it will help tremendously. This was and is our main focus for Christmas.

I still have a 19 year old and a 17 1/2 year old at home, and we don't spend more than $70-$100 each for Christmas, even though my husband now makes good money and we are no longer broke.

We also buy for all the other kids, their spouses, and the grandkids~ a total of 33 people, and we do not spend more than between $1000-$1200, yet we get nice things, all on sale, some things from yard sales, and always things the recipient wants and will appreciate.

Some places still offer lay-a-way. There are churches, the Salvation Army, and other charities who will help you with presents if you are truly needy. We never used these resources, but next year if you still find yourself in dire straits financially, then contact them in October or November when they are accepting applications for kids who need help and apply.

Despite all, I hope you have a Merry Christmas!

we have 4 kids.. ages 13,11, 3 and 6 months. i lost my job last year and then had the baby, i haven't been able to return to work since then so the only income we're living off is my husband's paycheck. with that we have to pay for our house, cars, insurance, utilities, plus feed the kids, buy them clothing, buy fuel to heat our house and for my husband to drive to work 90 miles round trip every day.

we were lucky enough to have a walmart and sears credit card that we had in case of an emergency (like the car needed fixed or the washer or dryer broke) if we didn't have those cards, our kids wouldn't have gotten anything. we dont even have enough cash to get us thru to the next paycheck sometimes... we never would've been able to buy gifts.

we got them each one big gift ($50 value) and a couple smaller things... stuff they could use like blankets, shoes, clothing, books etc.

i am dreading when they go back to school and the kids all have an ipod touch (my 13 y/o wanted one sooo bad) but what can ya do? i keep reminding them of the true meaning of the holiday.. and that times won't always be so bad. next year at this time hopefully things will be looking up for us.

and also, there are always people who are worse off. some kids dont have parents... or even a family. or won

t get any gifts at all

I have been "broke" every year since my daughter was born. (She is also 7) ... Last year I put myself in debt to make Christmas feel normal. I knew I could pay off my credit card when my income tax refund came. ... That said, I always get low and mid-priced stuff from walmart. Even if I could afford more, I would still get her little things to make sure presents don't become the focus of the season.

This year's present list consists of a stuffed cat, a purse to carry it in, a warm blanket, and some art supplies (crayons, paint, paper, pipe cleaners, and a tape dispenser).

I think the important thing to make sure kids don't feel left out when school starts back is to keep Christmas extra fun. While one kid is talking about their new Wii, give your kid an adventure to speak of! Or a funny moment to reflect on or something. ... Last year I got a cheap wood shelf for my daughter to put her trophy and medals on. We spent the morning painting it.

i'm not a parent, but i was talking to this customer and he was telling me how every month him and his wife would put money aside in a completely separate bank account they wouldn't touch to save up for christmas presents. i don't know the situation but it's a good plan i think. also, a lot of stores take e-mails and send coupons and promotions and stuff so that could be a good oppurtunity for saving. i know old navy, bath and body works, and best buy have them, but i'm sure other kids stores do too.

you know what, you tried your best and you're thoughtful. i'm sure your children will appreciate what they have and they'll especially appreciate it when they're older. merry christmas!

it's a good idea not to spend more than you have. a lot of people go into debt because of the pressure they feel from all the commercialism. but i think you should get your name on a couple of lists at churches or charities as a needy family. that way you will get some help with this.

find some moms to swap toys with. there are plenty of toys your kids wont miss - swap them for someone elses stuff.