To think there’s too much ‘stuff’

I keep suggesting to our PTA that they do a Christmas jumper sale sometime in November so people can offload their kids’ outgrown ones, other people can get cheap jumper for their kids and the PTA can make a small profit. But no. So I buy a size up every other year and DC wears it for Xmas jumper day, Xmas lunch day, and the carol concert, and then it does the same duty the next year, before getting handed down to a friend with a younger D .

(And yes, I know I could join the PTA myself instead of criticising but I have a taxing full time job, a number of health conditions and a DC with some additional needs.)

Meh. I love Black Friday, this one was especially good for me. I was tracking some things before it, and bagged great deals. That said, I bought stuff I need and will use, not pointless crap: a laptop, 2 heated blankets and other bits and bobs I do need. Laptop was £200 cheaper than normal (I know how much it costs, wasn't a fake deal), blankets half price.

That said, whilst I'm not frugal for its own sake and I don't worry about consumerism at all, I pretty much never buy pointless shit just because. I don't always buy just 'practical' stuff obvs, but if I buy something, I will use it/keep it, I won't bin it in a week or after the season.

Changing decorations, etc every year is just completely alien to me. Not because of frugality or whatever, but it's just weird. Why would you? The ones I own are beautiful, I like them and they're perfectly fine, why would I chuck them and buy other ones? I grew up in a wealthy household, but the concept of chucking good stuff/changing furniture very often (non-broken furniture), etc wasn't heard of. Even among the rich people (I'm not from UK). It was thus: you buy good/best quality possible and you stick with it. Not forever, but you stick with it and don't just replace it every year on a whim.

The most baffling aspect re UK and Christmas for me are cards. Every year I read on here: 'he/she/they forgot a card', 'He didn't even bother to buy me a card', 'where do you buy beautiful cards?', etc. Now I know what they're for, but.. Why? Just call/message? And if you're giving a present, just give a present, why do you need a card on top? And what do people do with them all, straight in the bin? Store them somewhere and look at them from time to time? I don't judge, it's a cultural difference, I'm just interested.

I feel the same, as I'm in the same boat regarding Christmas traditions abroad. Less waste, less pushing for countless presents that aren't necessary.

YNBU but countries don't seem to be allowed any alternative economic system other than the consumerist growth one.

My kids can wear their Christmas jumper throughout December in school, so they get lots of wear. I buy a bigger size, they get at least two years wear - DDs is in her third year and still going strong. I think if you buy carefully you can do some Christmas stuff without the excess waste.

My Christmas tree has decorations that are 30+ years old, we buy a new bauble each year so the tree has grown with is and is full of memories.

I got some Christmas pyjamas in the Next sale last year, I just wear them as normal pyjamas in the winter, it doesn't really matter they are Christmas themed, I can still wear them, they were a good price.

Exactly this but po still fall for it.

What they do is increase the price at least 28 days before the day, and then "reduce".

@ItsRainingTacos79 I think a Christmas jumper swap rather than a sale works better. At our school you bring in your jumper the day before, receive a ticket, and change your ticket for a different jumper the following day. The same approach is done for Halloween costumes, and wellington boots.

Black Friday is nothing more than a sale at a certain time of year. Most of the items have been on sale before & the money they knock off is not a huge amount, the question is if they can afford to reduce the items, how come they do not sell at the price they reduce them to as the normal price? Profit to cover losses

Well yes it's called capitalism op. And we are now drowning in plastic. It's sad.

The worst I've seen was a Christmas themed loo brush holder......

I used to know someone who did. Blue, purple, gold, silver…. She used to complain a lot about being skint, too!

My winter PJ's are long trousers and long sleeved top, it can be a struggle to get anything other than a Christmas style that fits the bill. I wear them for half the year. My towels come out every year, there's lots of things that I only use a few times a year, especially the summer beach stuff, but I still have them. I'm not sure why the Christmas items gets people so wound up.

Replacing them every year is a different issue.

They often end up in charity shops. In a local one, for the hospice, I’ve seen sofas that must have cost many hundreds of £££ new, if not £2k ish, for say around £150. In good condition, too.

With you all the way to what you have said, what is the actual point? senseless beyond belief.

I wear my Christmas themed PJ's all winter, and my socks I wear all year. Both to the annoyance of my teenage daughter. Not everyone only wears the items for one day / night.

I hate it with a passion. I’m very much influenced by my mother and the fact we were quite poor growing up so had to make do and mend. Her own mother kept things for decades like pots, pans, furniture etc as they were still in good condition. I follow the same way of living in that we buy quite good quality larger items that have so far lasted us nearly 20 years. I buy second hand nice clothes. Same plastic tree for the last ten years, same decorations, we don’t do silly gimmicks for the kids. They are very grounded and appreciate what they have. Don’t get me started on the likes of Temu and Shein.

Yanbu.

I hate the Christmas themed stuff - towels, rugs, pyjamas, bedding, plates eetc.Why the fuck would you buy something you can only use for a few weeks? People who give their kids Christmas pyjamas on Christmas Eve that are then too small for them the following year?

We all have Christmas bedding. Which is used for the whole of December (taken off washed and dried in day) We've had the same sets for years. Same with Chistmas towels.
I also have a thick Christmas rug I bought in Costco about 10 years ago, which comes out every year.
They are all like new, so will last for years to come. It's they're used for years, I don't see the problem.

My tree is 20+ years old though, I would like a new bigger one, but then I see the price of them and don't bother.

I was shocked, however at the amount of tat in places like homebargains and B&M. Do people really have special Christmas bed sets and door mats?! Crazy!

Yeah, I do. Mat will come out every year, as do the towels and tea towels. We also have Christmas bedding, two of the singles came from a charity shop and the third from a free page. I have a new one as we have a new SK bed, but it will be used every year.

In the grand scheme of things, these are just items that get used a few weeks a year whilst our main ones have a little break.