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Original poster

Have you gone into debt for Christmas?

37 replies

CurlyhairedAssassin · 27/12/2018 11:44

Just wondering if it’s normal and just to be expected, or if some people actively try to tailor things to suit their budget like me.

I can’t believe what some family members have spent. I know know their rough household income so can only assume they may have spent on their overdraft or credit card. Obviously entirely up to them if they do, but I get the feeling that they see my “spending within my means” without going into debt as stingy.

OP posts:
ItchySeveredFoot · 27/12/2018 11:47

A little bit. Due to unforseen circumstances we were a little short financially for the last 6 months so I put a few things on the card. The money is all sorted now and I put less than £200 on credit. I buy for almost 15 people including my 2 dc so I think I did ok.

NameChangeNugget · 27/12/2018 11:47

Not at all. Really cannot understand why any sane person would put themselves under pressure for the whole year, just for one day

ItchySeveredFoot · 27/12/2018 11:48

I don't go crazy though and usually spend within my means. If I wasn't sure my finances would be sorted by now I wouldn't have done it.

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PurpleDaisies · 27/12/2018 11:48

No. We cut out spending on presents in half though.

AnneLovesGilbert · 27/12/2018 11:50

No way. We’re saving like mad at the moment and have been very careful planning presents and food shopping a couple of months in advance so we knew what was going out when. I’d hate the thought of trying to enjoy anything we hadn’t yet paid for.

Original poster
CurlyhairedAssassin · 27/12/2018 11:56

In past years when things were really tight but we knew DH would get a bigger pay packet at the end of December we would put things on the credit card and pay it off in January.

Now we are lucky enough to not have to rely on a credit card until DH’s December bonus comes through but neither do I want to “upgrade” my spending AND still have credit card debt in January, and I don’t see this as being stingy.

Suppose it depends how you view credit cards. We’ve only ever used them when we needed them eg for unexpected costs not covered by savings and knew we woukd have the money to pay things off over the next month or two or three.

Whereas some people I know are happy to use them for things that they WANT rather than need.

OP posts:
ShirazSavedMySanity · 27/12/2018 11:58

I put money away each month so by December there is a nice tidy sum which I then spend and enjoy spending guilt free.
We spoil the children at Christmas but are very restrained throughout the year.

BumbleyBum · 27/12/2018 12:04

We did spend a lot, but have not got in to debt over it.

Towerofjoyless · 27/12/2018 12:04

I'm usually saving from January and putting money away each month for the next Christmas. We may sometimes go over by up to £50 which isn't too much of a stretch to cover. I don't think I could sleep at night if I was £££ in debt for the sake of one day.

MrsAmaretto · 27/12/2018 12:08

No, but I spent £1.5k more than I intended by travelling to see family over Christmas -£500 flights, £470 self catering, £200 train tickets £300 hotels. Dh rota was changed in October so he is now away until mid January & neither myself or the kids wanted Christmas by ourselves.

I did actually reduce spending on presents this year. We buy for 20, plus our own kids and teacher gifts (£1.50 choc oranges). Hopefully next year dh will be home for Xmas and my family will fly to us.

80sMum · 27/12/2018 12:08

No, I haven't and I don't think I ever would.

We were quite hard up in the early years of our marriage. When the DCs were little, we bought some of their presents second hand, from NCT bring and buy sales or car boot sales. They were none the wiser.

We had an "austerity Christmas" one year when DH had been unemployed for over 6 months and we couldn't afford to splash out. We didn't shop for any Christmas day food until the afternoon of Christmas Eve. We bought whatever was there, which had all been marked down. I vaguely recall we got all the veg for about 50p and a turkey for less than a third of the original price.
We had a little competition for who could make the best Christmas cracker without actually spending any more money. Mine was made of newspaper, with a newspaper home-made hat and a handwritten joke. DH's was made of scrap paper and had instructions to shout "bang"! When pulling! (We got the idea from the TV show The Good Life!) It was a fun thing to do and we actually enjoyed that Christmas more than many others and still remember it fondly.
The kids were both young adults by that time and understood that there would be only minimal gifts (a book each and a few sweets). It was a lovely Christmas, free from financial anxiety.

OldGrinch · 27/12/2018 12:12

I haven't gone into debt but depleted my savings pot, I spent about £400 on each DC (teenager s) Shock presents for other family, loads on food, drink etc. Total cost of Xmas around £1500. Have taken about £300 from savings to make up shortfall

Youmadorwhat · 27/12/2018 12:13

No way!!

GaryBaldbiscuit · 27/12/2018 12:19

not this year, on a debt management plan, and have been saving.
we might be eating turkey for quite a while but we will manage. we dont push the boat out very much, no credit card christmas for the first time in a long time!

megletthesecond · 27/12/2018 12:21

No.
I don't have a lot to buy though.

E20mom · 27/12/2018 12:22

No. I never would.

AGHHHH · 27/12/2018 12:22

I was already in debt.

[santa]

NotSuchASmugMarriedNow1 · 27/12/2018 12:23

I've got £400 on my overdraft and I've put £150 on my Very catalogue by now pay in 6 mnths.

I've set up a direct debit starting in January for Parks to get "LovetoShop" vouchers next year mainly so that I don't have the worry. I'm fed up of worrying about how it's all gonna be paid for. It's not just the gifts, it's the entertaining, travelling, parties, etc that are so expensive too :(

huggybear · 27/12/2018 12:25

No, surely if you're struggling financially your family wouldn't want you to spend on them?

FourFuxxakes · 27/12/2018 12:29

We're already in debt!

Original poster
CurlyhairedAssassin · 27/12/2018 12:30

I think this thread may be demonstrating a change in outlook. I was chatting to some retail workers 2 days before Christmas and they said it had been the quietest December they had ever known.

Maybe it’s the Martin Lewis effect! Combined with David Attenborough and being conscious of plastic waste?

All mixed in with bloody expensive housing and low paid jobs....

OP posts:
NotSuchASmugMarriedNow1 · 27/12/2018 12:31

OP I totally agree with your last post. Added to which - I've actually already got everything I need, and so has everyone I know!

Beamur · 27/12/2018 12:32

No new debt, but the overdraft is maxed out!

Maybe83 · 27/12/2018 12:34

No I save all year with park get MasterCard gift card for family presents. Save in work for kids and and dh. Spend some extra from Dec wages on other bits and pieces.

OrcinusOrca · 27/12/2018 12:34

No. I put money into a separate account each month throughout the year and that is what we spend on Christmas. Lots of people I expect save up and use savings, you don't know they've gone into debt just because they earn £3k a month and spent £3.5k.

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