Really want to book Christmas things but don't want to blow it

[tellmehonest]

I have had a fugal summer, unfortunately paying off debt on my credit card. We didn't do any paid activities, so it was all parks, walks, no lunches out , no icecreams ( although a friend did buy us one) and no snacks out. I have two DC one school age, one toddler. I only spent £6.50 in total on bus/ train, mainly tried to avoid this and park and walk or just walk everywhere 😂 🙌 No holiday, but it was a bit flat and no I really want to make Christmas special. It's having something to look forward to. Christmas Day will be low key and minimal, no idea on the present find either 😬I just don't want to get in the same situation again, I need to stop myself spending. Been wanting to do Lapland Uk for past few years and also a train ride as my DS adores trains. Just these things are so pricey.

I can't increase work hours as doesn't balance with childcare costs. DP working as much as possible, still some effects of Covid in his industry, he's self employed.

How do I stop myself splurging and then ending up in a cycle of debt again? I need to find free Christmas stuff, does this exist ?

Place marking for ideas of free/cheap stuff. I looked at our local steam train for Christmas earlier and it was £85 for a table, it's only three stops! Just lights on the train, no FC/drinks/toy etc. Wow.

A few years ago I read a blog about minimising overspending/overwhelming kids at Christmas. It talked about only buying four presents (something they want, something they need, something to wear and something to read). Obviously budget can be tailored to suit but I liked the structure to stop overspending or buying lots of extra stuff mindlessly.

Lapland U.K. can cost an absolute fortune if you go at busy times and have more than 1 child! I was shocked how much it cost. It really depends on the area where you live, maybe plan one night a week to walk or drive around a certain area looking at Christmas lights, then the following week a different area. My area do lots of free lantern making activists and stuff for kids so maybe try looking at local youth clubs etc

With trains, look for mini railways. Its likely to be a lot cheaper.

Christmas light switch on in locals towns should be cheap and cheerful 😊

Well done for tackling your debt. You'll feel so much better when it's gone!

There are loads of ways to feel Christmassy without rip-off prices:

• get a train or bus into the nearest town to look at the Christmas lights
• go to local lights switch-on
• check your library for free events, ours always have a special storytime with characters from the local panto
• Christingle service at church (even if you're not religious - I'm not - it's very festive and lovely)
• primary school PTAS, Cub groups etc often have Christmas fairs / Santa's grotto etc that won't break the bank

Do relatives buy the kids presents? Could you ask for train tickets/mini train tickets instead?

Check out local garden centres they often have beautiful Christmas displays that are free to wander round.
My dcs are older now but I’ve never done a Santa train or breakfast/lunch with Santa and they don’t feel like they have missed out.
Our Christmas tradition was to see Santa at Beamish, the family ticket is £50 and lasts a year it was an additional £7/£8 to see Santa. Now they are older we still visit Beamish we just don’t do the Santa visit.
Last year we made hot chocolate and went for a walk around our local area to view everyone’s Christmas lights.

You could do stuff at home:

• special hot chocolates with different things to put on top, with a Christmas film (tv)
• lots of cheap crafts and cheap baking

We didn’t do anything paid-for in the Christmas holidays, beyond a school fete, and I loved Christmas as a child.

Well done, you are brilliant.

The Christmas board will be very happy to provide ideas on a frugal Christmas. Avoid the 'bargain' thread tho! Ask for very cheap present ideas on a new thread of your own on the Christmas board. You won't be the only one.

These things are often a rip off, Lapland UK has some very poor reviews on tripadvisor, terrible customer service it seems, huge queues, people talking into walky talkies or not turning off their mikes during the performances - there was someone saying they paid £135 a head! What area are you in?

I’ve been in this situation too many times, it’s my biggest downfall financially, spending on taking the DC out.
These are the things I have planned for this Christmas lead up and Christmas/new year week so far to try not to spend too much!

Cookie making (will buy sweater shaped cutter) and have an ugly Christmas sweater decorating afternoon.
Christmas films indoors with hot chocolates and fancy home made popcorn.
Gingerbread house making.
An evening walk all wrapped up to look at Christmas lights and decorations in the area, I make us bacon rolls and wrap them in foil to take on the walk with us too!
Christmas face painting each other.
Obviously decorating day… that’s an activity in itself!

Then the bits I’ll be spending money on….

Christmas Eve we’re doing a panto but I’ve booked already so that it’s not an additional cost closer to Christmas and we take our own snacks and drinks.
Ice skating but will be looking around at what is the most reasonable price.
We like to go to the cinema for a Christmas time movie and then to get burgers but our cinema is very cheap and we take a small bag of chocolates from the Christmas time chocolates with us and some cartons of juice and then we will use the burger king app to get cheap meals afterwards.

I love Christmas markets so much but avoid them at all costs as there are too many temptations.
Also love the idea of winter wonderland etc but again too many opportunities to spend too much money!

Single parent and have to be careful what I spend so I can afford everything they need all year round but we still have so much fun!

It does feel good to be more in control, and in the black money wise even if I only have a few pounds after bills, but it feels time is getting away with the oldest DC regarding Santa type experiences 🥲 How long will he believe ? I know growing up we never saw Santa, even if he was at our school fete as my parents didn't have the money.I totally understand now.

We are lucky to have a few nice garden centres by us, so will certainly do that and a local lights walk with a torch maybe ? I'm going to write a few of the ideas down.

I read the blog and last year we cut out buying for a lot of relatives. It seemed crazy me buying something for £15 for so and so's child and then them buying something my child didn't want back. I tried to stop buying for parents, and they didn't take it well, mainly they are hard to buy for and quite ungrateful anyway, but didn't want to do the just for the kids thing as they wanted a present to open Christmas Day. It seems crazy to have that pressure of getting into debt again.

An add on to the last post I left…

I’ve not always been so good with budgeting and have hugely overspent in the past hence it being my biggest downfall and then spent about 2 years living VERY frugally to pay debt off.

I’d say we have just as much fun if not even more spending less money, it makes you more creative!

Christmas is magical enough without spending on expensive days out, in fact it’s probably the one time when there’s lots of free/ cheap magic going on.

Go to a Christmassy garden centre and buy a small bauble each (or don’t).
Go to a church family Carol service/ nativity even if you’re not religious.
Wrap up warm and go on a “light safari”around your village/ town.
Visit a Christmas Fayre.
Do some making/ baking.
See if there’s any Christmas light switch ons near you.
Go out for a Christmas themed Costa/ Starbucks.
See if there’s any local pantos as they’ll be cheaper than the big theatre ones.

If you do want to splash out, pick just one thing that you know they’re really love.

@Greenmarmalade

Do relatives buy the kids presents? Could you ask for train tickets/mini train tickets instead?

I change user name regularly, but if anyone remembers my thread a while back about what ever I ask my parents /relatives for they buy something else. It seems to be an annoying family trait. It's not me asking for things unsolicited, it always go the same way, the ask then poo poo any of my answers ( sp? Pooh ?)

Local school christmas fetes. Libraries often do free christmas crafting. Drive or walk round to see the lights & hand deliver some cards.
Make your own cards for close family, let them loose with glitter and glue.
Local garden centres often have awesome grottos that don't cost too much.
Local farm park will do Christmas event days that are far cheaper than Lapland UK but will feature real reindeers etc and full day of activities for less.
School age child will have a school party or disco probably (& often get tired by end of term anyway) & playgroups do a christmas party
Churches may do free nativities
Have a lovely Christmas (as you know its about people and the feeling not the £££ spent)

Facebook marketplace for really cheap or free things. I get loads off there, saves so much

@chillychills

Facebook marketplace for really cheap or free things. I get loads off there, saves so much

That is so true, I gave away a table for free, and other things recently that I just couldn't sell in the end. I just need this luck to pay forward and get some bargains.

I’m also vvv impressed with your frugal summer

Get a Xmas tree, snowman or gingerbread man shaped cutter and make/decorate biscuits and gingerbread. Same cutters can be used to cut out icing to decorate a cake or used for playdoh.

Christmas films! Lots of them.

Our local Dobbies always has a Christmas display that you can see for free as well as the grotto you pay for you, and they have an 'santas arrival' thing where you stand in their carpark and wave to Santa... Similar to a town light switch on event.

We've had loads of the kids presents from charity shops or eBay, especially books and DVDs in good condition. Christmas jumpers, PJs etc are the same, there are loads on eBay or vinted for a few pounds.

Don’t feel pressure re Santa experiences. If you oversell it it’s harder when they find out! I think Royal Mail do a letter from Santa thing- you could look it up?

Don’t feel bad- this is all really beneficial for them in the long run.

How annoying about family and presents. That would do my head in

so many Christmas events are a rip-off
last year we bunked a light show by being in the park at dusk, after the lights were up and running, but just before they booted out all the non-paying park goers. It was pretty and mildly diverting but I was bloody glad I hadn't paid £62 for a family ticket. it really was not loads better than visiting a decently decorated town centre.

We don’t do many Christmas events because one the cost and two I find my children especially my 3 year old gets overwhelmed with too much going on in December. Remember they do things at school too. For free/cheap activities we walk and look at lights, go to our church fete, school fete and watch Christmas films. Our library also puts on a free Christmas event.

Last year someone organised a trail with things to find looking around the lights, e.g. A star/Santa in a window etc, you could make your own & give the DC a hot chocolate for finding them all (Nd warm up afterwards)

Could you get the train into a different town to.see their lights, so you get the train experience but not the inflated prices