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Original poster

Christmas 2024 - what will you do differently ?

64 replies

mrsbyers · 26/12/2023 16:22

So many posts last 48 hrs where family members have caused issues , presents have been either terrible or not received at all etc so I think we should commit to making changes to make things better next year.

We had a good Christmas luckily having decided to go out for a curry to change things up and not being in the raw stages of grief like last year , but I think
mine are not to waste money on advent calendars , between us we spent over £100 and my Degusta calendar was really disappointing.

No alcohol stuff like amaretto liqueurs : baileys etc - after one drink they’re just added to drinks cabinet and wasted

Going to stop buying presents for a couple of extended family members as the same things are exchanged each year and I get Thornton’s chocolates which I loathe

OP posts:
Amana · 26/12/2023 18:53

MirandaWest · 26/12/2023 18:34

I’d like to wrap things sooner. Although this would involve buying things sooner.

Other things this year have been due to external factors so can’t do anything about those.

A tip.

I bulk ‘bought’ a few years ago, Christmas bags/coloured bags in two sizes. Each family member has a co, our or theme of colours ( no labelling) We reuse each year ( mainly). Each gift is packed into the bags in tissue, again bought in bulk. (50 sheets -£7.00)

So much time and expense saved.

mathanxiety · 26/12/2023 18:59

Steer well clear of people who are sick in the weeks before Christmas.

(cough, sniffle, sneeze, cough, drip, drip..)

Tinselburn · 26/12/2023 19:00

I will get my Decs down from loft and put m up slowly over a week. Working back from when I want them up. I like them up early and but a real tree closer to Christmas.

I don't think I'm going to go to my parents again for lunch. They really act like they don't like hosting and are quite bad at it but insist on hosting!

I'm also going to work on accepting my family as they are and making decisions accordingly. I keep hoping for them to be more considerate and act like they talk. But just because I want it doesn't make it so!

I had a lovely weekend in London 1st of Dec and would do this again. We often go in late Nov or Dec for a trip I used to live there and love the lights.

Interested in this thread?

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Christmas Events & celebrations
PangramAddict · 26/12/2023 19:02

This is the second Christmas in a row that I've been ill so I will be trying much harder to stay well next year - wear a mask, lots of hand sanitizer etc.

I may book to go out to save everyone the hard work and if I'm ill again at least the kids and dp can still have a nice meal.

LegoHeads · 26/12/2023 19:03

I’ll get a much bigger ham and turkey. We have no leftover ham at all and only enough turkey for a salad and a pie. I want to be still eating it at Epiphany!

Tinselburn · 26/12/2023 19:08

IggyAce · 26/12/2023 17:20

I’m going to put an envelope with some cash in to cover a takeaway when I pack away the decorations this year.
Im just going to get a cheap chocolate advent calendar, this year I got the Joe and Sephs as a treat but I’m a bit disappointed.
I’ll be spending less next year, we are planning on a family trip to New York in November, so will have a smaller budget for food and presents.

They had a problem with the Joe and sephs calendar and they were soggy / not crispy. I had one too. They sent me a big gift box of popcorn as I contacted them on insta.

Ibex22 · 26/12/2023 19:18

I want it just to be me, husband and child next year.

We have hosted every year (bar one) for the last 11 years and I am absolutely sick to death of it. It's so much work, family expectations, people overstaying their welcome, house is a bomb site, wanting to be waited on etc.

Nah, I'm fucking done with it!

Globules · 26/12/2023 19:23

Not buy as much cheese.

It's only me who eats it and I feel I should eat the mountain I bought.

It's delicious, but I'm sad I spent so much money on it this year. My hips can't cope.

Tonight1 · 26/12/2023 19:25

Not be ill!! To be fair I did quite enjoy snuggling on the sofa by myself with a duvet watching TV and message chatting with friends

buonnatale · 26/12/2023 19:27

What @Tinselburn said re. Popcorn calendar.

tryingforbaba · 26/12/2023 19:29

Ask grandparents not so buy SO many presents for little ones. It was totally overwhelming... by the end DD (15months) was going "no more" when we gave her another present.

It felt gluttonous and her room is too crowded now.

Less is more..

ChristmasEvemaddness · 26/12/2023 19:32

I'm going to pack Xmas Dec's away with "labels" this year so we can find stuff we want instantly. Eg tree Dec's and tinsel. Tree lights.
Kitchen Dec's.

I went insane and brought so much sugary stuff in the lead up but.. Not much fresh shop.

I must stay restrained.

I've cocked up the food shop as well. I should have had a delivery today.

I think now the dc are beyond fc get them to do lists obviously we can't get very expensive stuff but I think better to be more speficic.

Tidy up sooner I've spent a week non stop clearing crap including dc bedroom.

icouldhavebeensomeone · 26/12/2023 19:36

Go abroad! (Hopefully 🤞)

rookiemere · 26/12/2023 19:38

We did a lot of things right this year.

Cheap advent calendars, booked the dog into a dog sitters and stayed in a Premier Inn rather than at relatives houses.Also staying for 2 nights rather than 3 so we weren't all bored with each other.

Maybe try not to eat so much, or buy a bumper bottle of Baileys that is siren calling for me right now < managing to put back most of the weight I've lost through low carbing and no sugar the rest of the year>

Ambertonix · 26/12/2023 19:39

I am not going to buy so much food next year. However, i say this every year and every year i could open my own branch of Tescos and we are still eating party food well into the New Year! This year my ds has been ill so i didnt bother doing much for our Boxing Day buffet as he was staying at home. There will be a few more of us on New Years Eve but i still know i have far too much.

StrictlyAFemaleFemale · 26/12/2023 19:43

I will buy a tablecloth and napkins. Got my eye on some in h&m sale...

gabsdot45 · 26/12/2023 19:43

I'm going to simplify the shopping more. I'll buy boxes of chocolates as gifts for friends instead of making things. Adults will get vouchers.
We had takeaway for dinner this year which was nice but we'll go back to a traditional roast.
I'm a practicing Christian and didn't do very much religious stuff because I was so busy with al the other stuff and next year I will concentrate more of the religious aspect.
I will spend a lot less money

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 26/12/2023 19:49

Next year Dh,DD and I are going to a Christmas Market in Bruges in Dec

Things I liked this year:

I took an extra days leave last week so had time to get organised with cleaning , wrapping presents , baking, shopping . There's loads of threads on here abut a Pre Christmas Clean and others saying "No , do a Spring Clean after " but doing it before made sense .

I do a Dec 1st Box for DS and DD (adults ) useful things . DD especially likes this as she can use them through December . Winter pyjamas , toiletries , nail polishes .

DS likes money not "things" so he got a gym top, money and chocolate .

Started Dec 1st with a brunch (and Dec 1st boxes)
In December went to the Theatre , Open Top Bus Lights Tour , Covent Garden
DD and I went to Bluewater and Lakeside

I made a Christmas Cake and the marzipan and icing . I didn't last year , bought some cake but it was really not nice .

Bought an AirFryer . Finishing off the roast potatoes and parsnips while the Yorkshire Puddings were in the main oven was a doddle .

Lists . Lots of Lists

I started shopping early ( I always do) and had most of it done by the first week in December except food .

It's very different with four adults than it was when they were little and DH and I kept all the hard work hidden !

ChristmasEvemaddness · 26/12/2023 20:01

@IggyAce great idea about putting some cash with Dec's.

Lunaballoon · 26/12/2023 20:05

I’d like to phase out Christmas cards. Non of the young adult members of our family send them and the elderly ones have stopped too and I feel like I only send them out of a sense of tradition. Feels a bit sad though. I remember the days when every surface of the living room was covered in them!

NoItsStillNighttimeDarling · 26/12/2023 20:12

Not going out. If people want to come to us that's absolutely fine and I'm happy to host but it's just not worth buying the DC all the toys they have wanted to then drag them out of the house to sit with adults (albeit their family) all day

NoItsStillNighttimeDarling · 26/12/2023 20:13

I did however start buying gifts etc in October this year and will definitely do that again - for once I'm not financially crippled and crawling to my January pay day!

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 26/12/2023 20:15

I'm not going to buy any chocolate because I always end up being given loads.

I've vowed to not cook a 'proper' Christmas roast next year. I never really enjoy it once it's done. I'm going to do a curry feast instead.

We did Secret Santa as a family this year, rather than all buying for each other, and that worked perfectly, so will definitely stick to that.

Ranger5 · 26/12/2023 20:24

Having being diagnosed with thyroid cancer 4 days before this Christmas, would just like to be around to see next year's Christmas.
One thing that this bought to home - doesn't matter what food/presents you have or.forgot to buy - treasure the moments you have with the people you love.

yoshiblue · 26/12/2023 21:21

Had a year off hosting the ILs, but actually taking my neurodiverse son to a relative/stay overnight was too much. We're back tonight and all knackered.

Next year, definitely people will have to come to us. I want to continue to push away from the big turkey dinner and ILs boozing around the table all afternoon. I need something that works for my sons needs first.

Fed up of the amount of expectation relatives put on the traditional meal and traditions. For me it's just too stressful and I don't want to do it. I hope one day my son doesn't feel the same obligation to me. It also feels outdated, many younger people don't even like roast dinners any more.