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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask do you put Christmas on a credit card or use a loan?honestly??

291 replies

jalepenopopper · 22/12/2021 22:05

Just that really, having a discussion with my dh after watching a programme where the family take out a loan each Christmas and pay it off all year. He thought it was crazy, I said it's more common than he thinks! I think more people do than they admit. So...do you?

OP posts:
Shehasadiamondinthesky · 22/12/2021 22:31

No never, if I don't have enough in savings for gifts I don't buy them and just send cards.
But then again I'm not big on xmas and don't usually bother. Just the minimum.
Why would you do this? Is it peer pressure, do you feel obliged? I never do. I don't give a monkeys abut not receiving gifts either.
I'd rather have a nice card or a phone call.

Roundeartheratchriatmas · 22/12/2021 22:32

No. I was brought up not to buy things I couldn’t afford.

Forgetaboutme · 22/12/2021 22:35

I used to put things on store credit and spend the year paying it up. Thankfully now both me and dh have moved up a couple steps in work and any store cards are paid off and we put money away towards Christmas in advance.

Just gotto do what you gotto do. No regrets, it worked for us at the time.

justasking111 · 22/12/2021 22:35

When young colleague had a Kay's catalogue so I bought an outfit by the time I had paid for it after a few washes it was rags. That taught me. So I've always budgeted start buying in September only get a few bits extra in December. OH has always bought the main gifts for the kids now men and the grandchildren, one present each is his patience limit

AliceMcK · 22/12/2021 22:35

I don’t personally but after years of struggling with debt my ExH left me in I’m really careful not to get into any debt, I don’t even have a credit card. But I know it’s something by parents probably would have done, they definitely got some of our presents on HP.

Guttedbuyer · 22/12/2021 22:35

There was definitely a time I did use my credit card but now I save £100 a month for Christmas but it’s not enough!

Really there’s no difference between paying a credit card after the fact and saving £100 a month (other than one is an actual legal commitment of course) so people should do that if they can although I understand if you’re stuck in the cycle it’s not easy to break!

Chakraleaf · 22/12/2021 22:35

I've used clearpay

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 22/12/2021 22:38

Credit card paid off in full every month here too. I just find it more convenient than spending out of the current account, and you get consumer protection.

logsonlogsoff · 22/12/2021 22:39

No, we use savings. And have a Xmas specific savings plan which helps.

Original poster
jalepenopopper · 22/12/2021 22:39

@phishy we save throughout the year and stick to that budget. We're not loaded and I'm not calling anyone a pleb. Dh and I were just having a discussion that is all. God you can't say anything on here...

OP posts:
TheAudacity1 · 22/12/2021 22:40

No, I've never done this

ShowerOfShite · 22/12/2021 22:40

I save weekly into a credit union account, money can't be touched until late November. Wouldn't be able to afford Christmas otherwise.
Have used credit before, catalogue style online stores, but have paid it off by having a very frugal January/February.
Have older teens now so it's much easier to tell them both an £ limit if there's anything they'd like.

Robostripes · 22/12/2021 22:42

I’ve used a combination of spare disposable income and credit card, which I’ll pay off in full next month from next month’s spare disposable income.

However, I’ve also decided that I’m changing it up for next year: from the end of January, £100 a month is going into a separate Christmas savings account. Come November I’ll have £1000 which will cover it all and I won’t have to put any on the credit card!

Xmassprout · 22/12/2021 22:43

Absolutely not. We pick stuff up in the sales throughout the year so not having to buy everything at once

Will be different when the children are older and ask for specific things and change their minds last minute. Then I would just start saving throughout the year

JingleBellez · 22/12/2021 22:44

@phishy

This thread is a big smug. ‘Shock, horror, look at what the plebs have to do for Christmas’.

Why don’t you tell us what you do, OP?

She uses her trust fund or the husband's vast wealth as chief gynaecologist...
ufucoffee · 22/12/2021 22:45

Not now but when I was a single parent I did. I got a loan every December from our Credit Union. Only way I could do it. I didn't earn a lot and tax credits hasn't been invented

Nowayoutonlydown · 22/12/2021 22:45

I used to.
As a broke 18/19/20 year old I'd always get loads from catalogues, credit cards or personal loans.

God I don't miss those days. It was just to ensure that there were any decent gifts under the tree.

Samanabanana · 22/12/2021 22:45

I put presents on my credit card and then use my Christmas bonus to pay it off Xmas Smile

WhiteCatmas · 22/12/2021 22:45

I do, but I have expensive teens and am a single parent. I get a bonus in February and pay it off.
It is more common than this thread reveals!

Ponoka7 · 22/12/2021 22:47

@Shehasadiamondinthesky
"Why would you do this? Is it peer pressure, do you feel obliged?"

Because children need things. As shown by the schools closing, many children don't have access to technology, contrary to popular belief about big televisions and the latest iPhones.

@jalepenopopper, you have to have disposable income to be able to save. Many people don't.

I notice that posters are saying 'the year we didn't have money', but many people don't have money year after year. It depends on if you are counting catalogues, Argos card, PayPal credit etc. I'd say that the lower income parts of were I live, most people use some form of borrowing.

shreddednips · 22/12/2021 22:48

Not now, but I have done before. Looking back, it wasn't wise but we didn't have much money and I was desperate to get my son decent presents. Now I start buying from about August using the bargain threads on here. It's worked really well- completely spread out and there's been no need to spend one lump sum in December. I think that will get harder as he gets older though and wants more expensive things.

Hunderland · 22/12/2021 22:48

No and if I ever was in that situation I'd buy less, definitely not going in to debt over one day.

Don't spend a huge amount anyway - £100-£150 per teen. Bigger gifts (phones etc) are on birthdays.

womaninatightspot · 22/12/2021 22:48

I put it on a credit card but in general I put all my monthly spending on a credit card then pay it off at the end of the month. I've just paid £700 quid which was November's statement. Should be 11-1200 on this statement so long as I pay it in January I don't pay anything in interest.

Cheaper than an overdraft where you pay every day. I think one of the things that keeps people poor is a lack of cheap credit so they get bogged down in expensive short term loans

Ponoka7 · 22/12/2021 22:48

Those people are only buying for children. It isn't to impress anyone.

Potatodrivers · 22/12/2021 22:49

No. I used to get myself stupidly in debt for Christmas. Not anymore. I stopped buying unnecessary shit and just focused on what the kids wanted. Its worked out far cheaper and if I can't afford something they want, then I just tell them and let them suggest an alternative. It's usually not an issue though.