To think Christmas will look very different this year?

[ButtOutBobsMum]

I was wandering around the shops yesterday and it occurred to me that lots of the extra "fluff" around Christmas is likely to disappear this year due to the increase in the cost of living-

-Christmas lights outside houses. With the energy cost increase I can't imagine many houses will have lots of lights up.

-Christmas Eve boxes, Christmas bedding, Christmas pyjamas. I've never done any of these things as my children are older now but their popularity in recent years has grown. I'm guessing these are extras that lots of people will sacrifice?

-Christmas parties. I know several people who host parties on Christmas eve, Christmas Day evening, Boxing Day and New Years Eve. Short of charging people to come I don't see how they're going to afford to host big parties this year.

-Trips to see Santa. I haven't had to do it for many years but they seem to have become more and more elaborate and therefore more expensive. My niece took her kids last year to one at a local garden centre and with the extras of ice skating, feeding reindeer and food and drinks it cost over £100!

Personally speaking our Christmas is always pretty small and low key so I don't think I'm going to have to make any big changes other than perhaps cutting back on presents for extended family.

DH and I were discussing it and he's of the view that people find it hard to change these traditions and will go into debt to carry them on but I'm not convinced.

So I suppose AIBU to think Christmas will look very different for a lot of people this year?

@justasking111 - That is madness! we are paying £38 for 2 adults and a child to go to the local wildlife park, you can see the animals, ride the train and see Father Christmas for that. I thought that wasn’t too bad.

Our christmas is fairly low key. Decorate two outdoor christmas trees using solar lights and homemade stuff , pinecones with a twist of bright wool, star for the tree is made from willow coppiced from the garden. Bring out little decorations from last year for the house. Hang stockings. I buy them one big present and a little toy/ sweets for stockings. Their Dad will do the same. For christmas dinner I cook everyone's favourite foods and we are all very relaxed. Have a council leisure membership so lots of swimming/ ice skating over the holidays. Community christmas party, panto, local Santa day none of it's very expensive. I don't do gifts outside of the children. I think once you get sucked into overspending/ credit cards it's hard to come back from; perhaps cost of living will give people the excuse they need to pare back.

To be honest, I've been thinking for a few years that it was getting a bit OTT on expense. I've refused to get sucked into Christmas jammies, Christmas boxes etc. You don't need this kind of stuff to make Christmas Eve special.

I won't be cutting corners on the special days. But I will be reigning it in foodwise on the 'in-between' days. Healthwise I'd rather not spend 10 days grazing on Quality Street and Pringles... We bought far too much food last year....will make an effort from Cmas Eve to Boxing Day and New Years Eve/Day. The rest of the time it'll be normal meals.

That's crazy. You can do something far lovelier for £300. I do think that places pricing like this will suffer. Inflation is 10% but some goods and services have increased by far more and it is not always easy to see why. I use a local spa. Last year it was £125 for a full day and £75 for a twilight session. This year it is £225 for a full day and £125 for a twilight session. I guess they're paying increased energy bills and maybe paying more to recruit staff but it is a massive increase and now the car park is always half empty.

Some people seem to have an exhausting and expensive Christmas. They might feel unburdened when they stop buying PJs and Xmas eve boxes and having their porches professionally decorated. Not to mention all the landfill.

Fucking hell, I’d be telling them Santa wasn’t real and nipping that one in the bud.

(I’m joking. I’m probably joking).

The energy cost for LED Christmas lights is pennies.

I hope it DOES stop people buying too much shit - matching family pyjamas? Bedding? Extravagant Christmas eve boxes? Such pressure to spend these days!

I have already agreed with family not to exchange presents - I honestly don't remember what i received last year and its always a rush to buy SOMETHING just to tick a box (I am terrible for 3 for 2 in Boots). Meaningless money spending.

We have already brought DD her gifts and we are having a UK city break away as a family in December for two nights for Christmas activities, paid for by work Christmas bonus.

Well Christmas Eve boxes, Christmas pyjamas, bedding etc are all things that are completely unnecessary. We didn't have them when I was young and we still had a lovely time at Christmas.

I do think some businesses are using inflation as an excuse for profiteering. I am not saying this is the case here before farmers pounce on me, I know for most industries costs have increased significantly, but in more service led areas, prices didn’t need to rise as much as they have, especially where staff haven’t received pay rises.

We will still put our external lights up, they cost surprisingly little to run and the kids love them. We have had the same artifical tree and decorations for years and I see no reason to change them. The kids have wooden Christmas eve boxes they were given by a family member as babies and get re-used every year. They always contain pyjamas (that they wear all year round, not Christmas themed), a sachet of hot chocolate or another small treat, and a new book so not exactly extravagant. We will still spend the same amount on presents, but we've never bothered with cards.

We normally do a couple of big days out in December to Christmassy places but we've decided not to bother this year. DD recently said that her favourite memory of the Christmas holidays is getting a hot chocolate from the Costa drive-through and driving around our town and all the neighbouring villages to look at the Christmas lights after dark and DS agreed, which made me realise we really don't need to spend a lot on a Christmas 'experience'.

I think there will be a mix. People who usually have a big Christmas will either continue to do so, whether that risks debt or not and some will tone it down.
Christmas lights, I have outdoor solar ones with a battery pack too. I've got battery powered indoor lights for the tree. The majority of my Christmas decorations were bought in January sales or I asked for them as Christmas presents. I reuse every year, I'll replace them as the little one gets older, he likes the singing toys ATM so have a few of them. Our Christmas days out cost about £30 to £50 max, we may have 3 in December. It's just as fun walking around the town and seeing the lights and decorations in the shops and outside people's houses. We've met a few Santa's, not one of them charged, there's often a community fun day somewhere with free entry and santa comes along with his elves.
Jumpers and Christmas PJs are delivered by the elf on 1st December. They get a good wear then. I give them away the following year and buy more in the January sales if I can. Otherwise I get them as early as possible before the price shoots up.
I honestly enjoy the run up to Christmas day and the day itself without spending a fortune. But it's down to personal preference. I just hope people don't feel the need to get into debt or spend a fortune it would be such a shame.

Same as usual here regards parties, lights, food apart from we're having chicken instead of turkey but that's really a change because of the taste.
We've so far spent and will be spending more on presents this year because we're better off than last year. But have bought a few really nice things each and for adult dc rather than loads. Again mostly to avoid tat and the overwhelming amount of stuff we all end up with.

We are changing some things this year.

We’ve already got Christmas bedding / lights / decorations, etc so no extra costs there. Lights cost barely anything to run anyway. We are cutting back on some of the snacks like tins of chocolates, fancy crisps because we don’t end up eating them all. We find we don’t actually eat much over Christmas! Too full from the meals 🤣

All of my friends have young children and so are paying for childcare and things so are in an expensive part of life. We do a secret Santa between us adults but have all agreed no presents for children this year. They get enough from family and their houses are bursting already. Instead each family is using the money they would have spent to pay for something like panto / Santa train.

I am child free and the money I would have spent on friends kids is going to the local food bank instead. I’m taking the eldest child (10yr old) to the supermarket and she’s picking out Xmas treats to put in the collection box. My (retired and well off) parents are stopping spending on extended family like adult nephews, etc and instead will be donating some toys to a local charity that provides Christmas presents to children living in a domestic violence refuge.

so we will Probably spend about the same really, but try to spread the joy a bit

Your DH is right in that lots of people will go into debt, however perhaps next year will be quieter because of that.

we will have a normal year, just November and January will be quieter.

one thing I had noticed - I always get ds a Lego advent calendar (established that as a teen he definitely is not too old for one!), normally by the end of October many places have sold out of Lego calendars, but there are loads of the more expensive calendars left.

Well, i for one will carry on as normal. Im good at budgeting anyway! Why should our kids miss out whilst this fat cat energy companies are getting their pockets lined! Its been a shit few years for everyone and ill be making xmas as decent as possible.🎄

@inappropriateraspberry

That's why I said smaller scale. Batteries wouldn't be cheaper in terms of lighting the house up, but my neighbour just puts a few smaller items up outside the house and runs them on batteries cheaply.

We're not well off but we've got Christmas onesies off vinted (that they will wear year round) and I'll pick up some hot chocolate sachets and a cheap Christmas storybook for them each.

We'll go to see Santa, it's probably the last year my eldest will believe so unless they've doubled in price since last year we'll do our best to go.

We're hoping to still be able to do the cheapish mince pie train ride we done last year, but we're definitely dropping the more expensive day out at snow dome.

We don't have outside lights anyway but definitely wouldn't be looking to add any! And we'll probably only turn on the tree lights in the evening instead of having them all day.

We finally got through the big pack of crackers last year, we won't bother this year, the kids aren't overly interested in them and they just seem like a needless expense

This. I've been wondering the same. Led lights cost pennies to run. If you could afford it last year, you can still afford it.
Battery lights will cost a LOT more. Batteries are dear. Please don't advise this as a cost saving exercise.

It's the food costs that are worrying me.

I've never had external lights as I live on a private road so kind of pointless as no one would see them.

Xmas bedding was bought years ago, is actually looking a bit tatty so considering replacing them this year.

Never done xmas eve boxes, but new PJs for the year are given xmas eve. They need them anyway and doing it on xmas eve is just fun.

Never done any Santa trips as when the kids were young enough to appreciate it, we were too skint too.

Present list is usually fairly large, but not extortionate and i save all year round to be able to do this. I'm under no illusions that the next few years will be tough, so I'm bloody determined to enjoy this year.

Same. But tbh, every single year we waste food.

This year we are mindful of this, have planned the meals over the course of the week from Christmas eve onwards. We are also picking up a non perishable with every shop e.g chocolate orange, stuffing mix.

Judging by the Halloween decorations appearing around my neighbourhood Christmas will be as full in as normal. After all you don't buy full new decorations every year, and a few twinkling lights don't cost more than pennies to run. Maybe people will cut back in gift giving, and travel. Businesses may indeed cut back on parties, though I think they've been dying out for years now.
I think people tend to put MORE effort into holidays when things are bad, like all those people putting the tree up in November during covid.

I have one set of Christmas bedding that I’ve had for years. Never bothered with Christmas Eve boxes or pyjamas. We’ll spend about the same as last year but we consciously cut back then - kids are teen/adult and have no problem with us spending less on them and putting what we have spare into the food bank and toy collections and baby basics. I’d be disgusted with them if they did. We are lucky and have what we need for a nice dinner and reasonable gifts. We are higher than average earners now but we spent £30 on them when they were 2 or 3 - we didn’t have as much ££ then. Ours had DVDs and jigsaws from Oxfam and Happyland toys from the church fair and we sent the toys back there when they were done with them so other families could get good condition toys at cheap prices. I can remember seeing the relief on a woman’s face when she picked up some Barbie stuff for £5 at our church fair. No child should be bothered about whether it’s in a box or not.

Why would five adults need to see Santa?

We will do santa day out or light trail evening not both
No panto not that we usually do its over £100 for 4
Outside lights are battery powered so will still be up
No 2/3 night trip away between Xmas and New year though
I've saved across the year to pay for presents and one of the kids have birthdays Xmas week so always expensive and need to be prepared.

I assume it's £30 per entry ticket, and each child is accompanied by a parent.