What are you stripping back this Christmas?

[Carfeulyay]

As my thoughts turn to Christmas - I’m conscious this year with rising prices and uncertainties that I would like to limit spending this year.

I put money aside each month for Christmas, so I have a nice little aim set aside but I would like to draw some of that back into my emergency fund or cover cost of rising heating bills.

What will you be cutting back this year? I’m thinking visit to Santa, Xmas panto & reducing present budget per child

Will probably be eating with my dad and brother at dad's care home this year, so I will only be buying usual shopping plus a few extras as I won't be cooking a big Christmas dinner with all the associated stuff, sweet and savoury, that goes with it.

Kids will get the same money as every Christmas but we no longer buy adults Christmas presents, total waste of money, especially at the moment with the huge costs with energy bills, mortgates, rent and food etc. for people to cope with.

I have a similar situation re gift expectations of others.

I have a god child whose parents e-mail me links to expensive items (Full set of Chelsea Kit for example!!!!!) yet in return our Dcs (also their godchidlren) don't even get a christmas card.

This year I am regifting an unopened family board game that I won in a raffle. (feeling only slightly guilty- but only slightly).

Nothing as it's always pretty small with just the three of us.

It's only me, DD (18) and my mum on the day. No siblings or extended family to buy for...maybe a little something for my 3 closest friends if I see something that shouts at me but we don't make it a regular thing.

The biggest difference for me will be having to do all the shopping fairly last minute. I've been a carer for my parents since the pandemic but have just started to do some freelance work so all my benefits will change over the next month or two. My lodger is also moving out this month so it will be tight in the short term but hoping the dust will have settled by Christmas.

Have suggested to XH we go halves on main present for DD but not had a response yet so will see what happens on that front. Will probably buy fewer useful gifts and less tat.

Mum doesn't really need anything and is quite minimalist. She has a pernicious sweetie habit and hates cooking so might make her a week's worth of homemade ready meals and a little hamper of old fashioned sweets.

I will resist the temptation to buy any new decorations this year and use up existing wrapping paper. Probably won't send cards.

The food and drink is the big thing for us...am already planning the shopping list but will refine it depending on finances nearer the time.

@StStephensTower

Last year I got an excellent fake tree - complete and in good nick - from a charity shop for £6.00. Looks great, and will last a few years yet.

:(

We've decided on no tree this year, no presents for adults and to cut back on the food. (We don't have kids, so just nieces and nephews to buy for).

It feels a bit weird to be honest, I've become estranged from one part of my family (who have ignored my approaches to sort it out) and my friendship groups have drifted this year (their childcare issues mean they don't really have the time to socialise with childfree me). It's going to feel a bit... different.

Only thing we have cut back is paid days out, was planning on winter wonderland this year but not going to. We had already cut out buying for adults other than my parents. We won’t be buying anything for each other yet again.

We won’t be buying any new decorations or replacing the broken lights from last year.

Present budget has had to increase a bit this year, now the kids are older everything is more expensive. The price difference between kids clothes and adults is a fair bit to start with.

Not stripping back as such, but we've never really gone huge at Christmas anyway, but we started buying a good few months ago. Toy sales and Facebook marketplace have been my saviour this year as have managed to get my 3yo a good haul of presents for about £100, all which she will love and play with.

No pressies between me and my husband this year, we've decided we will cut out all gifts through the year (birthdays, Christmas, anniversary) and will treat ourselves to a childfree night away somewhere instead at some point in the year.

Been picking bits up that have been on offer/in the sales for other people through the year so it hasn't all come out of on payday, we usually do a big Christmas shopping day which we now don't need to do.

Nothing. No but jacks. But then we were always reasonable / not particularly excessive anyway.

My dc are teens so luckily the days of tat and trips to Santa etc have gone. I’m cutting back on extra treat food. Just having nice party food on Xmas eve and Boxing Day and Xmas dinner on on Xmas day. Dh and I have set a £100 budget for each other (was £200) and I’m only buying adults in the family a token bottle of booze up to £20 as opposed to gift that was usually more like £40. Im not cutting back on dc’s gifts as they don’t really get anything from anyone else. Plus, as they are teens now it’s usually only money, tech, perfume , or other items they need so nothing gets wasted.

I’m probably not buying a free range turkey as 1) they’re all being kept indoors now due to bird flu and 2) incase the power goes off whilst cooking it.

I think a big saving will be Aldi turkey rather than the local farm bird (goose or turkey) we always get. Simply can't afford it this year although I feel sad about it. The rest of our Christmas meal is mainly veggies so that's fine.

I've been charity shopping for DD's stocking and gifts, got a few picture books from The Works. I think a lot of the rest of our gifts will need to be homemade. My mum is getting us panto tickets for Christmas so DD will get to enjoy that.

Our community centre puts on an amazing grotto with a small gift in exchange for food donation to local food bank.Win win,the children love it and makes it affordable for all.Normally we do NT father Christmas.Great saving.No longer giving presents to extended family everyone gets masses of presents and children have too much already.Only sending cards to very elderly family and friends otherwise e- cards with 3 yearly subscription.

Nothing. Going to a hotel as usual, that’s it, all done, no to to do , bliss

I save all year too and have DS Birthday on the 27th, this year he is 18 so a doubly whammy, but I have also saved for this. My plan is not to spend over what I have saved as I always do. I have set my teens a budget and this year I will stick to it.

Going to spend Xmas day with my folks so will contribute to the food. I don't drink anyway and will be working quite a bit of it (nurse). I hate to be a grinch but I really don't like Christmas I think it is because I work and then Jan comes and I find that so depressing.

No presents for adults. Saves me 400 quid. I won't be cutting back on anything for DS. I won't be buying M&S preprepped dinner and will just cook it from scratch and I've bought a normal joint of meat instead of ordering a really good one.

I'm not having a Christmas this year as I can't even afford to have my heating on at all all winter. I'm not sure how to handle xmas day yet. Luckily my dc are grown.

Presents between DH and me, we'd usually budget about 200 but this year I suggested a limit of 50.

Only thing I'm stripping hack is the wallpaper. We have so much decorating to do, it's unbelievable.

Somehow we’ve ended up with half my family for Christmas lunch and then the other half joining in for Christmas tea. No quiet (cheap) one for us.

Normally we do a visit to FC but DD is 9 and I don’t think she believes any longer so that’s fine. School is doing the panto trip so just paying for her and not tickets for us and grandparents.

Normally we buy meat from the fancy butchers, May compare prices and use the supermarket if they’re cheaper.

I also have DP’s and DD’s birthdays just before Christmas along with 2 close friends and 2 close relatives. Don’t know how to cut back in those areas TBH.

Not stripping back per se but I started buying Christmas presents a few weeks ago when various sales were on at retailers like Oliver Bonas, ASOS etc. i was determined not to have a mad rush on family and friends presents when everything is full price. For my DC’s I’ll not scrimp on their prezzies and toys but for family and friends I thought it was worth being prepared and I’ve got a couple of bags of lovely things that I got a bit of a discount on.

We are cutting back on gifts but am i am also thinking of "wrapping" for the kids all the trips and experiences we would normally do in the year ahead so homemade trip to cinema voucher with attached a packet of popcorn, swimming voucher attached to needed new googles, zoo voucher attached to charity shop safari animals, seaside voucher with bucket and spade, trampoline park voucher attached to their jump socks.

Last year I told the family I wasn't doing gifts, so I can't cut that back.

I buy for my god son, stepson, two cousins kids, my bf. That's it. I might have to do a secret Santa at work, who knows.

Re food - I'm going to think carefully about why I buy everything I buy, and pare it back. Also, I'll be buying from a supermarket instead of the farm shop. And go to the local market for veg.

I got a £250 John Lewis voucher from my pension company (in a draw) so I'll be using that for Waitrose food, though I've already spent half of it, hopefully the remaining will cover a chicken and a ham.

I might go to my nephew for a day so I'll need to take something, but a bottle of gin and some biscuits will do.

I'm also cutting out my drinks party, it costs me hundreds and I get very few return invites, plus I had a party in September so that's done.

I've never done panto (unless forced, I hate it), but I have a gig 17th December in London and am staying over so will do some other fun things then.

I'm amazed people can afford this much in normal times, never mind this year - we're quite frugal in comparison (not hating on anyone, just thought we were average but seems we're cheap! 😂).

We always reuse decorations, have a fake tree, save our nectar points for Xmas food/drink and don't spend a fortune on our 2DC - less than £100 each as they have plenty already. This incudes a Xmas eve box - just a few sweets and a small toy.

No 'special' versions of the classes we usually go to as they're not that different to the normal ones but double the price! One grotto visit, that's all.

I do have a reusable advent calendar but most days are sweets/chocolate from the kitchen cupboards, and the occasional £1.50 hot wheels. Our elf doesn't do any fancy tricks, he just hides every morning if he remembers to move !

Nothing, but then I never went overboard anyway. I have always used the same Christmas decorations, which have been added to over the years. The tree lights get replaced when not working anymore. I have always shopped early in the sales, which has kept costs down as well. I am quite happy to have chicken, or lamb for dinner. I have never liked turkey anyway. I do not go all out on food because it is Christmas. It works for me.