The cost of Christmas dinner is not the problem. It’s the rest of Christmas which is stressful.

[Bleachmycloths]

TV, the internet, magazine articles and advertising focus on the cost of Christmas in terms of the cost of Christmas dinner. If all I had to do was to prepare and pay for Xmas dinner, I’d be happy.
It’s a roast dinner (which I think is one of the most economical dinners, but that’s a whole new thread) with a few extras like cranberry sauce, sausages and stuffing to make it Christmassy. Most supermarkets are practically giving away fresh veg in the next few days.
aIBU that the media irritate the hell out of me with cost of the dinner competition.
It’s pretty cheap. It’s the cost of everything else which breaks people: presents, booze, decorations, luxury food being pushed, cards, stamps, crackers, wrapping paper, gift bags…

Absolutely. Xmas dinner can be as cheap or expensive as you like. You can do an expensive rib of beef, lobster, vintage champagne etc, or as you say a roast dinner with lots of veg sides and a £5 bottle of Prosecco. It’s definitely the cost of gifts (and travel to see relatives for us) that makes it expensive

Yes agree. They reduce the veg down to about 19p. It's the meat that's expensive but again you can get a frozen Turkey joint for about £6. It's all the presents etc that cost more. However to a point it's the extent to which you buy into it all of the pressure to be social media perfect with heaps of presents decs booze etc - you can spend less and still have a nice Christmas.

Well everyone will need a dinner to eat on Christmas Day even if it’s not the traditional Turkey so if it’s cheaper all well and good.
However surely the cost of all of those other things is totally in your control? You don’t have to have presents, you could do without, set a small budget, do secret Santa etc.
So I’m pleased to get info where I can find the cheapest turkey veg etc

Couldn’t agree more. Every year I say I won’t get sucked in and every year I do.

We had chicken for years, it made up about a 6th of the plate contents. When you consider that for a lot of people the highlight of the meal is a cheap chipolata wrapped in half a rasher of streaky bacon, then it's a cheap meal (in the greater scheme of things).

I agree. Every penny counts, but most of my friends who are struggling with COL crisis are mainly worried about heating the house over Christmas and keeping their families warm.

So yeah, the media can get in a tizzy about the price of one meal, and it will maybe help some people budget a bit and save say £20. But that £20 wont be enough to heat their homes adequately over the school holidays.

You’re right. This year, I’m being positively tight compared with previous years! But I do feel sorry for those parents who are struggling and feel under pressure. It’s harder when some older children become demanding or suffer peer pressure, too.

I think the additional 'traditions' that seem to be upscaled such as Christmas Eve boxes are where part of the problem lies. I expect given that the last two years have seen limitations either on who you could have Christmas Day with or who could travel have made companies and many individuals wish to make a bigger thing of it this year.

I grew up in poverty and so christmas was always very scaled back, but still a lot of happy memories. Mum and dad being off work at the same time (they were often ships in the night to save on childcare), the one time of year we could choose a tube of chocolates each, walking through town to see the lights, and we had a present we really wanted; just the one but it was magical.

I was acutely aware that friends got more but to be honest this was the case throughout the whole year so didn't spoil Christmas as such. I loved it.

Fortunately we aren't struggling financially but still keep it low key- a chicken roast as no one likes turkey, small thoughtful presents, the same decorations, no elf or Xmas eve boxes, don't go too overboard on food etc. Social media has definitely added a competitive element as does peer pressure, but ultimately we choose how we celebrate Christmas and what we do, it can be simple and still wonderful- no shade to people who go all out mind.

Whereas I agree that the cost of the dinner can easily be contained but I find it odd that you feel so much of the rest of your list is so expensive it stresses you.

I mean, why do you need to spend on decorations ? Don't you just get them out the loft ?
Crackers - I've not bought for years as I'd rather spend on anything that is better vfm than crackers.
The whole point of gift bags is that they get re-used. If you are using gift bags then not sure why you are spending a lot on wrapping paper (which, again is very cheap if you buy after Christmas and stick in the loft. Same with cards.

Nonsense. It's only stressful if you let it. You spend what you can afford. Letting the stress get to you is very silly, when you really think about it. I put up decs, We buy presents, a posh roast. Where's the other stress?

I agree.

We have a very pared down Christmas compared to many families - 3 teen dc who have a stocking and three presents each under the tree (books/sports stuff/clothes/jewellery, not expensive things like posh trainers, x-boxes etc).

The only other people I buy for are my parents, I don’t send Christmas cards etc.

We have a turkey dinner but not excessive and hardly any booze.

Even at this level it is cripplingly expensive - I’ve still spent hundreds of pounds on presents and all the extras.

I hate it, but apart from cancelling Christmas altogether there’s not much more I can cut down on.

See my post below. Many people struggle even to afford these extras on top of all their other outgoings.

If you have kids you can’t exactly cancel it, can you?

Er, presents?

Yes - Christmas jumpers (needed for kids), teachers presents, cards for the kids to give, work Christmas meals, work Christmas Santa, Father Christmas visit. There’s so much to remember that doesn’t feel optional

I can’t imagine many teachers want or expect presents. ( I’m a teacher); mostly useless, I have plenty of mugs, I can’t eat chocolate or drink wine. Keep the money towards your own Christmas and let the children make a card.

I do think schools should stop with the Christmas jumper crap. My kids were never that fussed, I used to just out a bit of tinsel on them but I know plenty of people who felt they had to have them. So wasteful on children.

Other than that I agree it is just a roast, we don't have a big family so it's quite straightforward, but still adds up

Every year I say I wont spend as much,but always do! I adore Crackers ,Chocolates ,presents and a trip out to see the lights .My DC are older now but I still buy lots for them and stress I havent got enough!

I agree with this - we also chip in for the schools planned trip to the panto, to the last week of term softplay visit, the nativity costumes, reindeer run, christmas book party, last day Christmas party food donations..then letters ontop asking for donations to the food bank, toy donation day, the options to buy your kids christmas artwork on coasters / magnets, raffles it's never ending. :(

Christmas doesn't have to be expensive though, that's a choice people make.

I'm only early thirties, but when I was growing up, we decorated the same tree with the same decorations every year, we used the same lights (until they broke), the same napkins, the same table decor. I had the same stocking from newborn right through until adulthood.

We never did roast Turkey (IMO it's hugely overpriced for what it is) and while we did have a full roast dinner, we didn't feel the need to buy all the accompaniments, or enough food to last a fortnight when the shops are only shut for a day.

Food/menus were back to normal on Boxing Day with the exception of maybe some leftovers which went into sandwiches. We did buy things like Mince Pies, Panettone etc, but we'd buy one box and that was it, etc.

It's as expensive and OTT as you make it.

Activities!!

We've spent a fortune and we've been pretty careful with a cheapie Father Christmas, panto at the Lyric on their cheap tickets, Ice skating, Xmas meals out, Xmas fair at school where I was rinsed for £12, Xmas day at school, various mufti's / tombola donations....

I realise that I will sound like a grinch and that when you have DC at school there can be quite a lot of additional costs with Christmas fairs etc but I'm surprised at what some people think are necessary. Christmas jumpers here were always DIY usually find a jumper with an animal on and give it a red felt Christmas hat or tack on a string of tinsel. We wrap presents in newspaper - when DC were little they painted it but now we just use ribbon and recycled gift tags. Decorations are mainly between 10 and 20 years old and we get strands of ivy for the fireplaces and stairs.

Christmas activities can be free(ish) a walk around to look at lights, a carol service etc, organising a community living advent calendar etc, baking and decorating gingerbread/mince pies and making decorations.

I do think Christmas has got extra commercialised with elf on the shelf, Christmas Eve boxes, ice rinks etc

I'm going to sound really old/boring though, but surely pretty much all of that is optional?

I don't remember doing anything like that much "stuff" when I was growing up, and if we did do them, they certainly weren't things we did every single year.

I’m on my own now but will buy quality old fashioned decorations Holly garlands etc. I’ll save through the year so in December I can spoil two friends and eat have whatever I like I don’t drink don’t smoke Christmas December is my time. I’ll have bits in the year but love spoiling and being spoilt at Christmas.

I don’t get sucked in, one of my favourite Christmas things to do is free, I like to watch all the cheesy Christmas movies. I ditched buying for anyone except my nuclear family and parents over 20 years ago.
We do quite a lot of days out all year and the December ones have been Christmas themed such as National Trust houses that have been decorated.