Fed up of Xmas already. It's expense after expense

AnneLovesGilbert · 16/12/2023 23:59

This is my first with a child at school and it has been quite shocking how much it’s cost.

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DragonMama3 · 17/12/2023 00:01

I quite fancied going myself to Blackpool for Shrek. My teen was less enthusiastic. Youth is wasted on the young!

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DragonMama3 · 17/12/2023 00:02

AnneLovesGilbert · 16/12/2023 23:59

This is my first with a child at school and it has been quite shocking how much it’s cost.

What costs did you incur?

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Tacotortoise · 17/12/2023 00:04

That seems a lot. I'm assuming most of it is voluntary?

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DragonMama3 · 17/12/2023 00:08

The christmas trips of a tenner were in a school day. Schoolhub demanded the tenner every flipping time I logged in. Voluntary with regular nagging.

I live in the middle of nowhere in the Lakes. The Xmas clothes bought at expensive supermarket because school told us via text they were needed the day before. 58 was for a xmas dress, tights and 2 xmas jumpers. If school had given us fair notice I'd have gone to primani.

the santa visits was my call so I'll take that one on the chin.

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LeaveBritneyAlone · 17/12/2023 00:11

I hear ya. It’s an expensive time. The fivers and tenners here and there really add up. We are not doing Santa though which is helping. My bottom line - if they don’t ask for it don’t offer it to them when you’re already feeling the pinch

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DragonMama3 · 17/12/2023 00:12

I can actually afford it. It's just grating.

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LeaveBritneyAlone · 17/12/2023 00:13

I’m lucky in that my kids go to a decent school that has Xmas jumper day EVERY Friday in December so parents can get the wear out of them - but also the rule actually is “non-uniform Fridays, Xmas attire optional”. So my kids don’t wear Christmas attire. Which is good as not all children celebrate Christmas for religious purposes. They’ve loved going in non uniform!

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DragonMama3 · 17/12/2023 00:13

Eldest moaned about Shrek. As a child my Mum was single and worked full-time. Shrek would have been very appreciated, eldest is a little spoilt (again my fault)

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DragonMama3 · 17/12/2023 00:14

LeaveBritneyAlone · 17/12/2023 00:13

I’m lucky in that my kids go to a decent school that has Xmas jumper day EVERY Friday in December so parents can get the wear out of them - but also the rule actually is “non-uniform Fridays, Xmas attire optional”. So my kids don’t wear Christmas attire. Which is good as not all children celebrate Christmas for religious purposes. They’ve loved going in non uniform!

The school said "xmas jumpers only" half followed the rule - my 2kids did and half came in jeans etc. It looked rather strange.

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Tacotortoise · 17/12/2023 00:15

Ouch! I'm tight as tight though. Never took the kids to see Santa and they've never had special Christmas clothing. I do fork out for school trips and cinema though.

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DragonMama3 · 17/12/2023 00:15

I think I may be morphing into Ebenezer...

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DragonMama3 · 17/12/2023 00:16

... they're lucky Cortonwood is now a shopping precinct or I'd have them working!

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ANightingale · 17/12/2023 00:27

Could you not dispense with the Christmas clothes (your biggest single expense) - just let them wear nice 'normal' clothes? Such a waste as they'll be outgrown by next Christmas .

tomatoontoast · 17/12/2023 00:32

DragonMama3 · 16/12/2023 23:56

school cinema trip £5 x 2 =10
santa trip = 5 x 2 =10
xmas fete - 15 gbp

santa visits £36
christmas clothes for school dos £58
santa hats £4
school turkey dinner £3
eldest college trip to Blackpool £40

I'm sorry OP but the voluntary double round of Santa visits, Christmas clothes and fete are entirely on you...

I think Christmas is as expensive as you make it.

TheChosenTwo · 17/12/2023 00:36

I was just going to say the same as @DragonMama3 - double Santa visits and Christmas clothes - I’d not have bothered with either.
I could afford to but see both as a massive waste of time/resources/money.
You’re having a moan about the cost of Christmas yet still paying for unnecessary things!

CatNeedsFed · 17/12/2023 00:49

It's the endless Secret Santa's that are the tin lid for me (DC ended up in a few this year and that's after opting out of some too) especially since it's generally jumped from a standard fiver to £5-10/tenner/15/20(!).

KThnxBye · 17/12/2023 00:59

Not-optional-without-really-really-standing-out-or-letting-the kids-down costs suck.

Primary
£13 pantomime with school
£22 Christmas ballet with school
Advent calendar contribution (suitable for vegans, although we aren’t vegan) £1
christmas school dinner £3.50
£1 donation for Christmas jumper day, £3.99 for charity shop Christmas jumper
Platter of sandwiches and packet of cookies for Christmas Party. £4?
£3 to see school Santa
Donation for school fair prizes, themed (child’s class had unopened toiletry set as a theme, so this had to be bought) £3
£1.50 Entry to school fair, £10 spending money for tombola, food etc
£4.50 Christmas Disco (less than two months after £4.50 Halloween disco)
Christmas cards for the whole class, expected, £2
Donation for Santa food bank, expected, £2
Christmas gift stall, £2.50 (kids get to choose a gift form the stall to give you, so I guess it’s not a cost but I don’t really want a Pokémon tree decoration)

Secondary
Theatre trip (london overnight) £90 x2
Christmas jumper day £1 x2 (+2 teenager Christmas jumpers fit to be seen in £20)
Lantern parade £3 on materials
£2 x 2 for Christmas charity appeal

I don’t want to add it up

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DragonMama3 · 17/12/2023 08:03

The fete had 4 christmas crafts made by my 2 youngest. I paid 3 for a wooden star with daughter's name on, 1 for a pine cone sprayed in gold glitter. I paid another three for my son's tealight holder. they are lovely however I wouldn't leave my children's crafts.

I can afford the hit. Other parents can't. How is that fair on the children?
The santa visits - me I'll agree.

The clothes well they had to wear Xmas stuff. I'm an hour either way from civilisation, primark 1hr and a half away. It would be closed by the time I'd got there. Not everyone has easy access to cheap fashion. School told us the afternoon before. Husband works till 5. It was expensive supermarket or nothing.

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vanillaredbushtea · 17/12/2023 08:07

Don't take them on the santa visits.
If you get last minute demands for clothes from school don't comply. Half the parents won't. The schools need to learn

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DragonMama3 · 17/12/2023 08:07

We have 2 charity shops unfortunately people seem to be donating less. There was no xmas jumper in either child's size. A lot of thin adult xmas stuff though..

as :@KThnxBye said it's not truly optional.

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DragonMama3 · 17/12/2023 08:09

vanillaredbushtea · 17/12/2023 08:07

Don't take them on the santa visits.
If you get last minute demands for clothes from school don't comply. Half the parents won't. The schools need to learn

I agree in principle but 99 per cent of the children had Xmas wear. You don't want your child to stand out.

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vanillaredbushtea · 17/12/2023 08:10

DragonMama3 · 17/12/2023 08:09

I agree in principle but 99 per cent of the children had Xmas wear. You don't want your child to stand out.

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Ah right. I guess next year buy a cheap jumper in advance but it does all seem wasteful.

Toomanycaketins · 17/12/2023 08:10

yes to all the school fete stuff… donating and spending and ending up with the Pokémon tree decoration 😂

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DragonMama3 · 17/12/2023 08:11

I did for son

it got nicked.

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