My Christmas expenses look to be totalling over £1000

[Xmasdemon]

This includes decor including a tree, lights, garlands, a door wreath and other little pieces; outfits for self and child in family; presents and money gifts. Is this crazy or is this just the price of Xmas ?

I'm in my 60s, could buy whatever I please, and some of my most treasured decor are things I made as a child out of yoghurt cups, loo roll tubes, salt/flour dough, cotton wool, etc.

You and your kids could do that with things from around the house plus five quid worth of paint and glitter from poundshop.

Seriously, liberate yourself from the commercial bullshit!

Hang a few decs, go to the woods & pick holly, a few lights here and there. I bought mine in ikea for 50p. You can even make a garland pretty easily. Wear something nice from your going-out wardrobe. No one cares.

Get the cost down to half the amount & take the kids on holiday or somewhere interesting with the difference. You can do loads without being slave to spend spend spend culture.

Well I've finished my work for the day and I am considering having a shower then going to the woods to find materials for a wreath. If I make a wreath myself I will be so proud of myself and save 30 or 40 pounds

Excellent! Maybe even more. They are stupid prices.

I bought a fake one in Debenhams in 2000 & still have it. My friend made a copy from a mix of real holly, fir cones, gingham bows, cinnamon sticks and fake berries twirled around an old coat hanger & it looks amazing! Involve the kids, they’ll love rummaging for wintery things.

Good luck @Xmasdemon I've never tried to make my own!

Some tips from me though, who has awful xmas childhood memories of no tree and no presents and an alcoholic stepdad who refused to celebrate (but would happily go to my grannies and accept the gifts she bought him and the meal she made him)

Now I have children of my own we've begun our own traditions and if you ask them the things they remember from the last few years it's never the wreath on the door or the size of the pile of presents (we spend £200 per child, and £30 per niece/nephew - and they're now teens so that's usually just a primark or Xbox voucher and their favourite sweets)

what they all remember is -
The pjs and christmas cup the elves bring them on the 1st December (so we get use out of them before xmas)

The trip to a local garden centre the first weekend in December to choose a single new bauble each for the tree - over the years we've built up quite a collection of fun and silly ones as well as lovely ones (usually my pick hah)

going to the pub xmas eve and walking home through all the xmas lights (we go around 3pm and the kids have tea there then we walk home around 5ish but to them it's super late) bill never more than £30/£40

The white chocolate cheesecake I make for dessert every xmas day

The Christmas playlist we have set up which is played at breakfast every day in December

The Xmas day afternoon game day and family calling over to play too as ours seems to be the central house (Santa still brings us a family game every year haha)

None of this costs hundreds or thousands, it's repetition that's made it all stick in the memories.

@QforCucumber sorry to hear about your sad Xmas memories from your childhood. My ex was an alcoholic too, just ruined everything all the time. We will be going out to eat Xmas Eve or boxing day so that will be nice

I have lovely childhood memories but they're all similar to those you've made for your kids.

I loved chucking lemetta (spelling? Real name? No clue) at the tree after we'd decorated it.

My mum's Yule log is legendary and now at almost 40 and the host it's still what I ask for as a contribution.

Loved walking round looking at the lights. My little one does too.

Stockings on my parents bed early Christmas morning.

Mum trying to figure out how many potatoes we should do, peeling way too many but there still not being enough roasties somehow. Dad singing while he washed up after dinner.

Watching the dog unwrap a new toy like a loon and then being more interested in the paper.

Tea time "picky bits" round the TV. Often sat on the floor next to the fire.

Nothing that cost much, if anything.

Vinted for outfits? There’s thousands at £1 & as long as you look at photos you can spot any damage/worn bits

I could look at vinted, but I've more or less settled on my basket, includes 2 outfits, tree, door wreath, table cloth and table decoration, and several small presents for DC, totalling ~ £300 I think that's a vast improvement. Perhaps a few more presents to buy I will see how it goes

This year is my first Christmas in my own home since my divorce and yeah I’ve probably spent about that. Things like tree/lights/decorations I won’t have to buy again, and I’ll probably wear my Christmas jumper dress for the next ten years 😂

But I wanted to get DD decent presents, I’ve needed to buy a new unnecessary but still Christmas Eve box etc, because I didn’t get anything like that in the divorce because I married an a**hole and I want to make a nice dinner and stock up on treats and drinks. I’m hoping next year will be easier/cheaper 😬

Good grief woman. Food can be done at £25 per head and that’s all the food over Christmas, presents, £20 max budget, tree £15 live one in Tescos. There are thousands of children going without this year, donate the £900 left over to them. This is obscene.

oh @IpsyUpsyDaisyDoos that's truly brough a tear to my eye, I do hope that we're making fabulous future memories for the kids as that's all that matters.

this year neither of them really have anything much on their lists either, they're 9 and 5 and it just shows me how un materialistic they are big has asked for an electric blanket and some star wars/fortnite stuff and little wants a 2 wheel scooter and 'star wars surprises'

My mum always says "presence not presents". She's right x

We get a real tree which is about £60 each year because we get a decent one from a local farm and can all go as a family to choose it. Some fresh fairy lights and cushion covers can go a long way to adding to any existing decorations. We do have Christmas duvet covers but have used the same ones for about 4/5 years so I don’t replace them annually or anything.

The food bill in our house is always mental but I admit to often buying too much and there being lots of leftovers. I’m trying to bring this down this year because the waste makes me feel guilty every time.

Presents are something else. I’d love to say my DC aren’t materialistic, my youngest isn’t and is happy still with some toy cars and figures from Vinted but the older DC ask for lots of crap. I have to mind their expectations really and remind them it isn’t what Christmas should be about. I don’t get humongous piles or anything wild but they do naturally cost more as they get older and want electronics or trainers even.

You can do it cheaply if you’re savvy, start buying early, utilise Black Friday deals and buy some things on Vinted.

Is this your first time celebrating Christmas?! What about your decorations etc from last year?!

You don't need a new outfit....what is this for?

It is a problem, other than affording it; it's landfill.

My waste doesn’t go to landfill

Where does your waste go; into the ether.....?

Plain pair of black trousers, glittery top, black cardigan. Heels, jewellery, makeup. If you don't already have black trousers/cardigan and have to buy them at least you'll get lots of wear out of them. For pity's sake don't shell out on something you will wear once.

You do if you have fresh and not plastic

I could be the queen and I wouldnt spend that there is no need no matter how much people have, it is a free choice

If you can afford to have an amazing Christmas then go for it..If it means I would have to use a credit card, overdraft anything like that or skip bills then I wouldn't be doing it

No it’s incinerated and used and the power generated to provide electricity and heating to homes and businesses around the city. Paper, card, glass, cans, plastic bottles and green waste is recycled

Yes thank you I'm not a moron, but if the OP is worrying about how much she's spending each year that's one annual expense she can do away with quite easily by buying one quality artificial tree that will last for years. Which was my point. Sorry I didn't realise I needed to spell it out in single syllables.