Treating ourselves to a huge Christmas blow out - how would you spend £1000?

[Christmas25]

Posting for traffic.

We have had a crappy year for various reasons so have decided we are going to go all out this year.

We have earmarked £1000 to spend for Christmas (ignoring presents) - how would you spend it? We’ve already ordered the Tom Kerridge beef wellington from M&S (not part of this budget), but I’d love to know what other things Mumsnetters would recommend. I don’t know where to start!

There is a shop in borough market which does the best christmas pudding ever, they are like £50 would never buy myself but my friend buys me one every year and it’s so delicious

£1000 is a lot to spend on food only for a family of 5!

How about food and clothing purchases that would last? Buy cashmere pajamas and socks, eat whatever food and drink you want, buy a nice candle, pay for a top to bottom clean of your house before and after, get Deliveroo one on of those in between days after Xmas. Basically spend it on making life easier and restful, and with some lasting memories (in the form of pajamas and socks!)

Oh lovely scented candles!!! Great idea. Make the house and cosy and lovely.

Huge tree, lights for the outside and garden you can use year after year?

Maybe get some spirits and make a Christmas cocktail, mull some wine in the slow cooker so it’s hot all day long, invite people who may not have enough themselves to have lunch with you?

Please don't go out on Xmas day. If it was me id defo be getting a massage and my nails done.

Go to the theatre! Have good seats AND drinks at intermission, ugh how luxurious…

I have to agree with this - it feels wasteful if you’re not ‘desperate’ for something. Xmas dinner is just a big roast really.

meat (if you want organic or hand reared by angels or whatever that’s about £150 but you already have yours?)
’done’ veg and delux trimmings say another £50
a ham?
fine wines? Champagne?
shop bought posh selection of puddings?
massive cheeseboard / pates
sea food starters (we don’t like it so much so do not bother)

You can’t spend £1000 on food for 4 adults and 3 kids over what, 2 days? What a waste of £1000. I’d certainly upgrade to M&S/ Waitrose for Christmas Eve/ day food, but that (thankfully) isn’t going to cost you £1000!

Given that you’re already going away in the new year, I’d just spend whatever it came to in M&S/ Waitrose and keep the rest for when you go away, or get theatre tickets/ day in London or something.

The idea of just spending £1000 for the sake of it, when you don’t really even have anything to spend it on, does just seems a bit wasteful/ pointless.

If you can't think what to spend it on then you don't need anything 🤷‍♀️

Hotel with pool and spa between Christmas and new year, I’ve just booked a lovely place in rolling countryside which looks amazing and was so cheap

Exactly!!

If you follow this advice try ordering your seafood from this company on the Isle of Mull - it’s superb and they deliver across the UK. https://www.tobermoryfish.co.uk/

All the Christmas cheese and nuts. Scratch cards on the dinner table along with crackers.

Rather than spend it all on the day - things between Christmas and new year - Christmas Escape Room, Pantomime, book a private pool for a swimming session.

…and? Where does it say that you can only post about things that everyone can afford?

I’d go for things that are one or two steps up from what I’d usually buy, and ask everyone what they’d like as a special treat that they don’t normally get. Might also go for a shopping trip around Fortnum and Mason and get the expensive coffee and all the sweet things that look lovely but I can’t normally justify.

Here’s my Christmas orders.
Lobsters, crab etc from Rockfish.
Shellfish Thermidor Pie from COOK, plus other extravagant extras.
Champagne or Crèment.

If you’re close to The Grove I’d go there for lunch. Preferably The Glasshouse.
https://www.thegrove.co.uk/

Beef Wellington plus Venison etc from DukesHill.
And a case of lovely wines from Laithwaites or Naked.

Weird thread. Do what you want with it.

I would do a really decadent buffet with really special chocolates, cheeses, biscuits, fruits, pickles, chutneys, charcuterie boards with paired wines; would also get some really luxurious toiletries, bath salts, new towels, pamper packs for everyone-in fact I would probably buy a hamper basket and make everyone a personalised pamper pack. I would also buy beautiful table ware, luxury crackers for the table too.

Maybe a cocktail/mocktail casino night with card games and music

Posh room fragrances to make everything smell beautiful

Ooh I feel quite jealous and very Christmassy now OP I hope you have a wonderful time!

Ooooh, where? Very interested.

From what I read on here a lot of people on Mumsnet have children in private schools....it doesn't bother me reading about it. It's out of my budget!

Top notch cheeses, hams, salamis and olives. Nice fresh seafood as pp mentioned.
Goose (tbh we are having that not even a a splash).
Nice party food and drinks.
I would spread the budget to NYE as well.
You will still have left over most likely so something nice to do on days between.

We’ve had a shit year, and I’m delighted to see the end of it.

Christmas will be as usual but we’ve rented a cottage with a hot tub for new years and will be eating a seafood platter, while I drink some Prosecco in a hot tub and toast the end of the worst year of my adult life. Have everything crossed the primary age kids will go down nicely so it’ll just be me and DH.

Won’t come to £1k (more like £500) and tbh, we probably ought to just save it for the many potential future rainy days but god, I’ve realised this year life can turn on a sixpence and so I’d go for experience over stuff every time.

Where? do tell? x

I would just upgrade my Christmas dinner if I was feeling flush - Kelly bronze turkey, cheese from the cheesemonger, go to a decent butcher for other meat rather than M&S/Waitrose. Have some nice champagne. Buy some lovely quality pj’s for everyone to wear on Christmas Eve. Buy some properly posh chocolates. Shop for it all in some good quality independent shops.

How very crass, I am failing to understand how spending £1000 on a single meal which you yourself will be cooking will erase the ghastly year you have had, but each to their own.

I think you're more likely to remember experiences rather than posh food (I would at any rate) so I'd make sure I had some good quality food arranged then spend the rest on treating the family to the theatre, ice skating etc.