How are you scaling back/ tweaking your Christmas this year?

[BanyanTree]

I am still on a mission to create the Christmas I want and not repeat the Christmases I have had.

What are you doing differently this year and what lessons have you learned?

I am reducing my Christmas card list to about 5 which will be my very elderly relatives only who appreciate a card. I am also not buying any wrapping paper or gift tags and am going to use up all the bits I have in my cupboard. Finally, I am going to upset a lot of our extended family again by saying I am not spending loads of money on presents. Every year they get the hump but I cannot carry on spending the amount of money we have been doing.

I'm sending fewer cards again this year - moving most people onto an email, and reducing cards sent to relatives who don't use email and a few older people who like to receive a proper card. I have always loved writing and sending Christmas cards, but last year something in me snapped and I just couldn't do them all any more! And the world didn't end

I'm also going to scale down the presents for DD slightly this year - we don't normally spend loads, but even so, last year, she didn't open lots on the day and was a bit overexcited by the whole thing - fewer presents would have been fine. I've already bought and stashed quite a few things - lego sets I saw on sale and so on - and am scaling back the FC main present this year (I think he will be bringing DD a marble run, which is substantially cheaper than his gifts the last few years!) I plan to ask relatives to get some of the other things DD wants, so that it doesn't get OTT. Her present from us might be a Kiddizoom camera, as she seems to have developed an interest in taking photographs.

I'm also keeping to my scaled-back presents for relatives this year - prosecco and wine gifts - and planning to get them all sorted and in festive bottle bags ready to go early. Have already got nephews presents when I saw (nice) things reduced throughout the year (Lego etc.), so I don't actually have too much left to do. Need to think of something for my mum and dad, and DH.

Plus, after a year of MIL problems I'll no longer be sorting out MIL's presents, DH can do it himself!!!! Liberation!!

Oh and every year I go a bit mad in the after-Christmas sales, so this year I am definitely not buying any more cards, wrap, decorations etc. - I must use up some of my stash!

Likewise, I will only get a few extra bits of choc for DD's stocking (choc coins, Lindt reindeer), as I've already stashed a load of stocking bits and mustn't buy any more.

I will also stock up early on wine and fizz for our own Xmas dinner, and try to prevent DH from going overboard with the extra bits, cheese etc. for Christmas day. We still have some quince paste and chutney in the cupboard that wasn't used last Christmas...

This year I'll also plan and book in pre-Christmas events as early as possible, and perhaps suggest that MIL's present to DD is a panto trip (I detest panto but DD loves it....last year I paid a huge amount for MIL to take DD to one, and then MIL also bought her a ton of quickly-broken plastic crap on top. Much easier all round for MIL just to pay for the panto and get her a selection box to open!)

We got a good quality free range chicken last year instead of turkey (DD still too young to notice or care), and that was much more manageable and much cheaper. Easy to then buy a lot of M&S ready-cook sides which were lovely. But I must remember that we ate so much we didn't manage the pudding until about a week later!

Finally, I will make every effort not to get ill this year. I nearly always celebrate Christmas with my annual Christmas cold or flu. Last year I woke up on Christmas day with the start of that 3-week cold that was going around the whole country (the one the Queen had....I'm fancy like that ) and I felt grim until well past New Year (it turned into a chest infection). This year I am going to shovel vitamins in and eat mountains of kale and veg as Christmas approaches in an effort to ward off the bugs.

Our family made a mutual decision about 6 or so years ago to only buy gifts for those under 21. That would be nieces and nephews! We all buy something for our own of course.

So no gifts for siblings, so liberating and everyone is happy.

Our friends also suggested a no gift policy some years ago, and again, everyone is happy.

Neighbours on either side get a bottle of plonk, and we get home made cake (I am rubbish at baking). Sorted.

Mum always gets something though, that is a sacred gift!

We all have our own Christmas Day separately, and everyone has a turn to have Mum on the day.

Boxing Day is a moveable feast. Someone stays in their own home and everyone else comes to visit, it rotates.

It's not perfect, and some might be horrified, but it works for us.

Also, this is the year that I stop doing all the present thinking for everyone!

My adult dc, my mum, my brother all start pestering me for ideas for each other from the start of December, when I have finished all my shopping, and have no good ideas left.

I bought (look away now if you are of a nervous disposition) 103 presents -including stocking fillers - from DH and me last year, and then got pestered and begged to dream up more ideas for family members. I was completely out of brain power by this point but felt compelled to help.

No more this year - I will just look blank when they beg. 😆

Wayfarer, look at echinacea tablets to boost immunity before or at the onset of a cold.

Similar to many others on the thread really!

1. No cards, waste of money

1. I've done most of the DC presents already. I made a list and look around for bargains regularly. I started in July and this has worked well.

1. No stockings. I put crap in for the sake of it last year and they were only just turned 1 and 3 at the time! So pointless! When they're bigger I may do.

1. Limiting all the junk food purchases in the run up - I end up eating too much for weeks beforehand and gain weight. It's unnecessary so Ill get treats for Christmas Day, Boxing Day and NYE and that's all.

1. No presents for adult relatives (I say this every year but always end up buying anyway )

1. No travelling round visiting. Am sick of it since we have small children they can all visit us on the day or we will see them sometime between Christmas and NYE. No way am I dragging them out this year.

DSDs are grown ups now so will give them a cheque a week or two before Christmas and if they want to buy things and have them wrapped for Xmas day then that's their call. Probably £200/50 each.

DD is getting one main present and then 10 smaller ones. I have a habit of going ridiculously overboard and then unused presents being donated to charity about February time because they are unused.if family members ask what she want then I'll ask them to put money in her savings as she doesn't need anything. I'll be setting a budget of £250 but will forgive myself if I go over by £50 or so.

Me and DH don't do presents- we put money into the family holiday savings pot and go out for a nice meal while we are away.

Parents and in laws get a hamper of homemade goodies and homemade card from DD. Probably costs us £50 odd to put together.

Sister and SIL get vouchers (last year was for a spa treatment) and a cheque for £25 each towards nieces presents.

We don't go overboard with shopping- Christmas dinner stuff, a tin of celebrations and a box of Laithwaites wine.

No cards, not buying mega tons of food, buying only presents for the children and even then nothing mega expensive.

Limiting all the junk food purchases in the run up

DH is very sensible and always reminds us it's only one day the shops are shut, and makes sure our shopping trolley is similar before Christmas to normal weeks.

Fortunately two small DCs means while we may get one works do in each, we aren't likely to have lots of expensive pre-Christmas meals out. I might ask for some cinema vouchers and treat us to a night out ourselves.

I can understand the frenzy of buying lots of food. I do it myself and swear to never to it again, EVERY year.

I know from my perspective, it is the fear of lots of people calling in (which is lovely) and ensuring there is enough to give them!

Is anyone else the same?

Buying a lot less "stuff" just for the sake of it, and scaling the presents for adult relatives way back. I'll be on maternity leave with a much reduced income and I can't afford it this year, plus it feels a bit unnecessary anyway. We won't be having people over for Christmas Day or Boxing Day so no big food shop to do.

Morrisons do great christmas desserts and food very reasonably. Think I might set a budget. The dc love christmas baking and we have some christmassy baking moulds etc in the cupboard.
Remember my Dad sends us a hamper and table centre every year before I buy those kinds of things.
Have decided I will have a £50 limit for dh and each of the dc (this will be tricky but think it is the way forward...if the dc want domething bigger then dh and I can pool our budgets for them or they can have cash).
Stockings are £10 each, a fiver spent in poundland and a fiver elsewhere (the dc do one for us too now they are older).
£50 to spend on token presents for my dparents and dsiblings.

We are definitely scaling back this year. Like you, using up left over wrapping paper and tags.

Also we are buying less sweets, chocolates, snacks as last year we were eating them weeks after Christmas. We're not buying the big tubs of heroes, celebrations this year as we aren't really entertaining this year.

Scaling back on gifts this year. We've been following Marie Kondo's decluttering practice, so trying not to buy cheap throw-away novelties... only things we really love or need. And trying to be more thoughtful in regards to gifts for close relatives.

Christmas dinner will still be a big one though

I have set a £10 limited for all the children I buy for... there's about 15! I only see most of them once a bloody year!

Previously we've spent more as we know the child likes certain things... but since having my two kids and seeing what they receive back? I'm not bothering.

I love Christmas! We are downsizing & paying off our mortgage so actually I will probably go a bit the other way this year. Feels great!

Nah, I will spend as much as it takes to celebrate.
I have already commissioned an artist friend to design a christmas card which we will print and sell in bulk, christmas cards are lovely.
I am already buying craft items in bulk for christmas, so far spent 4K, but that will double in the next month or two. I am holding on tight for a busy christmas.

I am with everyone one on the junk food. With a small toddler I think we generally eat well anyway even if it is a limited number of quick to prepare foods.

I am thinking of limiting the grandparents in the number of present they buy for my child but as my parents also buy for older grandchildren they may want to treat them the same.

This year we will some hie try to organise in advance with PIL what we are doing together to avoid the hysterical reaction from MIL when we realise that Christmas Day is on the 25th Dec/DH will be spending the day with his child/other drama.

DH will be organised before 24th December.

£4K that will double in the next month or two - wowzers! What costs so much or is it the sheer quantity you have to buy?

Seriously jealous of that budget!

It's quantity- I will spend close to £15K on craft materials in the few months before christmas.

I'm going to only buy gifts that we actually wants. I'm not going to pad her pile put with cheap tat. For her 6th birthday, we took her to the theatre. I wrapped up the tickets, a special outfit to wear and some money (we went to London so wanted her to be able to buy a keepsake) and I made a photo frame. She absolutely loved it and it cut back on leaving us with piles of stuff. I'm cutting down on adult presents. I'm not letting the grandparents go crazy. We are having Christmas eve to ourselves and I'm not nudging at all. Mil thinks that we should do everything as a big family all of the time. She doesn't seem to care that I have my own family to consider or that we might just want some time to ourselves. Usually, we go to the pantomime and then end up at mils for tea because she kicks off. It's always late, at a time when I want to be setting out cookies for Santa and watching a Christmas film with my girls. This year, I'm saying no. I've booked a day trip that I'm keeping secret so that they can't muscle in.

You clearly don't live in a two up, two down 😀

On my own don't care 😐

Not too many big changes this year but we've had to have very tight belts for quite a while so if anything I will be spending more this year. Not until near the time though, I like keeping Christmas in December and tend to spend less when I do so.

I have been gradually reducing the present pile as I know the DCs just don't need as much as they get. They only get from us for the most part (some paid for by my relatives, but I mean I do the choosing as they prefer not to) so it's easy to go overboard. But as long as they have something to play with on the day and going by last year's successes something crafty, they are happy!

I've barely thought this year when normally I'd have loads done by now, which is ironic really as we have dc3 due in November so it's the one year I should try and be organised really! But it goes along with not going crazy buying baby stuff too, we are starting from scratch (youngest is nearly 8) and I'm determined not to buy a load of stuff we don't need

This will be the second year teen dd will be waitressing Christmas day. It didn't have the impact we expected at all. We got up, opened presents, had breakfast then she got ready while I tidied away and dh walked the dog.
We went to the pub just before the end of her shift, had a drink together and went home for food ( which I had magically prepared during the day).
It was low key but really relaxed.
Plus dd took home £100+ including tips.