How minimalist can you go?

[saffyBoo]

Every year our Christmas spending spirals out of control. I just can’t justify the spend anymore not because we can’t afford it (we just about manage to afford it and end up living on beans until February!) but because it just seems so ridiculous and frivolous! I have four dc under ten and I would say 90%of what they get they use/play with. It’s like they open their presents and then chuck them on the floor and go back to their iPads! Plus in laws buy them complete crap, they buy the kids stuff because it’s cheap and I would rather they bought them something decent each instead.

So how minimalist can I go this year? No cards? Less gifts? I want to start planning now and need some help. Could I share a wish list for the kids to everyone who buys for them or is that rude?

We did a VERY minimal Christmas last year as we moved house early this year - we cut down on the amount we bought, but decided early on what we'd get my siblings. Then we watched them and bought them when they went into the sale, rather than around Christmas time as everything is much more expensive x

Ask adults to give them money to either put in their accounts or to go towards swimming lessons or activities. Even just having money of their own to buy a Lego minifigure or magazine helps them to understand the value of money . Buy them one present each which they are into .So Lego , dolls , tractors , trains etc and then smaller useful presents like a novelty onesie, slippers , books etc . Start a tradition of a new tree decoration each year , we buy a Lego one each and a Newbridge silverware one for the children . They will have quite a collection when they leave home .
Suggest not buying presents to the adults in your family . Seriously I buy my parents , my sister and one good friend . That’s it . Dh buys his parents . No more hours spent trying to buy something they can all afford to buy themselves when they need it and we have the money to buy our kids the items they actually want .

Then spend your money and your time on family gatherings and making lovely food and just relaxing together .

okay we don't do it any more because never believed in it but when DC were little

there was a "one gift" rule - not 10 things to unwrap or whatever

only reusable decorations

no cards go to anyone except the stupid career contacts who might get offended

asked friends and relations not to gift anything to reduce consumer crap

for us there's been 2 angles

1. plastic tat and environment
2. don't believe in it and if we did, it wouldn't be about gifts any way.

I don't think it's hard to manage really, you might get a rare tantrum one year but that's it. Have fun games planned for the day and it's fine.

oh it took me a while to give up gifts for sister and best friend but because we live in a tiny flat now, we had to be ruthless in chucking things out - we took that as the chance to say "look, we've downsized, please don't add anything to the charity pile". we were really blunt about it.

sadly with Xmas you have to be - even the most rational people turn it into a tat fest.

We have done a lot of ‘don’t buy us and we won’t buy you’ arrangements and everyone has been pleased to agree. I don’t do cards at all although the kids do for their school friends. DH and I don’t get each other gifts and so we only get the DC and our DPs. Much less stressful and much better for the environment. I go out for meals with friends I used to buy for instead which is so much nicer as it makes the festive season about reconnecting with people rather than body wash sets!

Something they want, need, read, wear. There is another one but I can't remember.

We also do a family secret Santa and just buy gifts for one family with a set budget. I.e I got my aunt last year so bought just gifts for her, uncle and my cousin. Works really well, saves everyone money and don't need to worry about a ton of toys that won't get played with.

I also buy things in sales throughout the year and save money with Park.

Always leave food shopping till christmas eve to minimise food waste. I have recycled wrapping paper and reused christmas cards as gift tags. The kids are bigger now so they like money which is fine.

I am having to cut back this Christmas. I have a budget of £50 for a main present and a smaller one for each DC (I have 2). I always buy the presents for them from grandparents and their dad (and they give me the money) so will be able to get things I know they will really like and use. I don't think there is anything wrong with you asking relatives if they would like ideas.

I have already got some little toys/blind bags for their stockings which I got when on sale and will spend another £10 on socks, chocolate and sweets for their stockings.

I am also budgeting £10 for their Christmas eve box to get Christmas cups, bubble bath, popcorn and hot chocolate. I already have a new tree decoration each which will go in there too.

I only send cards to DPs, DB, 2 aunts and 2 cousins. Friends get e-cards.

I am going to cut back this year by getting a smaller tree, no new decorations (have plenty in the loft!), no crackers, no Christmas cake (as I'm only one who likes it) and really think about food I buy rather than getting things for the sake of it. I'm going to check out Christmas goodies in Aldi and Lidl and get their Baileys as apparently it is nice. Apart from that I'll just get a bottle of mulled wine for the Advent period, Bucks fizz for Christmas breakfast and a couple of bottles of wine for Boxing Day when we will have relatives over (will ask them to bring a bottle).

Came on to post the same thing!
I’m trying to declutter the house. The kids need less, not more.
This year the littlest is too little (2) to know anything different, the eldest is old enough to understand (16) but the almost 5y old will be the one to work with. Not helped by the fact their dad buys new toys for middle child almost weekly 😠.
So this year I’m going to ramp up the more doing-for-others/acts of kindness aspect (we aren’t religious). And encourage them to ask for less- maybe one thing they ask for specifically, one surprise, plus the stocking.
The Kindness elves dolls might appear
(Just to point out we do RAKs all year, but wanting to do extra in December!)

Also I’d love us to skip Christmas dinner altogether! Keeping food very simple would be ideal - but my parents don’t like that idea!

I found doing a present spreadsheet really helped me last year. It meant I didn’t pick up lots of little bits, and knew exactly who I needed to buy for and the budget, ticking them off as I went along. DS had one big present from us, one stocking filler and a Santa gift, plus Xmas PJs and book. That was plenty. Making a list also helped us eliminate a lot of the adults we end up buying for. It’s annoying to have to buy for endless in laws when it’s just gift set tat. We made no present arrangements with them.

I was also a lot more careful around meal planning. For the last few years we’ve ended up with way too many leftovers and boxes of biscuits etc. I even had jars of pickled onions that moved house with us. Booking an online food shop makes planning so much easier.

Thanks for all the ideas.

Last year we stopped doing presents for family members we don't see and it went down like lead balloon...... I just could justify spending on people who we don't see!?!

Who has a budget and sticks to it? What would a frugal budget for a family of six be including dinner for 7 and boxing day tea?

I love this x

I don’t think I could describe our Christmas as minimalist (yet) but a few things that help keep things in check:

1. lists: I stick to a list for gifts so I don’t buy random bits. I have a detailed master list that I start working off around October to ensure I have all the basics. It gives me pause so I don’t buy crap. I budget for dc gifts, other gifts, charity donations, dinner, outings and then itemize those and refer back each time I buy something. Because I’m watching the store cupboard and levels of toilet roll etc from oct there isn’t a massive “buy it just In case we run out over Christmas” shop in dec.
2. re-usable things: I have decorations from my granny, tableware from my great granny. It’s shabby but I really treasure these things. I love that Christmas is a link to the past and people I love. I make crackers using the same contents over every two years with a sweet and a lottery ticket. The only disposable decorations are the ones that go on my compost heap.
3. dinner isn’t frugal but I don’t cook again for 3 or 4 days and I have slices of ham and turkey in the freezer for lunches.
4. I stopped using disposable trays and kitchen roll a couple of years ago and invested in some good oven-to-table dishes.
5. avoiding tat exchange is a work in progress. Last year my sister and I bought ourselves gifts to an agreed budget. Sounds daft but we both liked the arrangement. DH and I went shopping together and picked out our gifts for each other, and had a lovely evening out together. Asking what people want doesn’t work for everyone but I’m going to try a bit more of that and see how I get on.
6. back to lists again! I update my Christmas lists each year with notes of what worked and what didn’t so over a few years I’ve gained a better sense of how much food and drink actually gets used. I keep lots of individual portions in the freezer so that I can produce a meal for 12, or a slice of warm apple pie, on a moments notice. But we could be living off the freezer happily until March if the in laws don’t descend! 7)” hold on til the sales “ helps with the mad impulses! I seldom still want to change my colour scheme/ buy a second tree/ etc and things that looked amazing in Christmas displays looks like the tat it is in the sales. And if there is something that I do still want, at least it’s a better price!

I have a book somewhere called Hundred
Dollar Holiday that I was going to dig out for inspiration. We’ll be spending more than that but I’m completely on board with the ‘less is more’ idea behind it.

books.google.nl/books/about/Hundred_Dollar_Holiday.html?id=CglV6_X88nYC&printsec=frontcover&source=kp_read_button&redir_esc=y

(I’m not religious BTW.)

struggling, you’re right basically! Something you want, something you need, something to wear and something to read.

I have 4, aged 11 and under. As soon as the younger two stop believing in Father Christmas I may revert to this mantra. However, something to read could be more like a kindle subscription etc etc.

Could family buy an experience instead? Cinema tickets? Zoo tickets, National trust memberships?

I stopped doing cards and send out a message on FB to family. For my nephews this year ive ordered them custom disney bottles, ice towel and giving them some dollars for their Florida holiday next year. My 10 yr old niece got money last year so i took her boxing day shopping and she loved being able to spend it in the sales (mind you the hour standing in smiggle nearly killed me😣)

I want a minimal Christmas this year. Especially the food (the cost and the waste kills me). My big thing this year is no turkey, no Christmas cake, fewer but nicer chocolates, less but nicer wine.

My kids are little but they get a big present from F.C. then I’m not getting any plastic tat for the stocking this year - just sweets and fruit I think. DH and I don’t buy for each other, and the kids make us presents. Secret Santa for the rest of the family.

Over the course of this year I have been trying to reduce the amount of waste and plastic that we have, and try to be a bit more eco friendly.
So this year my dc (4&5) won’t actually be getting any toys from me, instead they will getting a book each, 2 reusable snack bags and a stainless steel water bottle.
They won’t miss out, and they will probably still get quite a few toys as we have a large family, and they are the only grandchildren and great grandchildren.
But Any toys they get will be to add on to any existing collections rather than a new type as they only really play with 2-3 toys!

We give a few treats in a stocking from Santa and a main present from us which I will order online at the beginning of December.

I order a basic meal and pick it up the day before from my favourite place.

We do a secret Santa with a very low budget for our families and I don’t give gifts to others!

Last year DH, me and 4 DC had Christmas in London at the start of a 6 week Europe trip (from Oz) so had to be very minimal with gifts for kids - a small stocking each (bought from HP studios in their house colours so part of the present) with a few useful, light, easy to carry gifts - pack of cards, miniature game etc. It was a revelation! They were perfectly happy with just a few things - and the biggest hit of all was M&S undies! (Weird kids - they now refuse to wear any other kind. 🙄)

It has made me re-evaluate Christmas and I will try to do something similar this year - must remember to order the M&S undies before it gets too late!

Something they want, need, read, wear. There is another one but I can't remember

Something to eat I think?

So want, need, wear, read and eat.

This year mine are getting a stocking each (small items under 3 quid per item), a book, a new outfit (plus pjs for christmas eve), a boardgame or jigsaw. They will then get a joint/family gift (annual membership or a second hand wii Ive not decided yet). Ive estimated itll be 80 quid each for the two of them and will be a very small pile.

We did have a budget of £100 per child and that included gift from Santa , stocking bits and a main gift. After divorce goes through i will have to reduce to £50 per child.
Secret Santa with adult family is great idea.
If doing stockings as well as main gift etc get things which are useful rather than tat.