Tighter budgets. What stays? What goes?

[pinkksugarmouse]

Just curious about people's priorities. I am not wealthy now but am lucky in that my income is secure unlike many who have suffered badly recently. I also don't have many people to buy for. I have had much tighter Christmases but DD was very young and was oblivious.

I just wondered what for you would be a priority and what would be higher on the list to go. I wonder if people have very similar ideas or very different. No judgement please. It's Christmas time let's play nicely. 😁🎄🎅

Crackers can go. Hate them. Totally unnecessary.

I wouldn’t ever scrimp on food or drink if I can help it, but I’ll shop around, freeze bits of party food or canapés if I see them reduced or whatever.

Never bothered with a Christmas wreath or anything.

I don’t do Christmas Eve boxes, I think that’s unnecessary money to spend tbh.

I hate Panto and am soo happy I don’t have to go this year

SmidgeonofaPigeon

I don't do a wreath either.

I stopped doing panto a few years ago as DD lost interest. The last one I went to she was about 11 and was far more interested in the snacks. I watched the reaction of a toddler the whole time. Her smiles and squeals of joy were what made it for me. Reminded me of how DD used to react. It's certainly not worth it without excited children.

I stopped crackers a couple of years ago as they are just a load of stuff for the bin. No one complained.

I also cut down the cost of gifts to those who don't live in my house. Christmas cards were cut to a handful a few years ago (the postage cost!!)

We always get a real tree, lots of gifts for the DC and nice food inc a free range chicken.

I think you can cut back on food and drink, by having the really nice stuff but less of it. Eg just ham rather than also huge pork pie, just 3 nice cheeses rather than a big board etc. Own brand alcoholic drinks etc.

Days out - we've never done Santa express, Christmas zoo, theatres shows, ice skating etc but some of my friends do them all. Must add up to several hundred pounds!

Crackers can be bought cheaply. Or missed altogether if you don't have children?

Be careful it doesn't get too miserable though. Keep the key elements and it will be fine.

The crap to people you are friendly with rather than friends.

I dont buy loads of extras.
Crackers - I buy poundshop ones and fill my own. So dd1 will have figures she collects (£12 for 6 on ebay) and dd2 little lol dolls (£6 for 6 from Facebook marketplace) dh and I will have £1 scratchcards in ours so £6. Cheaper than the fancy ones you buy but tailored to our interests and things I would have bought anyway.

Food - we don't have turkey. Last year was everyone's favourite food. This years request is homemade lasagne from dds and dh wants a deli counter pizza. We buy j20 and pop tarts for the girls. I work in a nursery so chocolates are covered (lots of gifts!) Then a few bags of crisps and we are sorted!

Presents - me and dh give a token gift and do an experience as our present. Last year was slipknot tickets which is one of our favourite bands. Dds do get spoilt but I start early and buy alot second hand if I can.

I dont send cards, just texts to friends or call them. Dds cards I buy in the sale for the following year so cost about £1 for a few boxes.

We usually do all the free church fairs and events that are happening. I dont pay out for panto or expensive day trips. Santa is at the garden centre for a few pounds. We go out looking at lights, make biscuits and watch Christmas films snuggled up, play games.

I buy matching pjs as my dds love them but we all wear them year round so not really a waste as they often need new ones anyway!

I have an artificial tree and choose one new decoration each year for it.

Christmas clothes I buy in the sales for the following year or second hand. Dd2 I got a brand new one free from Facebook.

Christmas can be done on a budget and you can still have lots of fun. Family and fun is the most important thing at Christmas, money can't buy that. With less money you have to get more creative!

I can agree with everything on here. I don't buy:

Lots of cards. Sending more this year because of not seeing people face to face. Usually I don't bother.

Crackers

Lots of food. We have treats but are discerning. Quality over quantity. I see trolleys where people seem to be shopping for a seige or their whole road of neighbours.

Trips out DD(18) is too old for this now. DH and I will do a special meal out but if we were tight for money this would stop

Booze. I am allergic and DH doesn't like it.

Expensive meat and alcohol is my first thought. Ditching a £38 turkey crown and a £55 beef joint would be not far off £100 already.

I also have this entrenched habit of planning for worst case scenarios so while writing my lists for the DC this year I did contingency plans of thoughtful and enjoyable but very affordable gifts. So you can skimp on presents if you need too without it being a negative.

I suppose it also depends on what you have at home. If you haven't amassed enough decorations and need to buy some, you could get paper chain kits of pre decorated paper or cut costs even further and make your own from scratch.

I have spent a lot on Christmas but I honestly think it can be done perfectly well on about £100 - £150 if push came to shove. That would be absolutely prioritising children though.

I have stopped buying for adults this year (other than my parents).

Food....have spent £50 so far on fresh food from butcher (pre ordered)

Won’t be buying alcohol.

No crackers

Only a few cards (the oldies like them).

No new decorations this year, we have plenty and I don’t need a different theme each year.

We only do one trip out and that’s to somewhere where we have membership too so costs nothing.

Won’t be eating out anywhere this year, usually we eat out a lot over Christmas period.

Chicken instead of Turkey?

I spend a lot on food, booze, presents, tree/wreath.
I have never done Santa trips, ice skating, Christmas Eve boxes, panto (god I could just cry thinking about sitting through one of those, grandparents take the dc usually as they get free tickets), no winter wonderland or trips to longleat to drive round a lit up drive thru. Yes I’m aware I sound like the grinch,
I just hate crowds, the cold weather and traffic. It’s miserable, lots of those experiences that people pay for are conveyor belt type activities - you’re just farmed in and out, bled dry and disposed of on the street when they’ve had all your money! Grim
We have been to longleat, I have taken them ice skating, we go to the theatre, we do have fun! Just not when thousands of others are piling to the same place to do the same thing.
Anyway; things I could cut back on are the amount of presents, food, booze and could get fewer trees etc.

Great thread. I’m really not keen to buy crackers TBH I’m tempted to try filling my own even if it’s just with sweets or chocolates that everyone likes.

@singtothesky an easy way to fill your own is buy cheap ones from poundland as they are made up already. You can unpick from the side and slide in the gifts you want. That's what I do every year!

That’s a great idea @nocutsnobuttsnococonuts thanks!

The dc's gifts get prioritised and everyone else can do without if need be! I don't mind doing free or cheap activities, and we've plenty of decorations, but some nice food is important.

Losing Adult presents was a huge relief
Never started Xmas eve boxes as it was too much work /stress
Kids pressies bought in jan sales/ throughout year
Kids want your time attention energy not decorations or fancy food
If catering do big cheap curry

Stockings- have small ones instead of great big sacks so there cheaper to fill 😂

Get rid of the crackers - it’s just tat.

Everyone gets to pick one snack that they feel they absolutely must have, and then just less random snacks that no one enjoys; Quality not quantity.

Free/cheap activities- walks to see Christmas lights, collecting pine cones and then making garlands, hot chocolate/popcorn whilst watching Christmas films, dance party’s to Christmas songs (we have a 3 year old who adores doing this!)
Only buy token gifts for people outside of immediate family - cuts costs down massively

We don’t drink, so we save lots of money that way!

Last year when we were really struggling financially we had a whole chicken instead of turkey, and I cooked up an extra pack of chicken drumsticks because their our families favourite part of the chicken and it meant we had leftovers! It actually cut the costs of the meal down massively!

We only buy for our parents , one of my friends and my sister . We stopped buying siblings and nieces and nephews several years ago and prefer to get together for family Christmas suppers.
I spend money on my children and good quality food . I buy the children a new decoration for the tree every year ( which they can take with them when they leave home ) but other than that we’ve had the same tree since we got married . I use holly etc from the garden to make a wreath . I bought fake garlands years ago for my staircase several years ago and they will be fine for as long as I can be bothered to faff with them . I don’t care about presents for myself and neither does my husband as we tend to buy what we need / want throughout the year . I’ve never been a fan of extravagant Santa visits . We have attended the theatre over the holidays not not necessarily for a pantomime . Christmas is about family to me . I dislike going overboard for one day and absolutely detest waste so changing colour scheme on trees etc is completely alien to me .

I would get your DC a present and forget about the rest. Your dinner is essentially a roast, it doesn't have to be more expensive than a roast you cook normally.

Next year I’ll save on the decorations as brought this year, crackers not brought panto no chance, trips out don’t do, food is quality though and this year some presents in deals off.

Aldi do a frozen turkey breast with stuffing and wrapped in bacon for about £5. We got it a few years ago when money was really tight and it was perfectly nice....we always get a couple now as I don't see the point on paying £££ (unless you can afford to and are going for free range.)

I always keep wrapping paper/tissue paper over the year to reuse. I also use old cards as tags.
Keep the roast basic. Chicken is cheaper. If you like a drink buy wine to go with your dinner and a bottle your favourite sprit/liqueur to drink over the Christmas season, aldi or lidl is fine for this.
if you have kids theres loads of cheap Christmas crafts on pinterest.
If friends/family insist on buying you a present ask for something cheap so you get in the habit of exchanging small gifts, better still, dont buy for adults. I really wouldn't want a gift from someone who was struggling financially.

@Thisyearcandoone

I would get your DC a present and forget about the rest. Your dinner is essentially a roast, it doesn't have to be more expensive than a roast you cook normally.

Hi. Just to clarify this post is more of a curiosity.

I have DD's presents (not a DC anymore she is 18) and can afford the things we want. I have read posts by people who can't imagine Christmas without x y or z. And in many cases I don't share those priorities but everyone is different. I have had to prioritise in the past. But we aren't people who spend money for the heck of it because its Christmas.

Gifts for each other and Christmas Dinner are a must but we have no interest in crackers. I never got the whole Elf or Advent box thing or the ridiculously expensive advent calendars. They hold no appeal.

No turkeys or chickens in this house but I have my trusty nutloaf recipe. 😋