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Christmas

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Original poster

Luxury Christmas Splurges

67 replies

cashmoneyy · 31/08/2021 15:20

Anyone have anything they totally splurge on at Christmas? Maybe it's the most authentic looking Christmas tree, the most amazing turkey, an extremely expensive advent calendar, champagne etc?

OP posts:
Gliblet · 31/08/2021 15:27

Our biggest spend is whatever meat we're having for Christmas dinner, and a few pies for the days either side from the same farm shop - things like cranberry topped ham and turkey pie, or game and stuffing pie with really good crisp handmade pastry.

The decorations are random and ever more tatty (no colour scheme), the 13 year old artificial tree has moulted so many of its 'needles' I'm surprised its not bald, most of the Christmas food shop comes from Aldi, and DS is happy with any advent calendar that contains something vaguely approximate to chocolate, but pie? Pie we take seriously Grin

Oh, and tinsel. If you can't smell warm pennies, it's not a proper Christmas.

InTheNightWeWillWish · 31/08/2021 15:34

The farm shop shop. So the meat for Christmas Day, maybe a second piece of meat for the couple of days either side of Christmas. Some nice cheese, maybe some nice chutneys, pain au chocolat for Christmas morning, some nice crisps. Occasionally they have the posh broccoli/cauliflower hybrid thing and I make DH buy that. I think we spend more in the farm shop on a handful of items than we do at Tesco for everything else. Including the booze!

Although last year I was so fed up that I bought new tree decorations because I wanted a new colour scheme. That’s a one-off though and I’d usually just buy one or two new decorations each year.

ByThePool2021 · 31/08/2021 15:52

The white company winter candle is my luxury splurge. I would never spend so much on something to burn normally but it’s my Christmas scent

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 31/08/2021 15:56

Santa visit. £100ish. (That's two adults, two children.. the cost is per family)

Ninkanink · 31/08/2021 16:02

The meat (goose or turkey, or both).

Two real Christmas trees, one for the dining room and one for the living room.

I don’t buy many decorations anymore as I already have loads, but I usually buy one or two Georg Jensen ornaments every year.

loopylindi · 31/08/2021 16:08

when we holidayed abroad I would always be able to truffle out a Christmas shop (big in the USA) so our tree is weighed down with decs from all over the world and is a trip down memory lane every December

Bobbobbobbing · 31/08/2021 16:09

Ooh yes @ByThePool2021 that candle is the smell of Christmas for me.

I have 3 real christmas trees and every year we go to john lewis to pick out a new decoration each apart from dh who is a grinch

Me and the kids go to see The Snowman at the Sage in Gateshead. Started as a one off, now an essential part of christmas.

Christmas is definitely my time for splurging.

afrikat · 31/08/2021 16:21

White Company Winter candle for me too, I love it

Ninkanink · 31/08/2021 16:23

I’m looking forward to getting the Winter fragrance oil this year.

Not long now...

Shewholovedthethebanhills · 31/08/2021 16:44

White Company Winter candle here too! And one new decoration each, every year. I love our eclectic tree! Also good champagne and a goose from a local farm. From 1st September I start stashing non -perishable Christmas food treats in a box in the wardrobe so I don’t feel quite as extravagant buying it all in one go. We try go to Covent Garden for the Nutcracker but I usually forget to book early enough so that’s an occasional splurge, luckily.

fantastaballs · 31/08/2021 16:51

About ten years ago I inherited a bunch of old glass baubles and I remembered how much I loved them. No plastic ever shines like glass. So since then I've been collecting vintage glass baubles and adding the odd quirky modern one. No colour scheme and it's a total riot of colour. I also buy a new snow globe every year. We buy LOTS of good quality meat and treats. Food shop is about £500 for the ten days over Christmas and new year. But I love it.

IceCreamAndCandyfloss · 31/08/2021 17:00

Food, traditional new decoration and gifts. DC aren’t small anymore so we don’t spend on trips out but save that money and use towards holidays.

MrsPworkingmummy · 31/08/2021 17:41

For us it is definitely food and drink. We order a case of 24 bottles of wine from Laithwaites, a fresh seafood platter from our local fish Quay, duck/goose from a more expensive butcher than we'd usually use and a huge variety of pickies and nibbles. Food for Christmas Eve to New Year's Eve comes to around £1000 in our home. We do host though.

DH and I visit Edinburgh each Christmas holiday to celebrate our wedding anniversary. We eat at fine restaurants and generally splurge as a treat to ourselves.

@Bobbobbobbing we also love The Snowman at The Sage. Our DD is 9 and we took her from being a baby up until lockdown. We're sad to see it isn't on this year. We've booked tickets to see Kate Rusby sing her Christmas album there instead which we are excited for.

sueelleker · 31/08/2021 18:29

I buy my Christmas turkey crown and beef joint from Donald Russell. It's a bit expensive, but the quality is worth it. And when we paid off our mortgage we celebrated by buying a Balsam Hill pre-lit christmas tree.

Rosiiiiie · 31/08/2021 18:35

A big, beautiful, fresh wreath for the front door.

insancerre · 31/08/2021 18:37

I’ve just ordered virgin wine advent calendars for me and DH
A total waste of money but I don’t care anymore

Ninkanink · 31/08/2021 18:38

Oh yes, we’ve lived in flats for quite a few years and I’ve really missed being able to have a fresh wreath on the door!

irresistibleoverwhelm · 31/08/2021 18:39

Trip to the ballet! DD was v upset not to be able to last year. Hoping to this year.

Mellowbee · 31/08/2021 18:41

A huge real tree and a few events in the run up to Christmas.

DD is only 2 though so traditions aren’t really cemented yet

Lola001 · 31/08/2021 18:42

I don't think I have one .. looking for ideas! Ready to be corrupted.

Ninkanink · 31/08/2021 18:47

I stopped buying the beauty calendars but if I were to buy one again it would definitely be the Liberty calendar!

Lanique · 31/08/2021 18:54

Good wine. Chateau Neuf du Pape, great Claret, Chablis, Pouilly Fumé... and good vintage Champagne of course.

Ham, (chateaubriand) beef and (bronze) Turkey is always from one of the local farmers.

The rest is from Waitrose and Aldi!

I also have some Liberty crackers which I refuse to pull 😁

Lanique · 31/08/2021 18:55

Sorry Chateauneuf du Pape in case any of the ponces read this.

Lanique · 31/08/2021 18:56

And I love nice candles - Jo Malone's Incense and Embers and Cire Trudon's
Spiritus Sancti

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 31/08/2021 18:57

We don't eat meat (except DS and the cats who will have a couple of FR chicken breasts cooked for them. )
Nice whisky for DH

DD and I go for a London shopping trip and we all go out to a show (something like The Play That Goes Wrong)

An M&S order (clothes) mainly for my Christmas presents .
A trip to HomeSense /TKMaxx to buy household/tableware . Last year I searched for the perfect glasses for the table , found them in HomeSense #result