How do people afford Christmas?

[Poppets14]

Just been out Christmas shopping and have had to use my credit card and store cards.

We are remortgaging the house in February and paying off our debts so we are back at square 1.
We are in about 4K worth of debt so not a massive amount.

My question is how do people afford Christmas? Everything is just so expensive.

Do you save all year?
Buy throughout the year?

We are getting are finances in order next year and I do not want to fall into the debt hole again!

I add up what I want to spend and save throughout the year in a separate account.

Your family would probably be really upset that you get into debt to buy for them.

@DaphneDeloresMoorhead do you mind me asking what your household does for a living to earn so much?

@Blankscreen exactly. I'd love to find the stuff they all wear for 35 quid. Doesn't stop me looking

I used to go mad at Christmas and get into debt (my overdraft) but in recent years I've tried to be a bit more restrained. The only adults we buy for are our parents, £20 each to our 6 nieces and nephews, and about £100 each on our two DD'S.

They write a list each year, ranging from small gifts to the more expensive and we select a few in our budget; if they want something really big, they know to expect it to come from us and grandparents clubbing together.
There's only us 4 and FIL for Christmas dinner and we don't go mad buying loads of extra food and drink.

@WonderfulYou I'm not the poster you tagged but can answer you ... to earn upwards of 100k a year it just means two adults earning circa 50k each. Which I appreciate is a decent enough salary but it's not mega rich stakes by a long shot! Lots of people earn 50k a year +

[quote WonderfulYou]@DaphneDeloresMoorhead do you mind me asking what your household does for a living to earn so much?[/quote]
Top pay band police sergeant with 20 years service

We’ve cut right back this year I’m happy with a cake in-laws have their presents but we’ve agreed not such a big budget this year,,

I probably do spend £300 on ds, but I only have one child, which helps with budgeting.

I don't have any nieces or nephews and DH's are all grown up.

So I only have to buy for ds, DH, my mum and a friend. DH also buys for his sister. We also have secret Santas at work which are affordable amounts.

My mum used to save the child benefit and do Christmas stamps when I was young.

I save throughout the year. However I have grown up children and no mortgage so I can afford to save.

My boys are only 8 and 12 so still in the kids section so I can easily find things for this price on the Nike and Adidas websites. And my 12 year old is a size 5 shoe so his trainers are in the kids sections also so I can still get him a decent pair without breaking the bank. I know it will get more expensive though as they grow!

@ColinTheKoala

I probably do spend £300 on ds, but I only have one child, which helps with budgeting.

I don't have any nieces or nephews and DH's are all grown up.

So I only have to buy for ds, DH, my mum and a friend. DH also buys for his sister. We also have secret Santas at work which are affordable amounts.

My mum used to save the child benefit and do Christmas stamps when I was young.

Yes Christmas is when I realise it wasn't a good financial decision to have 4. Then they grow up and you have 4 partners to add to it and then the GC start arriving.

Help!!!!!!!!!!!!

I save the family allowance every 4 weeks... that pays for both dc birthdays and Christmas. Sometimes I need to add about £200 but that’s not much in the scheme of things..
Too me anyway.

I do look out for bargains through the year too, and Top Cashback specials, for example Smiggle were doing 5 things for £5 recently.

and Top Cashback was offering 30% cashback on Poundshop.com, so could pick up some great things for not a lot, like a My Little Pony backpack filled with stationery for £5 cost me £3.50 really. and the cashback is saved to use for DD, so saved one way or the other. They had a lot of good bargains actually.

The hamper bag that I mentioned above, I have also done for children, so a bag full of goodies, again 7 or 8 items for less than £10. I watch out for Claire's and Smiggle sales during the year, and Poundshop.com for pencil cases, hairbands, toiletries, stationery , £1 selection box etc and you can soon put together a bag of things that they will love.

I don’t spend much either and always look for bargains. £100 max on wider family (but no kids to buy for). Max £100 each on each kid including stocking bits. They don’t get expensive designer items or the latest tech - that’s just throwing money away and luckily they’re not bothered about that kind of thing. Their computers, phones etc are often second-hand but perfectly functional.

Ehm, quite simple, we dont buy presents for adults, spend around £100 for kids presents, don’t overdo decorations and spend about £200 for food and booze.

Don't spend what you don't have is my rule in general, same for Christmas.

I buy little things for my children/ family members through out year or when it's a good deal. Main present tends to be last minute more.

I had a chat with my kids this evening as their expectations are too high. They think they’re each getting around twenty presents but I’m sorry, the expectations need to drop. They’re now at an age where everything is branded and logoed, is tech or similar and there is no way in hell I’m spending £400 on each child when I used to be happy with some satsumas, walnuts and two or three main presents.

I also save throughout the year and spread the cost by buying from September onwards so any overspend is cushioned over 3 paydays.

Budget is £600-700 and that includes £150 each on DDs, £50 on DH, presents for close family and friends, Xmas cards, Food Extras. We host Xmas eve and buy extra food for NY Eve as well.

We are very lucky to be mortgage free and we have no other debts either. We have over 4K left each month so we don't really save exclusively for Christmas we just use November pay packet to cover it as such (or whatever is in the current account) I am aware that we are lucky with our situation

Just don't buy into the consumerism. Just say to family you are only buying for the kids and do a secret Santa between siblings parents etc.

They do not need expensive gifts. Noone ever remembers the gifts when you look back do they?

@Poppets14

I spend probably about £300 on my dd £50 on my mum £25 for each niece £15 on my friend

and then my husband will spend
£50 on his dad and stepmum
£15 nephew
£15 niece

This is us being as cheap as possible

Me and my husband don’t buy for each other

I spend £1 on a selection box for my nieces and nephews and attach a card with £5 in, and my sisters do the same for my children! It all adds up for them, and I think with how much children get now days it’s enough! I’m not doing adults this year and massively cutting back on the children sometimes u just have to say no!

And the food it's just a roast dinner. It's as expensive as you want it to be

@qualitygirl

We are very lucky to be mortgage free and we have no other debts either. We have over 4K left each month so we don't really save exclusively for Christmas we just use November pay packet to cover it as such (or whatever is in the current account) I am aware that we are lucky with our situation

Omg I don’t even earn 4k a month let alone have that left over lol, I’m sure you work hard etc I’d love to have that left over a month 🤑🤑🤑 wel done you guys! Teach me please 🙏

Christmas doesn't mean that you have to go spending a lot, as in splurging a lot on presents for everyone. Its not the value of things that matter.. Myself and the adults in the family, mainly all older people, always say that they don't wan't any gifts or need anything. as they don't view Christmas as having a big spending spree. Most will just spend extra on some nice food stuffs..

Do you save all year?
Buy throughout the year?

Bit of both of these. Plus Nectar points and cashback via Quidco and TopCashback.