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!

Just seen your update.

That all seems really reasonable, (assuming it's affordable to you) except the £300 on your daughter. I think that's a bit of a daft amount, even if you had the skate cash...and you don't!

If you reduced everyone else's gifts by a quarter, spent £10 on a small surprise for each other, and spent £75 on your daughter, presumably it'd really help you not to ever go into debt again.

Teaching your daughter (by example) to live within her means and ignore the pressure to spend in order to keep up with others will do her much more good than the £1000s you're spending on her Christmas presents as she grows up.

This is us being as cheap as possible

It isn't. It really really isn't.

Drop DD down to £200 or even £150
DM to £30
DN to £20
DF to £10

People afford Christmas by spending only what they can.

@foxgoosefinch
Good luck with the energy tariff this year !
I think a lot more people will struggle with Christmas this year thanks to sky high fuel costs and rising food costs sadly.
But really there is no need to spend 300 on your dd op.

£300 on your DD is a lot if you don't have spare cash flow.

If she's a teen have it to £150. You can still get a lot for that.

If she's younger £50 would be fine. Especially so if other family also buy for her.

£400 on 2 tracksuits is ridiculous and really not something you want to admire or emulate.

Christmas doesn't have to be about just buying stuff.

Don’t buy for that many- no adults, 2 young daughters, niece and nephew. My kids are young so don’t cost much- I started buying in September to spread the cost and stress.

*spare cash!

@cloverleafy

Save by standing order into a separate account all year round. We probably don't save utterly enough to cover the total cost, but it is enough of a buffer for us.

we also do this.

We have always just saved throughout the year. Sometimes that is easy, in leaner years, it requires planning and discipline.

The best financial advice I ever got was to budget annually, never monthly. If you do it monthly, you will always struggle unless you have tons of money. An annual budget lets you account for everything all at once and you can see more clearly what your budget you actually have available for your regular monthly spending like rent, food, entertainment etc. and what needs to be set aside for other expenses, like Christmas, travel, car maintenance, and home repair.

Your budget for extended family is same as ours but we spend half that on the children and buy lots that is already needed eg a bike, and get second hand. We are both slightly above average earners with no debt except mortgage and decent savings. I don’t feel like we are frugal!

I save £85 each month in a separate account and then if needed top up from my general savings.
I have a big family and so buy for lots of people, plus some friends as well. I only have one daughter, who is 21, so will spend a few hundred on her.
I always save for Christmas and never get into debt for it.

I save monthly, set it up as a standing order to come out on payday so I don't miss it. Limit expectations according to budget. This year my kids are going to their dad's so I don't have to make a fuss with food/entertaining, and we're doing neices/nephews only - no adult sibling gifts, no cousin's kids, something wanted and useful for others rather than just tat.

I still overspend by about £100 but it'll go on the overdraft until Feb ish.

No £200 tracksuits in my house!

Comparison is the root of all evil in this case - have the Christmas you can afford not what the jones have or whoever else. Prioritise the children with reasonable pressies, don't buy up everything for a fortnight - just be reasonable with food - I always add a few things each shop in the few weeks prior - probably spend a bit more than usual but not masses, although this year food is v dear in general so shop around and buy things when on offer.

I think its insane getting into debt for christmas. If you are not earning loads of money then you should not be getting your kids expensive things you can't afford!!!
When I was a single mum we had a fairly inexpensive christmas and only bought what we could afford no more, and if that meant going without expensive trainers and ipads then tough.
It was more important for us to keep a roof over our heads and keep paying the mortgage.
I don't celebrate xmas any more, I did when DS was small but not any more, I can't see the point of it.
But if you are going to it would make sense to save throughout the year and buy food stamps.
The first thing I'd cancel is gifts for everybody in the family, I limit it for kids only now not adults and everybody is relieved they don't have to buy anything for me.
None of the adults I know want the expense of buying 100 gifts for everyone in the family. There is nothing wrong with sending just cards and I'm pretty sure most people feel the same.
There is nothing wrong with saying I can't afford it, otherwise when does the remortgaging stop.

I start Christmas shopping early and buy bits as I go along. This year I got some wonderful gifts from Bibliophile. I also pick up special offers when I see them. I have 5dc and 9dgc plus cousins, friends and their assorted children (about 30 people in total) . I have only 4 left to buy for and I haven’t used a credit card at all yet. The current account is pretty low but no overdraft. I spend 50-60 on close family and 20-30 on the rest.

We do lots of extra work and over time in the months leading up to it. I also make products and costumes throughout the year and sell a big bulk in October and December.

Usually pick up stuff through the year and start properly in July. Means I can spread it out.

It's not a money thing, more don't want to do shit all at once. December is for fun stuff, not shopping.

You spend an awful lot on your DD, that could surely come down if you're wondering how you'll afford it.

We reduce the amount we're putting into savings over Nov and Dec and put it towards Christmas instead.

We plan expensive things like birthdays, Christmas, car service etc into the yearly budget before we book holidays etc.

Save throughout the year.

Put away a bit each month, spend less on presents. £300 if you can't afford it is a lot of money, there will always be someone that spends more, but don't struggle because of it.

I start saving on Boxing Day

I don’t think it’s that unusual to spend £300 on a child at Christmas. One big present, some smaller stocking stuffers, a new dress to wear on Christmas Day adds up pretty quickly.

You spend a lot and buy for a lot of people.

I buy for ds and my three sisters. Ds £150 this year, sisters £20 each.
Xmas food is chicken with all the trimmings, veggie soup, Xmas pud and cream. Including buying a couple of things for the house, I'll spend £350 max.

We send £150 per month by DD into a specific account for Christmas, and dip into it as needed. That covers pretty much everything - presents, food, booze, days out. We don't generally spend it all, so scoop some back into longer term savings. We're financially very comfortable, but even so, if the whole of the Christmas spend came out of December's pay packet, it'd bite a bit!

I save odd coins in a box all year, usually adds up to around £50. I save any Tesco or M&S points/tokens for Christmas. On top of that I save £100 per month which will comfortably cover everything. I use any surplus I have in my hairdressing and makeup fund for nice little foodie extras. I do a big Ebay clear out of my wardrobe in November/early December and use anything I get to buy clothes in the January sales.
I have always planned well in advance for this sort of expenditure and never put anything on my credit card for Christmas as it is a bit of a negative start for the New Year.