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!

@Morgan12

I honestly wasn't being goady, I just genuinely don't know how people manage to not overspend. Last year my eldest asked for a ps5 that cost £450. Surely that was on alot of lists? I can't be alone in thinking £300 is low. I wish I could spend £300.

Well I would think a child old enough to be the right age for a ps5 would be old enough to understand it was too expensive if you couldn’t afford it.

Right now I would refuse on the basis that my kids are too young, but if my oldest asked for one I would explain how expensive it is and that it’s much more than we usually spend. I would sit down and show him all the other things he could get for that price and if he still wanted it I would pay our Christmas budget towards it and ask him to make the rest of the price out of his savings.

It’s a very expensive gift plus you need to buy games etc to go with it too.

I think some people need to get off their Christmas high horse. I will spend what I like on my kids

This is the only answer that matters. If people want to spend loads and run up a credit card, so what? They aren't asking us to pay it off. Nobody else business what others do.

@FirstLeftRightAtTheEnd

I think some people need to get off their Christmas high horse. I will spend what I like on my kids

This is the only answer that matters. If people want to spend loads and run up a credit card, so what? They aren't asking us to pay it off. Nobody else business what others do.

Anyone can spend/should spend what they like. But op is specifically saying she is struggling and doesn’t know ‘how others afford Christmas’ so? People are explaining how they afford it. Honestly there really is only one answer - they spend less.

If op is happy to go into debt surely she wouldn’t have asked.

@SockFluffInTheBath

I think some people need to get off their Christmas high horse. I will spend what I like on my kids. We have lovely ‘cheap’ traditions too like making paper chains for the sitting room, collecting & decorating pine cones etc and a couple of extra presents doesn’t make them spoilt- they’re 2 of the nicest kids you could meet. I’ve had many years when money was tight, I spent less and still made it nice but I didn’t begrudge other people the nice things they had and try to make out their Christmas was soulless. This reminds me of a conversation with DM bitching about her friend’s husband buying an expensive new car- she can’t afford one so that makes it obscene for anyone to have one.

No one cares what you spend on your children. OP asked how do people afford Christmas, and people have said stuff like I don't get how people spend so little, so people have responded. Why so defensive?

I have to say it makes me laugh when well-off people claim how frugal they are at Christmas only buying their partner a 2nd hand mug! Well, yes because they already have everything they could need or want. For those of us on a low income Christmas is the time we can ask our partner for something we need - so yes that is probably not a 2nd hand mug!

That's a really good point @UndertheCedartree, thank you - it's easy to forget this when you're not scraping by month-to-month and can buy stuff when you want it.

Problem with Christmas is that too many people overspend and then have to deal with the consequences, people who are in debt / on tight financial pursestrings shouldn't feel they 'have to' give gifts, too much of the stuff is actually unnecessarily, not to mention the environmental costs of single use items, stuff that has to be manufactured, shipped to UK and ends up in the bin anyway?

I have told my mum no Christmas crackers this year because they are my pet hate - waste of money and extremely environmentally unfriendly. Does that make me the grinch? Possibly but I don't care.
I feel very similarly to you.

I don't believe for one second that the millions of smellies gift sets and cheap stocking filler items are being bought because people genuinely looked at their life and thought 'what I really want for Christmas is a set of 4 lipglosses where 50% probably won't flatter me', but people buy them every year, and every January the charity shops are full of them.

We also don't do crackers. My mother in law made some one year and they were really nice though.

@SockFluffInTheBath, agree, dog in the manger approach isn't a good thing.

I honestly wasn't being goady, I just genuinely don't know how people manage to not overspend. Last year my eldest asked for a ps5 that cost £450. Surely that was on alot of lists? I can't be alone in thinking £300 is low. I wish I could spend £300.

@Morgan12
Say, 'Sorry, that won't be possible'. Children older than 7 or 8 can understand addition and subtraction and that money is finite.

My DS wanted a PS2, way back in the late Jurassic. I couldn't afford one new. He got a second hand one for his birthday six months later because even that was something I needed to save for.

Just don’t spend too much - you don’t need to buy a present for every man and his dog, and you don’t need to spend £££ per child.

If something is unaffordable then say so, and tell DC that Father Christmas can’t bring everything on their list.

Saving throughout the year and picking up bargains as and when you see them is a good idea too.

No idea. It’s not just a case of spending £10 on presents.
It’s advent calendars. Yes some only cost a couple of quid but it all adds up
It starts in December with nights out or invites to meet up. That’s a night out or a bottle of wine respectively. Possibly a new outfit/nails/ hair depending on event. Petrol, babysitters
Then it’s food for people you have over.
It’s decorating/replacements lights/ Christmas tree.
Food for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day.
And of course presents.

Of course no needs to buy any of this stuff but it’s not the height of extravagance to buy any of this. It’s pretty much the norm.

@Lightisnotwhite, I would consider the food and presents the only essentials on that list.

There was a thread a few weeks ago in which the poster planned to spend £300 on her teenage daughter for birthday and Christmas. That was about the limit of what she could afford

@nettie434, she was planning on spending £150 total, and she clearly said she could afford more.

She also griped a lot about half empty bottles of perfume the DD owned, and that she had more than one handbag. The issue came to a head because the DD wanted footwear that cost more than the combined b-day and Christmas spending plan.

Who here uses perfume down to the last drop before getting a new bottle?

Me?

@WaitingForSunshineAndDaisies

We buy token presents, no one wants half the crap they get anyway! In the past me, my parents and siblings have usually done a secret santa so we only buy for one (for around £30-50), although this year I think we've left it too late.

The kids have ASD, so are completely unbothered by peer pressure. I ask if they want the latest trainers/Playstation etc and they look at me like I'm mad . They just like the Christmas music, sparkle, games and hanging out with the cousins (they all - mostly - get on well).

I pay £20 a month into a wine club, so that's paid for by Christmas (actually way before). We don't actually drink that much, it's more to pass around and give as presents..

Others get something decorative/edible (sometimes home made), or just a hug and good wishes (and wine!)

My ASD boy is the same. He won't wear anything with a logo - it has to be plain so Primark and H&M it is! He likes gaming but it is generally indie games that cost around £10. It is very handy the lack of wanting what friends have!

As others have said, I put some away every single month. And I'm very strict about not dipping into it 😂

I'd be terrible otherwise, I'd end up with about £2.49 to spend in December. I'm not good with money so being this rigid about it is the only thing that works for me.

Oh and I follow the Christmas bargain boards as closely as possible! Have picked up many a fantastic bargain from there that I wouldn't have known about otherwise. People are very lovely and generous with their ideas, time and information on there too.

We do a mixture of saving and credit card. The only reason we use a credit card is purely because in our jobs we get a bonus in January, so it’s all paid off the following month and we don’t get into any debt at all (bonus far surpasses the Christmas spend).

We spend a decent bit on the kids, this year it’s probably about £250-350. Spend less on each other and other family but still a good bit.

We wouldn’t do it if we couldn’t afford it. We also don’t have to worry about our food shop for Christmas because we get money towards that from our employer.

@mathanxiety

No idea. It’s not just a case of spending £10 on presents. It’s advent calendars. Yes some only cost a couple of quid but it all adds up It starts in December with nights out or invites to meet up. That’s a night out or a bottle of wine respectively. Possibly a new outfit/nails/ hair depending on event. Petrol, babysitters Then it’s food for people you have over. It’s decorating/replacements lights/ Christmas tree. Food for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day. And of course presents.

Of course no needs to buy any of this stuff but it’s not the height of extravagance to buy any of this. It’s pretty much the norm.

@Lightisnotwhite, I would consider the food and presents the only essentials on that list.

Also surely Christmas tree/lights/decorations isn’t a yearly cost? It’s a one time thing? Unless of course you get a tree, like not a fake one but a real tree every year. But even so lights and everything aren’t a yearly cost.

Food doesn’t cost us much either, we have a party tea on Christmas and don’t drink, so I can see how that could push it up if you spend a lot on food and alcohol.

How much are others spending on good Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day?

We just basically eat what we would have anyway, except the kids tan their selection boxes till they feel sick! Other than that our food costs aren’t massively higher than usual.

food! Not good.

@mathanxiety

There was a thread a few weeks ago in which the poster planned to spend £300 on her teenage daughter for birthday and Christmas. That was about the limit of what she could afford

@nettie434, she was planning on spending £150 total, and she clearly said she could afford more.

She also griped a lot about half empty bottles of perfume the DD owned, and that she had more than one handbag. The issue came to a head because the DD wanted footwear that cost more than the combined b-day and Christmas spending plan.

Who here uses perfume down to the last drop before getting a new bottle?

I’m glad you pulled @nettie434 up on that. I was on that thread and was absolutely appalled by the mother’s attitude.

She was actively dictating to her daughter what she should want for Christmas. She also wanted to spend a large proportion of her budget on, excuse my language, absolute shite. Lots of cheap stocking fillers in lieu of an actual thought out and much wanted gift with the same budget? I don’t think anyone would want that.

It would be like if I wanted a top that was £20 and my partner bought me a mountainous pile of random stationery he found in the pound shop for the same value. I’d be utterly baffled.

She also spend money on family days out and used this as an excuse to why she didn’t spend more on DD. So her daughters birthday and Christmas funded the entire family for December.

So Nettie, please don’t twist the facts to try and make a point. Everyone who was on that thread knows what was said.

@mathanxiety

No idea. It’s not just a case of spending £10 on presents. It’s advent calendars. Yes some only cost a couple of quid but it all adds up It starts in December with nights out or invites to meet up. That’s a night out or a bottle of wine respectively. Possibly a new outfit/nails/ hair depending on event. Petrol, babysitters Then it’s food for people you have over. It’s decorating/replacements lights/ Christmas tree. Food for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day. And of course presents.

Of course no needs to buy any of this stuff but it’s not the height of extravagance to buy any of this. It’s pretty much the norm.

@Lightisnotwhite, I would consider the food and presents the only essentials on that list.

Essential at Christmas is an oxymoron.

I know everyone on this thread only buys £10 gifts for their three children and has an inexpensive roast with a mince pie at the height of their celebrations
Back in the real world I’ve just spent £25 on a Lt of Baileys and 3 bottles of Prosecco tonight in Morrison’s , knowing it won’t be enough for 4 over the Christmas weekend. And it’s only November.

I save from January and buy things on sale. I have 14 nieces & nephews to buy for two of which are godchildren so they get €50 the rest I give €20.

I have two DC's I've spent €450 on my son he wanted an oculus quest 2 that was €350 I got few other bits and do Christmas Eve box and stocking. I know it's a lot but they only get something for birthday and Christmas so I don't mind as I don't go into debt for Christmas. My Dd spent €200. I give €100 to parents and in-laws.

My husband and I spend about €50 on each other then€40 for Kris kindle. Have 3 friends that I buy for spend €30. I have 10 birthdays leading up to Christmas 4 of which are in December. I love been organised and doing up my lists.

It's really irksome when people poo poo others for "only spending £50 on their kids" or whatever.

Yet so many people say "I wish Christmas wasn't such a consumer fest/I pay for Christmas all year round saving X amount/stuff is expensive/kids are overwhelmed opening so many presents" etc etc

But when there's people keeping it all low key... they're called tight/miserable...

People can't win 🤷

How about people do Christmas as they see fit...? If they want to spend £1000s on a credit card, can afford whatever they buy, or want to spend less.... It's all fine. There's no "right" way to do Christmas.

@LolaSmiles

Problem with Christmas is that too many people overspend and then have to deal with the consequences, people who are in debt / on tight financial pursestrings shouldn't feel they 'have to' give gifts, too much of the stuff is actually unnecessarily, not to mention the environmental costs of single use items, stuff that has to be manufactured, shipped to UK and ends up in the bin anyway?

I have told my mum no Christmas crackers this year because they are my pet hate - waste of money and extremely environmentally unfriendly. Does that make me the grinch? Possibly but I don't care.
I feel very similarly to you.

I don't believe for one second that the millions of smellies gift sets and cheap stocking filler items are being bought because people genuinely looked at their life and thought 'what I really want for Christmas is a set of 4 lipglosses where 50% probably won't flatter me', but people buy them every year, and every January the charity shops are full of them.

We also don't do crackers. My mother in law made some one year and they were really nice though.

I've made some fabric crackers this year with ribbon 🎀 to be recycled so no paper waste. I've bought the bits to pull and out in my own little gifts and a Lindt chocolate ball And downloaded some jokes off the internet

I have a Christmas I can afford. And don't like buying or receiving random useless stuff.