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’m often baffled by how people afford the Christmases I see on their FB posts. Families earning minimum wage, panicking how to afford to fix their old car then they buy dc a MacBook.

This year we are going “all out” and getting all 3 dc iPhones (refurbished older models) and they will be blown away because it’ll be unexpected. But… dh and I earn 100k a year between us and put £1500 per month in savings so can comfortably afford that. We could choose to spend more but usually I work to a budget of £100 per dc. I can’t imagine getting into debt. You can have a good Christmas without buying a PS4 or 5. I need to add that when dc were tiny dh was earning £28k and I was on statutory maternity pay but we’ve always lived within our means.

I bought DD's main present in July. It was 50% off. Rest of the presents are bargains too. We don't save for Xmas specifically but by the beginning of December I have finished Xmas shopping.

@NeedAHoliday2021

I’m often baffled by how people afford the Christmases I see on their FB posts. Families earning minimum wage, panicking how to afford to fix their old car then they buy dc a MacBook.

This year we are going “all out” and getting all 3 dc iPhones (refurbished older models) and they will be blown away because it’ll be unexpected. But… dh and I earn 100k a year between us and put £1500 per month in savings so can comfortably afford that. We could choose to spend more but usually I work to a budget of £100 per dc. I can’t imagine getting into debt. You can have a good Christmas without buying a PS4 or 5. I need to add that when dc were tiny dh was earning £28k and I was on statutory maternity pay but we’ve always lived within our means.

Wind up right? Earning £28k for a year or so before your on £100k.

Maybe the peasants want to give their children a bit of social capital rather just the poorest and cheapest all their lives.
An iPhone is an iPhone, not the preserve of the rich or poor. It’s not suddenly got more value because you can afford it rather than someone getting it in credit.

I think that when people come onto these threads and claim to spend a tiny amount on their children’s Christmas presents you will find that they generally will buy things throughout the year for the children. Those of us who keep to birthdays and Christmas only will inevitably buy more on those occasions as we don’t buy toys at any other time.

I have always put the child benefit money in to a separate account since we started getting it. We also top it up with £20 each per month. We aren't well off but I figured that I wasn't used to getting that money so I wouldn't miss it and would cut back on takeaways/pub/cinema outings to pay for baby essentials. It's been working for us.

Sometimes we use it for Xmas other times we've had to use it to buy a bigger size car seat or dear essential like that for the kid. I start buying presents in Aug/Sept and put them aside. I buy when I see things on offer for a good price and don't seem to miss the money monthly. If I don't have the money in my bank as I've spent it on a present then I don't treat myself to clothes etc that month. I'm pretty low maintenance anyway and my only guilty pleasure is a primark splurge lol.

We also have debt for various reasons that is being managed. That's life when you haven't always had a good/decent wage and had to start from scratch without any handouts!

Wind up right? Earning £28k for a year or so before your on £100k.

That’s not what she said. When she was on SMP her DH earned 28k. Now her DC are all old enough to be getting a phone for Christmas and they have a combined income of 100k. Mine & DH’s income has similarly fluctuated between the time of me being a SAHM and now working FT in a professional role- his income has also increased with promotions in that time,

Why spend £300 on your DD if you are £4000 in debt? That is insane.

Christmas eve box? Oh good lordy

@Welshiefluff

Christmas eve box? Oh good lordy

I don’t like to judge but Christmas Eve boxes is the personification m of wasteful unnecessary spending

Think everyone's lost the plot about Christmas. It's not about expensive pressies but about spending time with those you love. I understand the pressure though.

But to answer your question OP, when the kids were small I'd start buying pressies in the spring/summer sales. I had a budget for each person and the present shopping was done by July except for my my DHs and DCs main pressies which I used to leave until Oct.

I made up hampers which people loved, bought clothes for spring not winter (cos I got them in the sales) etc.

But food shopping to a budget is def a challenge. My hubby would sort out the menu for each day (he did all the cooking) - Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and we'd have a main shopping list. Don't get me wrong I remember the occasional Christmas Eve food shopping and having a stacked trolley, but cos we were organised, I don't remember thinking Christmas was expensive.

This year I've pre-ordered the food and will collect it all on 23rd - its paid for so I can just collect it. I admit as DH died 5 years ago I'm less organised and have over ordered, lol!

Ref pressies, I've already given them out to most people cos I didn't know if I'd see them over Christmas. All pressies this year were courtesy of Costco ;). I now just have to buy for my mum :) So again Christmas hasn't felt expensive cos as normal, I've spread the cost over several months and didn't go mad.

@TheChild

This is the first year we have saved every month for Christmas and we saved what I thought was a good amount. Made the mistake of discussing Christmas shopping with some of the school mums and realised it is NOT enough, one mum was spending £400 on 2 tracksuits for her DD 😳 I have a feeling most people put it on credit cards, because I can't understand how people can otherwise afford all the stuff they are buying otherwise.

I have feeling most people don't spend 400 on two tracksuits for a child. So don't need to put Christmas on their credit cards.

I thought so too, although hearing what the other parents were getting their 4 year olds I was 😱 ours is getting a second hand bike, Baby Alexander (he's an expensive little effer!) and stocking fillers.

This is the first year older DD has asked for a much bigger present (Nintendo Switch), I didn't realise how expensive they were but we bought one second hand for a bargain price from a family member. And I have stressed on multiple occasions that because it's an expensive gift there won't be much else from mum and dad, just her stocking from Santa. It makes me wonder how people afford to buy these things new AND all the other gifts that go with it. Unfortunately I have quite a few Facebook friends who love to share their present pictures on there, think it's time to give up Facebook.

@SockFluffInTheBath

Wind up right? Earning £28k for a year or so before your on £100k.

That’s not what she said. When she was on SMP her DH earned 28k. Now her DC are all old enough to be getting a phone for Christmas and they have a combined income of 100k. Mine & DH’s income has similarly fluctuated between the time of me being a SAHM and now working FT in a professional role- his income has also increased with promotions in that time,

Yes I got that. A few lean years ( and £28k plus SMP isn’t breadline) when you know you can triple that income and being on minimum wage forever, are two different things.

A second hand iPhone will be bought by rich and poor. Some on credit, some without thinking. It was the Op being incredulous that poorer family’s would want the same gifts for their children as others.

I think a lot of poorer families don’t do the massive TV, huge present pile but it’s more fun to be rude about those that do.

Make a list in January for everything you spend at Christmas- tree/decs, cards, paper, postage, presents, food etc. Allocate an ideal budget for each item and add it all up, then divide by 12. Save that each month if you can in a seperate account. Then play a game of aiming to spend less and shopping the sales throughout the year. The money will be in your savings pot for when you shop the sales. Just remember to keep a spreadsheet or somesuch to track it all.

£300 for your dd? In my opinion you only give presents of that value to your children for huge events like their confirmation. We give presents for about £60-80 for each of our children.
We only give presents to family members above the age of 14 if we are together with them on the day except for my brother's kids and my parents.

In my opinion you only give presents of that value to your children for huge events like their confirmation

Christmas is a huge event in this house.

Christmas is a huge event in this house

Christmas is a huge event in most houses. However many are able to make it special by putting the emphasis of fun times with family and freinds, rather than seeking gratification from material goods.

And some do both.

I microsave throughout the year. Penny a day challenge, round up to nearest pound and a couple of others. All done through my current account.
I don’t notice this coming out of my account and it more than paid for Xmas

I don't spend more than about £300. DS age 7 has a limit of £100-150 on gifts. Then there's food and the tree (buy a real tree) and all the adults do a £30 secret Santa.

I don't see the point in financially ruining myself for one bloody day, and half the toys present end up in the toy box or missing parts by May 🤷🏻‍♀️

I've noticed on here and in rl the people insisting they only spend £50 on their kids even though they are well off, and being appalled someone else spends £300, like they are stupid...dont realise their kids went to florida for 3 weeks in the summer and centre parks in autumn and lapland in December and they never stood at a wet bus stop as mummy and daddy both have cars. They never see the privileges their kids get all year round.

Think of the planet and try and buy less. I am very low maintenance and buy second hand for most things. I pick up bits all through the year, charity shop bargains, vintage fairs etc. I lost my job during Covid and have been poorly for the last 9 months so we've been living off my redundancy money which is nearly running out but I don't have room for loads of stuff and prefer to give / receive foodie bits that will get used up or books which can be passed on.

Most people who buy less are skint.
And have always been. Being told to buy less because of the planet is just fucking annoying when you've bought less for ever, long before it became trendy.

@ssd

I've noticed on here and in rl the people insisting they only spend £50 on their kids even though they are well off, and being appalled someone else spends £300, like they are stupid...dont realise their kids went to florida for 3 weeks in the summer and centre parks in autumn and lapland in December and they never stood at a wet bus stop as mummy and daddy both have cars. They never see the privileges their kids get all year round.

I don't think people are appalled, but if someone is getting into massive debt to spend a few hundred quid on presents (which will impact the families budget over the year) then what's the issue with people saying you don't have to spend that much? And then posters saying they can't say no to children who want games consoles etc. Whatever works for you and your family is obviously fine, but if it comes at a negative cost then is it worth it?

I said upthread, that we have to recognise this is an emotional and not necessarily rational issue.

Rationality says you spend what you can afford and you know a Christmas can be great without piles of stuff. And it’s easier to see that snd believe it, when you have the finances behind you to choose to have loads if you want to, and to so end through the year, so one big splurge isn’t the big deal it is to some people.

The heart tells lots of people that the one big day counts for a lot, because the rest of the year things are tight. Excess feels important….piles of presents under the tree and on Facebook, huge laden table of food, saying ‘yes’ not ‘no’ to the kids’ requests, even if they’re for v expensive things.
Doing all this gives people a sense of pleasure and value. It’s value to the outside world in a comparative way, of being able to have the stuff that affluent people could have….so that sense that their kids aren’t missing out and everyone can see it. And it can be a personal satisfaction of having and saying ‘yes’ instead of not having and saying ‘no’. And some people will go to big lengths for that….they will save very hard all year to amass a vast sum of money to fund it, or unfortunately go into debt which will impact the rest of their year. And that’s not logical or rational, but it feels important to have that big day. Not having the big day, or seeing their kids disappointed in Christmas Day, or feeling there has been no largesse, can be hugely disappointing and devastating to some parents. Those with plenty often struggle to grasp this. It just doesn’t make sense to them….they feel you can only have what you can afford. That’s fine when you can afford lots and choose not to have lots.

It’s easy to say, teach your kids to not be interested in games consoles or designer handbags or expensive trainers and to enjoy a family Christmas. But kids who grow up without financial security do value these things and the status they feel they give. And so they ask their parents for them. Or even if they don’t ask becaue they know it pressurises parents, their parents always know the kids would live to have them. And they long to say ‘yes’ and to give, rather than to stint.

And Christmas just grows and grows ….there’s always more springing up to tempt people. Whether it’s elf on the shelf or Christmas Eve boxes, or excessive advent calendars, or more works parties, or Christmas jumper days….it’s just more and more to spend on or to feel crap about not being able to afford.