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!

Indont know if I'm being really dense.
But not spending money you don't have.

So if you've only got £500. That's how much youve got.

I try and avoid debt as much as possible. The only debt I've got is my student loan and mortgage.

Currently I've got a small amount on car finance which I can pay off easily. Only did it for the deals that come with the finance deal. And will pay it off asap.

We spend loads on our kids but then only buy for about 10 other adults and children in total. We don’t go crazy on Christmas food. I estimate it comes to under £1K which we budget for. We try to have a quite Oct/Nov

We had a problem with our roof this year. It was easier to pay for it via credit card than remortgage earlier any pay a penalty fee.

Our 4K debt is mainly from a roof repair.
We are remortgaging in February and clearing it and we will be debt free!

By people commenting on my debt is making it sound like I’ve just been spending money I don’t have I stuff I don’t need - that is not the case!

We have a monthly budget for Christmas with a specific target. That includes gifts, wrapping paper, cards, postage, food and drinks.

This was based on previous years and discussing scaling back.

Also, I save up Nectar points and use that more for the treats and snacks.

I start buying in late September and I don't have a huge amount of people to buy for. I budget around £1500 including food and the majority of that is on my children who are older now anyway.

I have been in a credit union for a few years, since I lost my full time job, I'm part time now, and could not manage Christmas without the money from the credit union. I save £35 per month by direct debit, and have to discipline myself to keep the money in until November, then start Christmas shopping. I've bought my grandchildren pre-worn clothes from eBay, once they're washed no-one would know they are not new, but they have new at Christmas thanks to a well known retailer offering 3 for 2.

Have a look at a Munzo account

You can have saving pockets for anything you like

Divide in to Christmas / birthdays/ holidays etc and spread the cost so you don’t have to rely on credit.

I also find looking at your bank account daily massively reduces any chance of overspending monthly.

We used to keep the Tesco points for school uniforms in August as that’s a big expense with three teens.

@Frederica852

You spend £300 on your DD?! 😲 I spend less than £50

@Frederica852 Depends how old the children are.

Last year I could get away with spending £15 each. They are now tweens and it is costing me much more.

I rowed back on expensive presents last year and I’m going cut it back again this year - it was all the secondary gifts that floored me - the teachers, the TA, the nursery worker, the admin at school, the babysitter the cleaner etc …. Trying to say thanks to everyone with wine etc or a gift just floored me. I just have to cut way back. I don’t have the funds.

I’m a single parent and use a lot of services to manage but I can’t pay out endlessly. I hope that doesn’t sound mean but I’m broke every month keeping everything going.

I started buying early this year, I wouldn't have been able to afford it otherwise. Its so tough isn't it, luckily my daughter is only 2 so we don't really spend anything on her as she doesn't really understand the concept.

I always check out sales and use offers where pos, that really helps, but I agree it has become a really expensive do.

P.S. I'm furious Sainsburys are not doing the Christmas Double up on the Nectar points anymore. They've blamed lack of customer interest! I know they have offers on the Sainsburys App, but i can not access this.

£300 is everything! Main present, medium presents? Stocking and Xmas eve box.
It’s probably more like £250

I save £600 for Christmas, £50 a month

DS
DSS - I think they are doing it differently this year, as he no longer believes in Santa
DP
Me
2 nephews
Food, its rare I get to that amount of money, any left over goes into my mansion with an indoor swimming pool fund,

I started buying in June and had it done by September. Find it a lot easier spreading it out earlier in the year.

Part of my overall salary package is a bonus in September (bonuses are not as great as they sound as they are part of your salary and not guaranteed!)

We keep that to cover Christmas. If I didn't get a annual bonus and it was part of my salary instead I would save for it.

The key thing is to spend within your means. If you are worried about money cut back on your spending to token presents, especially adults. I would hate for anyone who was in debt to think they had to spend £50 on a gift for me.

I start in august. I try and make the most of sales, money off etc. I don't Save for it all year but I probably should. I buy for my 2 kids and literally only token gifts for family. I can't afford to buy everyone expensive gifts, don't have any nieces or nephews (yet). My kids have maybe £200-£250 each. It goes quite far with Dd but for DS not so much. He wants an Xbox so that's the budget gone for him but he is having some small gifts so gone over budget...

So say £500 split over august-November. So spend £125 each pay day (but obviously Xbox was all in one go).

Me and dp do not but each other anything now...

@Poppets14

£300 is everything! Main present, medium presents? Stocking and Xmas eve box. It’s probably more like £250

I spend about the same. Money doesn't go far these days does it!

I've been buying since July

Depends on what you're spending on.

If it's food you can get a little store box going very early in the year. For example, jars of pickles/sauces are in the shop all year round. I just check the use by date and in the 'Christmas box' it goes. I got chocolates in late September as they started to come into the shops and I knew what I wanted - after dinner mints are in the shop all year round so they went in in early August!

I pick up one or two items as I see them. So we're all set except for the meat and fresh veg.

Christmas gifts? Well we don't buy for the adults in our family and haven't for over twenty years. It was a joint decision and we've all agreed because it means that, instead of buying four sisters plus spouses gifts around £25-£30 each, we keep £200 plus in our pocket. Which we use for nice bottles of wine or nicer chocolates, spend on Christmas presents for each other or just leave in the bank to spend on a treat after Christmas. No-one's missed the gifts and I get all my Christmas gift shopping done very, very quickly!

Oh and Christmas cards/wrapping paper? If I remember I pick up packs in the sales. Doesn't always cover everyone I need to send a card to or every gift I need to wrap but it saves a heck of a lot!

DH saves a bit each month, I don’t but I buy things when I see them so if had the same effect. I look for bargains and use top cash back etc

@Poppets14

We had a problem with our roof this year. It was easier to pay for it via credit card than remortgage earlier any pay a penalty fee.

Our 4K debt is mainly from a roof repair.
We are remortgaging in February and clearing it and we will be debt free!

By people commenting on my debt is making it sound like I’ve just been spending money I don’t have I stuff I don’t need - that is not the case!

but you 'don't need' £300 of Xmas gifts and you 'don't have' £300 to spend but you do have £4k debt

We are commenting on the facts you gave us and spending money you don't have is exactly what your post is about - how else are we meant to view it and more so how do you not realise that's exactly what you posted.

We don't buy many presents. We don't buy expensive presents. I buy for three little kids and my adult D.C. only. No presents for parents, siblings and friends. We are all adults and don't need more stuff.

When we were younger and skint I'd save a bit every month towards it. I also used to save up my Tesco club card coupons and Boots points for Christmas. That covered food, extra wine and quite a few stocking fillers.

I save each month.

@Poppets14

£300 is everything! Main present, medium presents? Stocking and Xmas eve box. It’s probably more like £250

How old is your DD?

I don’t quite understand what it matters what other mums spend ? You only buy what you can afford . I have had years where I had to buy everything second hand and years where we could be generous .

Personally I have a savings account for Christmas and holidays and when I work out budget for the year I try and save what I can afford each month . Then no nasty credit card bills.