What are you cutting back on to save money this Christmas?

[brownwhisker]

We have just had notification that our gas and electricity direct debit is going up to £310 a month 🤯 and just starting to plan ahead to Christmas with our remaining wages....

There's definitely some stuff we will probably cut back on this year - thinking paid days out / pantomine ad maybe try and reduce families budget a bit per person.

Is anyone else cutting back in places?

1. what is your direct debit based on? A friend of mine had his put up from £170 to £350 pcm. He was already £200 in credit. Sent them a reading and asked them to recalculate, he was £500 ish in credit and the DD was revised to £150 ish - less than he is paying now. So please check it's not just a computer algorithm putting up your DD based on random estimated usage.

2. I won't buy a turkey - I might buy a chicken (I still have last year's frozen in the freezer as things didn't go to plan.) No fancy foods, no spirits etc unless I drink them anyway - so I might get whiskey which will last a year! Lots of normal meals - not buying excess. It's an ordinary week's shop with a joint of meat, some crackers, puddings. chocolates etc but not a week of feasting (plus my waist line doesn't need loads of extra calories). Cutting down cheese board - every year I throw away some as it's mostly me that eats it. So one special cheese this year - I don't normally eat it.

No new decorations or make some as a fun activity.

Stockings are for essentials and small items - socks, pants, toiletries, sweets and low value items. Main gifts also needed clothing for teens etc. Asking my relatives to chip in for larger items possibly (not got to a list yet).

No trips out - you can drive /walk around areas with lots of lights. Nativity services in Church are free and there are other free activities.

Not going out much and not shopping in person (online with a list tends to save money) unless it's somewhere where you can't buy online eg unique or Primark. This saves the temptation of Costa or drinks and food out.

Not giving gifts to teachers etc etc - kids are beyond primary, no music teachers etc no cleaners etc. Not giving to friends - no need at all. Agreed not to buy for my cousin's kids who are all adults now.

I will be wasting money sending cards to family and friends afar though. I might also go and see and host family - so maybe I'll need an odd bottle of wine/box of biscuits.

We’ll be cutting down our indulgent food and drink: Turkish delight, matchmakers, J2Os, 3 different puddings on Xmas day, tubs of Twiglets and mini cheddars, After Eights, Roses, Heroes, Baileys etc….
We’ll also be cutting pack on teacher and TA presents, and just give a decent gift at the end of the academic year. They’ll get a card and hopefully something homemade from the dc.

Definitely cutting back on fancy chocolates and booze - there's only so much baileys you can drink! Will buy a chicken not a turkey as well.

Usual numbers of presents for DD (I’ve never been one for OTT piles of presents) but only one present for OH, one present for my best friend, and that’s it. If I have time I’ll do handmade presents for other people but they all know I’m struggling.

Also not buying fancy wrapping paper, I’ve got boring paper leftover from wrapping teacher presents last year so that will do. Normally I like to get ridiculous cheerful paper with dinosaurs in Santa hats and stuff for DD, not this year.

I never do too much that costs money at Christmas anyway, and not drinking saves a lot, but I’m also making a lot of stuff for winter anyway as I can sew, like draught excluders and quilts.

I am restricting the giving of Christmas stockings to only those who are with us staying over at Christmas. A Christmas stocking usually costs me about 30 pounds or more. As far as all the "kids" am cutting back the amount spent to about 1/2. Would normally do about 150 each but not this year.

Less days out. I usually spend a lot on things like ice skating, Christmas markets and light trails but this year we are renovating our house so money is tight.

We're not hosting anyone this year so just the five of us. That will actually save us a small fortune. The turkey we've ordered is £30 cheaper than last year's alone and all the unnecessary little extras you get when you're 'entertaining'. Stockings will be slightly leaner but not so much the DC will notice. Plus I overbought last year and held some bits back so that's helped with costs this year. It won't be stark by any means but every little helps!

And less days out in the run-up! I have tendency to book a few different things and the kids actually said it was too much last year and they wanted more time to chill!

Mine are teenagers and have got together and asked to do a family experience and have a stocking with new pants/socks
I mean how much more stuff do they need?

I’m not buying any more presents until nearer Christmas. I’m going through a really rough time and have already given my toddler her two main presents to cheer me up. If they're not in the house I can’t give them to her early.

She’s only wants a few bits for her dolls (changing station, high chair etc) so it wouldn’t be long until I’m buying for the sake of it.

I've bought all my presents throughout the year ( my children are adults)
And saved so I've been able to order my Christmas food from M&S as normal.
We are not having a Christmas Eve gathering this year though, so that's saved a fortune on booze

@Garysmum Turkey can only be safely frozen for six months…so please don’t try and eat last years Turkey.

OP. Yes we are having to cut back as well.

• No Turkey. Was shocked at prices starting at £27 from Ocado! Too much! May do a chicken as those are £5.
• No alcohol
• No tubs celebrations/roses etc
• No making of a gingerbread house with jelly baby people
• No stockings
• No wood fires
• Nothing on decorations or tree
• No wreath for door, although I may clip a local fir tree and try and DIY one.
• No Christmas lights on house
• No going out unless to free park

Sounds grim, but will be keeping

• Homemade mince pies
• One modest present each
• Our family film nights
• Tin of biscuits
• Christmas pudding
• Put up the old Christmas tree and decorations
• A box of after eights
• Christmas cards to family

Doing less days out here as they cost us a lot with 4dc. I was about to book the Santa train & ice skating & feeling mean as many of my friends (DC’s friends, parents) seem to be doing lots. However eldest Dc said it would of been nice to stay home more next year so, I feel a bit better. Just the pantomime now and we are all looking forward to it.

cutting way back on alcohol, for financial & health. I am being much more aware of costs with stockings & presents so my saved present budget goes further. I scrapped individual teacher presents at Christmas last year and just get 2 big boxes of biscuits for the staff room at the start of December. And dc4’s preschool teacher is a gem so she still gets her favourite chocolate’s. I feel in conversations with my friends that I am the only one though.

@Discovereads it was actually last years chicken!! You can basically often eat anything that’s been properly properly frozen much later than you think. I’ve had 3 year old chicken, 5 year old rabbit as a child but it tastes of nothing and texture can be pants. But last years chicken is going in the bin - just waiting until next bin day to remove from freezer and chuck along with god knows what else is in there that shouldn’t be!

i cut back years ago, as i realised that we were 'wasting' money unnecessarily. for example, i'd make xmas dinner with all the trimmings and my children wouldn't eat some of it, so now, i only buy what we will eat.

Cutting down to pay for Christmas: no haircuts, boozey nights out, no presents between me and the husband.

The adults in both my family and my husbands family are forgoing any gifts this year to focus on the children.

Cost of living payment x2 is covering our childrens Christmas presents for children.

our situation: both working parents, in receipt of universal credit. Sad days!

Nothing... I save throughout the year so I don’t have to spend out of wages at Christmas. I’ve saved £850... that’s for my Dc, DP, mum, 2x sis, 4x bro, bro gf, dad, step mum and 2 uncles and any extras and also to include our Christmas Eve takeaway.

Definitely not wasting money on stocking presents. Have grabbed a couple of chocolates ie heroes / celebration boxes . My children are adults and seriously understand how much everyone is struggling .
Husband retired so our income has dramatically changed since last Christmas.

As much as I can bear to. I love Christmas and we usually do spend a lot. I’d have said on ‘wholesome’ stuff and not commercialised, but it still costs a bomb.

Won’t do:

Days out, probably. Might see if the local NT has anything on. We don’t usually do much anyway.
My treat-yourself-to-all-the-Waitrose-nibbles between Christmas and new year. Sob.
A real tree. This will break me, but they are SO expensive now. It was £120 last year and I just can’t justify it this year. DD was twittering about how it’s such a family tradition and how she was so looking forward to it, and it is, too. But I can’t see it happening. If I possibly can, I will, though.
Christmas cake and pudding. No one else eats them. I do like them, but not enough to spend the money
A home made ham, for the same reasons.
Very reduced stockings and presents for adults. Last year people didn’t bother for us. I don’t mind, I know they are struggling. This year, I need their goodwill.

Will definitely do:

Sausage rolls. Everyone loves them
mince pies. I love them!
Gingerbread Day! Ok, the kids aren’t fussed about eating it, but they love making it and the eldest will be 18 this year, so don’t know how many more we’ll get
home made wreath and decs. Usually goes really well.
Some small treats for me, even if it’s really pared down. I feel like it’s bloody years since I treated myself to nice chocolate or a bloody paperback
Some practical things. Thermals, a knock off oodiexabdvinevif those looong hot water bottles should pad out the stockings a bit. I usually really treat us to lots of small things, but I really can’t justify this year.

Something really nice for DD. She’s been SO good about our shit finances, it’s been a real drop. They should improve a lot by Christmas, so she deserves to be spoilt a bit if I possibly can. Big presents are usually the least of my expenses, but this year I think it will be different.
Might have to do the stupid elf. She’s far too old for it and I usually do Dinovember, but it’s free and I think she’d at least think it was funny.

God I hope I never have to do a Christmas like this again. I’ve done it once before, but she was four and it’s a lot easier to fob off a four year old with free make-your-own-fun than a teenager.

Sweet baby Jesus, @Eeksteek £120 for a real tree?? Have you shopped around? For the first few years DH and I lived together we were paying £90 at a fancy garden centre (and that was 15 years ago), but now we buy a tree from a local farm that just gets a load in to sell at Xmas and it's more like £60.

We've more gifts to buy this year as my DB is visiting. I just bought a joint gift for DB & SIL (they buy rubbish gifts with no thought day before anyway) & a small cash gift for all DN's (including one on DH's side). Other adults will be small token gifts.

My DC I'm buying same amount of tree gifts, but am buying earlier if prices are good. Less stocking fillers but they're older now anyway.

We always do free things. Light displays, Christmas activities, parks, etc. We also do Xmas craft and cook gingerbread cookies at home.

We'll also be cutting back on cost of to Secret Santa at parties & sadly, the family adoption program at DH's work. We'll contribute some but not as much.

To afford it I've been slowly building our main account up by cutting back or slicing bits off tax return etc. which usually go straight to the mortgage. It's so we won't have to be embarrassed at not being able to afford things or dip into savings when our much wealthier family members pay it effortlessly. Half our expenses are Secret Santa (at least two parties), and food. Parties we have to pay for - (DH's hobby, bring a plate to friend's parties) and everyone visiting wants to get takeaway or go to restaurants. We just carefully manage it.

I'm going to meet people for drinks - not food! I can have a great night out on a couple of pints, but even a pretty basic restaurant meal costs loads.

I'm going to use up all the odds and sods of cards, tags, and wrap that we have tucked away - the ugly cards from multipacks past, the see-through white wrapping paper etc.

I'm going to stay AWAY from the garden centre.

I normally do this- but I’ve had to dip into the Christmas pot to pay for school trips & uniform and stuff so there’s just not enough left given I’ll need to do that again in the new year. It’s a bit depressing and worrying. I’m now budgeting for that pot to carry me over to my annual wage increase in April. Can’t save another bean which is also rather anxiety inducing.

Told the family lets cut down on the amount of presents
tbh, us older ones are the worst.

try and cut back on the chocs and biscuits that never seem to get eaten.
it is only a day
or two
a roast
and left overs