What things are you NOT doing this year?!

[ahunf]

I'm not so fussed this year.

I won't be doing the elf.

Going to Markets.

Buying lots of chocolate / snacks they just get left.

Getting lots of novelty crap from bnm. I spent £200 on sweets, choc, chocolate stirrers, marshmallow sets etc which weren't eaten I can't afford it this year anyway.

Not sending Christmas cards.

Thank you Remus x

I don't know.

Last Christmas was so awful. DH was at home, slowly dying after a stroke caused (most likely) by the chemo he'd needed for his terminal cancer. "Make it special" they tell you "make memories", it's all bollocks. You can't make memories in that situation. We did make the most of it, we had two little fosterlings who had an ace day but my head was full of knowing it was our last Christmas and DH had been robbed of the use of most of his body and his speech. Now DH is gone, the two little ones have new families and I have a new fosterling. I am looking forward to Christmas but dreading it in equal measure.

This year I am going to a lights event (my new little one has sight loss so a lights event seems a good event to go to). I have a new Christmas tree to put up and the tree ornament DD bought last Christmas to celebrate mine and DH's first Christmas as a married couple has hung in the corner of the room all year as we had no space for a tree last year as the living room became his bedroom complete with hospital bed and all the equipment he needed.

For Christmas this year I just want peace and a little bit of joy, everything else seems immaterial.

We don't buy any meat joint to roast. We go to the deli counter a few day before and buy the number of slices we need of what they want.

No struggling for room in the oven and juggling it all etc.

Our DC are insisting on crackers but I fill them with something like tea lights & lighter and a scratch card.

For Christmas this year I just want peace and a little bit of joy, everything else seems immaterial

Absolutely this 😊

No elf on the shelf for us, I've never started it and I don't plan to.

No wrapping paper for Santa presents.

Not buying individual Christmas cards, it costs a fortune.

Less snacks as I overindulge throughout the year and I don't need an excuse to eat more!

This is the first year that I have honestly no clue what to buy my husband and parents. Usually I'd have started shopping for them. We're cutting down this year and I've no idea what to buy.

I won't be seeing anyone, having a Christmas lunch or putting up decorations.

Bet you will have the best Christmas ever. My children refused to get dressed on Christmas day when they were little, they loved staying in their pyjamas all day. Being scaley brats, they never had Christmas in any house but the latest Married Quarter we were in at the time. Enjoy your stress free Christmas.

Not having Turkey. Will probably get a gammon instead as we much prefer that.

DS is having a cadburys bog standard advent calendar this year instead of a fancy one.

I am going to use up any wrapping paper and tags I have left over for DH and DS gifts instead of buying new matching wrapping paper, gift bags and tags. Nobody really cares what their gift is wrapped in.

Only buying for nephews and nieces not adult brothers and sisters.

@bloodywitchescat I wish you as much peace and joy as possible

Not doing a massive roast dinner. Not due to money, just its a lot of effort and most of us dont really enjoy it.

So smoked salmon and blinis on Christmas Day for us and possibly some lovely French cheese!

Not tat buying. The kids have only got stuff they really wanted or I thought they would play with. I haven't bought endless rubbish

A nice picnic lunch with the all our favourite food. We have done this the last 2 years and the kids loved it.

No expensive Santa grotto trips. We are going to a Christmas light switch on fayre in my home town were Santa will come through on a sleigh.

No rushing around scrubbing the house for days before. It's only me, DH and the kids who just want to play.

Not cooking Xmas dinner for first time in 32 years. Going to DS house and he is cooking. I am overjoyed. I can join in instead of having to keep popping I to kitchen.

We are not doing our usual M&S food order, we will be fine with everything from Lidl instead. Also no lights outside this year, and not going crazy with presents for the extended family - I think we'll just do edible type gifts and keep things fairly low key.

Not buying a real Christmas tree- my brother has a spare.
not going Christmas Eve boxes- children at their other parents houses.
not having Christmas Eve party- having take out with DP in front of TV

Not buying extended family or friends presents.
Not buying alcohol.
Having less snacks and sweets.

We prob won't get a real tree
Normally pay to light up the church won't do that
Used to buy for lots of helpers (cleaner etc) dont have those so won't be doing that
I think we ordered kids Xmas cards so will buy those and send to immediate family but will send an Xmas email/WhatsApp I think to most other people
Feeling pretty depressed about it

No new Christmas decorations.
We're not throwing any parties this year.
Not ordering any food, we'll wing it in the supermarkets. (I already have all of the non perishables)
No presents for anyone except the children.
No Christmas meals out.
No work dos.
No fancy dress events
No Christmas jumper
No acres of cheap crappy sweets, I'll buy one good box of chocolates.
No booze.
No new outfits
Less visiting than usual.
No cinema
No panto
No West End show
No ice skating
No comedy gigs
No music gigs
No meat.
No tat.
Am considering not sending cards this year.

Best wishes to those pp above coping with illness and bereavement. The focus for us will be on togetherness this year for various reasons. I'm going for less stuff generally, no filler gifts, fewer outings, I'm thinking no cards apart from to family or far flung people we love but won't be seeing but I do say this every year then do loads anyway. Less is more.

Not having our family Christmas cards printed.
Not doing a food order from M&S (rubbish selection this year)
Not watching Charlie's speech.

And for the first time in 31 years DH and I are not buying each other anything as we are going to Las Vegas in January for his 50th so will buy each other gifts whilst we are there.

@TragicMuse

hot chocolate stations

Forgot about those. Yep I did one last year. Got new matching pots to put it in. A coco shaker and stencil. Think I'll actually throw it when I get it out of the loft.

Also no Christmas craft bits for the kids!!! -

I think I buy things I would have liked around Christmas but they would rather be on their phones.

Unsure about baking. Dd10 made some Halloween buns out of a packet and I've just thrown them. She's asked for Christmas ones.

@Malariahilaria Mine too. Spoiled brats. They wouldn't even read it. They would throw it on the floor and ask where they toy / money / chocolate was.

Not buying as much presents as I used to, might not put lights on the christmas tree (speaking of which, I had been planning on renting a live tree this year but just checked the prices and that's a nope).
The one thing I'm torn on and can't decide is whether or not to hire the joulupukki (Father Christmas) to hand out the presents Christmas Eve. Its tradition in my country and my son probably only has a couple of years left believing so don't want to miss out on it but on the other hand its 50 euros (actually probably more this year)

Enjoy Las Vegas, I did the same for my 50th, January birthday. It was great. We have always had simple Christmases, due to needing to relax while doing high pressured jobs.
We’ll follow our usual pattern, seeing DCs and DGCs in the morning, having our own quiet dinner and then hosting the family on Boxing Day.
For the very first time we’re not having a real tree.