Love Christmas but wanting a lower effort one without breaking the bank?

[Notdeckingthehalls]

Then come and join me. I’m looking for ways to make Christmas more chilled and enjoyable with out chucking loads of money at it.

I’m thinking

• no Christmas cards, I didn’t do any last year due to bereavement and it was much easier
• more sensible meal planning for christmas week
• no buying random chocolates or biscuits. I just get fatter

Any other suggestions?

How do you know how many bags you need if different sizes? I only spend 30 ish mins wrapping anyway so maybe it’s not worth it.

Cut down on presents for extended family, I've suggested secret Santa to my sister and you've had thought I'd suggested we kill one of Santa's reindeer.

Plan your menus, a lot of our Christmas costs are on things like cheese, we have to have a soft blue as well as Stilton. Also goats and ewes cheese, cheddar from a variety of farms . Never mind how often I tell DH I can only eat small amounts of cheese he still buys me about 3 months worth.

I made a bunch about 8 years ago, different sizes. Some from old pyjamas of DC - polar bear tops, snowflake sleeves etc. And lots of store-bought fabric.
Even between family/friends I reuse them every year, they just open the gift and hand back the bag.
I also have bolts (big and small) of hemmed fabric that I use as wrapping paper and tie up with festive ribbon.

To be honest, we don't buy so many small things any more, mobile phone, t-shirts and cash!

Same as pp - we do Secret Santa in our family now using Elfster. So much easier only buying for one person. We have set the budget so it’s also cheaper than buying lots of little gifts for everyone. We all get one decent present now instead of multiple bath smellies / scarves / chocolate. Wish we had started it years ago!

As a family we now only buy for the children in the family. It saves loads of crap gift giving and receiving and saves so much money. No more buying lynx set for random uncles etc.

@RuggedHairyTortoise don't let your friend dictate what you all do. Buying for 12 friends is pretty ridiculous and a lot of pressure and expense for each of you. If you don't want to do it (and o suspect others won't either) then stick up for yourself and say no. A compromise would be to all do secret Santa again every year.

I’ve been buying presents throughout the year and keep records so I know what’s been spent.

Presents will be wrapped long before Christmas Eve.

I only send Christmas cards to a handful of people, elderly relatives and a couple of friends overseas. I still do cards for DDs, 2 left in primary, once they hit high school they are on their own.

I follow the highschool rule for friends presents too. If my DDs want to buy a friend a present they pay themselves in high school, in primary I will let them give a couple of cheap gifts to one or two friends.

We don’t usually exchange gifts with our friends, we might if I see something and decide to buy it, but it’s not a general rule and there is no expectation amongst our friends.

i try and enjoy the free local evens, our small town has a Santa dash and one of the churches does a lovely carol service with priests/pastors from all the surrounding churches and religions for the whole community, they also have a brass band which I love.

I don’t stock up on “festive food” or booze. We stick to the we buy drink if we fancy having some at home on that day rule. Obviously if we entertain we get some in but have it down pat on how much will be drunk based on guests. I do make sure I have my 4 snowballs Christmas Eve though 🍧 ( no emoji’s for snowballs 😂)

Christmas dinner is what ever we find in the supermarket Christmas week. No expensive joints of meat ordered or novelty foods. Things like cranberry & apple sauces we have all year round so usually have in. I do buy the party foods in the frozen sections, loving Aldi’s selection this week, but again we start eating them as soon as they come out, it’s not just a Christmas thing and by Christmas week we usually have a few already left over.

No tubs of chocolates, or festive sweet treats, pastries, biscuits. I buy some chocolate coins, santas etc the ones in the mini net bags from home bargains or Aldi. They go in a small snowman we have but that’s it. I don’t like the chocolate but the DCs do so no temptation for me at all. I only buy 1 Terrys chocolate orange and that’s for DHs stocking.

We have brunch around 11/noon Christmas Day and Christmas dinner about 5/6pm so only 2 meals to make.

The table is set by my DDs these days. A disposable colouring one for brunch, it usually gets destroyed with spillages and binned once used. Placemats are washable colouring in ones I reuse each year. I’m slowly moving to proper place settings for dinner but still happy for DDs to be in charge at the moment.

Christmas Eve is takeaway with very easy lunch using very little cutlery and dishes. The party nibbles are great for this. We also eat out on the 23rd by which point the house is clean and tidy.

We absolutely do not go anywhere Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. If people want to visit us that’s fine but I won’t drag my DDs out and about over Christmas and guests will be served drinks and food in paper cups and plates as I’m not doing any extra washing up. I will happily point them to the kettle too.

Like @WickerMam Im definitely not Low Key but I am absolutely low stress at Christmas.

I’ve been watching lots of videos on diy Christmas decorations, I love all the ideas, but as a lot are American where they buy things cheaply from the dollar store or target I do wonder if I could get away with making things as cheaply. I don’t actually need any decorations but I’m still going to give some a whirl though.

Which reminds me, I’ve bought some fantastic Christmas stuff in charity shops over the years.

I quite agree.

Last year one of us bought artisan hot chocolate from a new cafe in town. About £7 per pack, so circa £90! I bought stationery sets at roughly the same amount. Pointless. And £100 I could have used elsewhere.

I will suggest SS this year. I can quite honestly say perfectly openly that my finances are a bit stretched right now so would prefer it.

I buy presents for about a dozen family members which is a headache. I’ve started buying already in the sales. I’ve halved my budget from £30 to £15 in 24. Huge difference in spend!

Meal planning for Christmas week is key. I’ve already put aside £60 and that will do any extras - there is no need for more if not hosting.
I intend to make double from
each meal to avoid waste. The £60 will go on a few soft drinks, some crisps and chocolate and some desserts. Everything else will be bought one a week in the lead up or as part of the normal shop

I am totally on board with the ethos of this thread, but one thing I might re start - cards.

i am currently emptying my mother’s house (she is still alive but has advanced dementia), and it turns out she has kept every single card I have ever given here. She hasn’t kept every card she was given by everyone but clearly has kept the ones that mattered to her.

I suppose I am saying that whilst you might not want to go to the effort of sending, the recipient may love receiving them..

I am not having a go at anyone, I’m just realizing that little things can mean a lot to someone else.

When my kids were little we had a little tradition that they loved:

We'd have a trip to our local (fantastic) garden centre to look at all the Christmas decorations and then have tea and a hot chocolate in the cafe. I think it felt really exciting for them with all the lights and colours and sparkley stuff.

I have four separate groups of friends and we have all agreed this year no presents just quality time spent together. We are going out for afternoon tea/dinner/lunch etc. So I get to spend lovely quality time in some lovely places with my favourite people and no fuss and less expense ( we will pay for our own)

Im buying my kids and some close family members and nothing else. I have already got most of the stocking fillers. I have been buying things bit by bit and have saved up £10 here and there all year for some extra yummy food.
I determined to have a lovely family Christmas, fire lit, good food, long dog walks then in pjs and movies.
Fed up with too much work, exhausted Christmas and no time to chill. It’s not happening this year

Absolutely this! We went a few weeks ago to one that has a big reputation for being amazing at Christmas. They were clearing away the summer stock and started on the Christmas stuff. I’ve promised we’d go back as well as visiting our local small garden centre. It’s such a fantastic feeling with my DDs they love it.

Yes, I agree.

I make homemade cards for my loved ones, some family some close friends, and I always try to write a lovely and not generic message in them too.

They may not appreciate them necessarily but I enjoying the making and writing throughout November and the sending in Dec! :)

I don't just write 'merry Christmas' as cards I receive that just say that go in the bin! But I keep the ones with really nice messages in.

Hello, me again just updating with a couple of extra things I've decided for cost saving this year. I am going to keep an eye out for when beef joints are discounted and do that instead of the £40 M&S turkey I order every year. I have also just found a toy kitchen on Facebook marketplace for £20 for the youngest as their main present.

I also picked up 6 books for my toddler this week (my first words, farm, jungle, nursery rhyme typical toddler stuff) from home bargains and Aldi. The cheapest were 59p and most expensive that plays music was £2.99. This wasn't for Christmas but my toddler LOVES them. Just in case this is useful for anyone wanting books for little ones. The selection wasn't great for older children though.

I don't send Christmas cards except to close family and 1 friend who lives away. My family is quite small so that's not many cards. I just send one card to a family, not one each, for auntie's, cousins etc.
I spend money on my children but only get inexpensive gifts for everyone else. I don't buy friends gifts unless they have invited me to visit, and then it's only chocolates etc.
My children have long outgrown Father Christmas, any Christmas outings we do will be free ones or very cheap ones, but we don't usually bother. We have meet ups with friends in our houses instead which cost nothing bar a few drinks and snacks. Playing games and having a Christmas tree in the room makes it just as nice.

Boys have outgrown Santa now, so least I'll save money on Santa visits. We've had some amazing Santa's over the years, and we've been on the Polar Express. Memories I will treasure forever. Now it's all about a relaxing Christmas. I see my mum and her partner beforehand and after the day itself. Plus, other family members beforehand. MIL pops over later on on Xmas day, and then I drive her home again later.
We enjoy the cinema. We did Pantos when the boys were younger, which were fab, but prefer the cinema now.
Movie nights at home with hot chocolate, we don't go OTT on presents, but do love our tree and decorations.
I enjoy going to local xmas fayres with my mum or friends, especially small ones in the community centres. Makes it feel more festive for some reason. Every year, I buy a new handmade wooden ornament for the tree from one of the Xmas fayres. My whole tree have only handmade ornaments whether it's from the boys when they were younger, or from fayres. Just love them 😊

Watching this with interest!

We stopped sending as many cards but we still post to older relatives and friends with a short personal letter.

Christmas presents are shared among adult family with whom we spend Christmas. Quite often a voucher for a favourite restaurant or concert hall, gallery, hotel etc.

Tastes change and I'm more inclined to ask what might be appreciated. For years we all thought that MIL had a favourite brand and scent of toiletries and bought her more. She could have set up a shop!

DCs are old enough that a day spent in pyjamas or a walk to a cafe on a chilly day is appreciated more than anything elaborate. We were lucky that none of us caught COVID in Dec 2020 but the cancellation of plans did create a more low key and relaxing Christmas period. We've learned from that.

I have very low expectations for Christmas this year.
DC1 will be working through the festivities, DC2 is 18 and more interested in going out with friends. We aren’t religious or happy to overindulge. I’d be very happy to skip decorating altogether, apart from my Nativity snow globes which have a sentimental value.
There is one person I’ll write a card to, thanking them for their help this summer.
And the older relatives will get a Round Robin.
A few Facebook messages and bank transfers to the DC.

Good Will to All Men, I’m sure. But this year I’m opting out.