Has anyone thought about not doing Christmas this year?

[NoXmas]

ie not spending vast amounts on presents and just enjoying each other's company and having a nice meal.

It worries me that so many people gear up so much to Xmas and go mad and spend far too much money and then have months of debt ahead of them.

Have you thought about not doing much this year?

but the whole idea of xmas is enjoying spending time together!!

that comes first way before present buying!!!

YES YES YES...but will still get caught in the 'mad rush' of things .
Most stores have sales on right up till xmas. I say buy now and should be alot cheaper.

oh yes, me and the kids are planning to go away to avoid christmas.

I totally agree Kerry.

But so many people miss the point of all that and go mad with spend spend spend!! and then realise their children did not need so much stuff anyway!

all this 'stuff' really gets to me! we dont need stuff and we dont need endless boxes of chocs, bubbles, biscuits etc and who will buy for which person and how much are you spending on me so I can spend the same on you........

What about NO presents or tree or decorations and just dinner?

I've put the brakes on alot of present buying, most of it is token anyway. I give xxx something for £10 they give me something for £10 - pointless.

i wanna cancel completely! - will be heavily pregnant and IL's have just split so no idea who to spend the actual day with!

I have bought a present for dh, for my two best friends and nearly everything for the children already (most unlike me!) and have asked for my present from dh (which I suspect he's bought me!). Will make the cake and pudding in the next week or so and then all I have to do is buy a turkey! Am thinking of inviting the nice family over the road who will also be at home to join us as she will be 8.5months pregnant at the time and our dds are huge friends. Looking forward to it!

God, I love my tree and decorations! And putting on my Christmas Cds.

i will have a tree and decorations and we'll probably have goose this year but I disagree with all the card sending and present buying, it's too much.

it's all about the food, baby!

i've made the cakes, got the mincemeat, pressies wrapped and in the loft.

DH and i usually get each other some nice food gifts - i would like a jar of stem ginger in syrup and a bottle of Jago vanilla vodka. he would like some coffee from Dean and Deluca and some chocolate covered cherries.

mmmm.

i do a turkey in the slow cooker, and we have stuffing, mashed tatties with gravy and green beans.

good wine a must!

Yes decorations, and yes tree I lurve doing that and it's cheap coz ave everything bar the tree.
Yes lovely meal and nice family time,
yes to a few pressies- it's Christmas.
No to spending a fortune, saving huge ammounts all year or getting into debt.

we have an artificial tree.

but we loves it!

oooooh expat. chocolate covered cherries!!!!! who can guess what i will be doing tomorrow??? gotta do a test run before xmas. if they turn out ok will do them for my sister as she loves cherries just as much as me. have been making peppermint creams this afternoon to try out the recipe before xmas.

Well, I'll either be overdue/in labour on Christmas Day, so probably keep it low key here . My mum is coming to stay, so kind of hoping that she'll cook a nice chicken with some trimmings and we can have a quiet day together. DS is only 2, so not so fussed about Christmas yet - will love all the lights and pretty paper, but not at the age of pester power.

Never spend loads on christmas, have been "shopping" at the car boot sales for presents for dd's (1 and 3 so young enough to be happy with anything!) and will be on ebay for their main shared present (a dolls house)dh and I limit ourselves to £20 for each other and just get nephews/ nieces and then grandparnts little gifts, we would not dream of getting into debt, but would be grateful to be together this year...

DD2 was in hospital til xmas eve by which time dd1 had gone top scotland for christmas!

Very easy to do if you haven´t got kids (like me).

DP and I don´t buy absolutely anything at all: no presents, no food, no decorations, no tree, stockings, etc..

Even easier for us since we live in another country so we haven´t got any family.

Though I am aware that might change when we have a family...

We take 2 weeks off and rent a flat on the beach, much better IMO.

This is how we do Christmas every year. I love Christmas at Christmas - not in farkin October, I dislike the massive commercialisation. We don't spend a huge amount on presents, we have a lovely meal (all be it on Boxing Day this year) see family and friends and just enjoy a few days relaxation.

I have to admit i do get abit caught up in all this spending and present giving, at Christmas........... I don't really want to, i love Christmas, the REAL Christmas and love the idea of a quiet day at home but i have teenage kids and they always want to go to the grandparents. So off we go, everyone else is there, the room is full of presents, massive dinner and then i have to do the same the next day at my parents house. All of a sudden Christmas is over, we have spent a fortune and if i am honest i haven't really enjoyed it. I take them to a carol concert at the Albert Hall each year, which we love. I also go to a small local panto which is great but the two days themselves are, i feel really materialistic.