Credit Crunch Christmas - how are you cutting down this year?

Amanda65

Morning all,

Having had a long chat with my mother and OH last night we have all agreed to cut down this Christmas and I just wondered how everyone else was going to claw back some spends (if indeed you are :rolleyes: ).

As a long time reader of this site, I know I should have already bought all my presents for this year (and next ) but there always seems to be something else to spend money on in the January sales. I have got my Christmas cards (Next sale last year) and loads of wrapping paper from about the last four years so am going to accept that pressies won't be quite so
co-ordinated under the tree this year.

Luckily my children are all older (DD's 17 and 15 and DS 12) so don't think pressies magically appear from FC and all had lovely birthday present this year so are going to have smaller (read cheaper ) gifts.

We will still have our traditional Xmas dinner but I am determined not to buy half of Tesco the week before 'just in case someone asks for a pickled walnut'.

I just wondered what else people were doing - any maybe I could pinch some of those ideas x


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spendingmad

Hi Amanda

I have 16 for dinner at our house all of which then sleep over. We have to put a bed in every room!!! And generally everyone buys presents for everyone else. Last year DH couldnt get inthe living room for 3foot of wrapping paper!

So this year we have decided to do a secret santa with a £50 spend per person which should save us about £200.

It seems daft that everyone spends approx £20 on everyone else buying things that arent really needed/wanted. Better to spend a bit more on a thought out nice luxary pressie.

I am also going to get people to contribute to the christmas dinner by buying wine/bringing the cheese board etc.

The kids are not included in the secret santa so everyone can spoil them! x

mary43

Started my christmas shopping in January getting stuff from charity shops - other peoples 'unwanted' gifts - to put in hampers for family and friends.
Also picked up a few ideas from this board on making bits and pieces that cost next to nothing.
Making my own cards using a lot of last years bits and pieces to keep the cost down.
As for food..........in the past we've ended up throwing so much away so this year we're just getting what we know people will eat so won't be anything very lavish but amazing how you can make a little look more just by the way its served up.

Alikay

There won't be any difference in the amount of food, drink or presents we buy, as I'm not keen on the excesses associated with Christmas anyway. However we will be making more effort to support local businesses through the recession by buying as much local produce as we can. Luckily we live in the East Midlands so loads of christmassy stuff like Pork Pies, Stilton, Xmas puds (Walkers) and Thorntons chocs are from this neck of the woods anyway!:D

soblivion

mary43 wrote: »

As for food..........in the past we've ended up throwing so much away so this year we're just getting what we know people will eat so won't be anything very lavish but amazing how you can make a little look more just by the way its served up.

This drives my husband nuts, it's definately the biggest area I have to cut down on. I'm embarrased to say this but I food shop as if we were in a remote cabin surrounded by 5ft of snow. I really don't seem to be able to change this way of thinking. I spend all day xmas eve from 6 in the morning just baking and baking every year without fail, whilst DH is appreciative of this he just can't stand all the waste like mary said.
I made DH some vouchers last year, one of them was that he may 'win one argument' (only one mind;) )- he's kept it so when we go food shopping this year it's his trump card so he gets to put things back on the shelf. I think this will do me good, I need a firmer hand on the rudder so to speak.

rainmac

Rather than dash about for a couple of months (i.e. Nov & Dec ) I started planning presents months ago so I had a list of everyone and ideas for what to buy. As I've bought I've crossed stuff off so I don't forget and re-buy. I also have kept a tally of how much I've spent (this has gone slightly wayward as I've been busy but will stick with it next year ).

Another difference is I've made loads of things - BIG thanks to the lovely people on this board. Had loads of fun doing it and have saved money in the process.

Also I've shopped differently. Instead of buying the first thing I see, I have shopped around - used the internet loads and got prices down. I've bought loads of stuff for my boys in Home Bargains, a shop I didn't know anything about until this year. Went in there today and picked up several brilliant items for my sons (4 and nearly 2) for very little money.

As for Xmas dinner, not sure what plans are this year but we usually get together with one set of parents. If going to my m&d's, my mum will cook dinner, I bring desserts, bottles wine/lager, maybe a game to play after dinner. So we share the work and the cost.

cuddlymarm

Hi

We've moved from a set ammount to something that we think the person will like. The children get more spent on them and everyone else gets small and thoughtful.

Foodwise it should be cheaper this year because both my boys now have their own places and are welcome to stay as long as they want but I plan to buy as I need it rather than be still eating Xmas food in March.

Also I'm buying bits every time I shop so that its not a total shock the week before.

Cuddles:xmassign:

belle2008

For us, the biggest cost of Christmas is the presents! I have made an agreement with most of my family that we just won't spend much on each other this year. I think we are just going to get a small token present each,(apart from my 19 yr old brother who has said he is not buying anybody anything and he doesn't want anything! I am going to give him a one of these! http://www.craftbits.com/viewProject.do?projectID=1087) We want to enjoy Christmas as 'family time' rather than it being about all the presents and other stuff.

I have had so much inspiration off this thread, I am making homemade pressies, like bath bombs and sock monkeys! I know my family will prefer something with a personal touch anyway. Also looking out for secondhand gifts- a DVD I wanted to buy for my DS was £16.99!! :eek:
However after a bit of searching on the internet I found a secondhand copy on Playtrade for £2.79!

I am actually looking forward to this Christmas much more than I normally do, it feels like we are getting back to whats important i.e family instead of worrying about what to buy for Aunty Nora. (Another tip- keep pressies to immediate family only! Especially if your family is as big as mine- I have about 50 cousins- no kidding!! :snow_laug)

charlottecarter

I have talked to my family and all my inlaws and instead of us all spending (wasting!!) money on gifts that people probably don't want or need we are going to have family days out - I have written to all aunts/uncles/grandparents/great aunts/great uncles... on my inlaws side and invited them to join us at our local pantomime and out for a winter picnic afterwards on the Saturday before Christmas. For my family we are all going to ride on Thomas to see Father Christmas the weekend before that - I think that this will save us about £200 all together!

Amanda65

This is really interesting as it seems that everyone I speak to, as well as loads on here, are all talking about going back to the real spirit of Christmas ie fun with family and friends, rather than a major spend-fest. Perhaps something good will come out of this dire financial crisis after all :T

I only have a small family but do spend ridiculous amounts on food and drink - although only ever seem to have Pringles, frozen prawns and pickled walnuts available - and spend far too much on the children.

OH and I tend to do 'token gifts' to each other (often a bit saucy :eek: ) that we open in bed on Christmas eve with a bottle of champagne once everyone else is asleep. It certainly makes Christmas morning quite cheery :beer:

Mrs_Flittersnoop

Well my DH has just been made redundant so Christmas will be a lot less cheery this year. I am going to ring relatives etc and agree with them not to give the usual presents this year, I have already made our cards and bought all the wrapping paper in the January sales. We have agreed to buy only one present each (small) and I shall also try and get stocking fillers cheaply.

As everyone always comes to me for Christmas dinner I shall start getting stuff in as soon as possible to spread the load and ask my sisters for contributions (monetary as neither can cook :rolleyes: ) towards the cost. I never bother getting chocolates or biscuits etc anyway since everyone's always on a diet so all I have to worry about is the turkey and the pud. I intend to get the pud made this week and start getting the veg prepared and frozen asap.

We'll make do with the decorations bought in happier years and we'll still have a good time.

Mrs F x