how do you pay for christmas?

Sambucus_Nigra

emweaver wrote: »

Ok so it is going to take her 4 months to pay it off how is that any worse than people who start in Jan and spend 12 months buying presents?

I've not said it's worse or better than people who spend all year round. Both are as incomprehensible as the other.

Unless you are ridiculously religious then why are all these people spending all year or getting into debt for one single day's festivities?

xxlouisexx56

Nothing on credit at all, if I can't afford it you can't have it.

I started in JUly. A lot of Barbie things that my DD liked we're half price so I just picked them and out them away. £15 here and there isn't very noticeable from my bank account. As we got to September I started picking up a few bits with the supermarket shops

LadyCoupon

Well I have 2 boys age 11 and 14 and I don't think they would have much of a christmas if I made them some homemade jam for their presents. I hear what you are saying, I know it is one day, but maybe that's the only way some can afford it, to put a bit on a card. I have managed to use our wages to buy all the presents we have bought, nothing has gone on a credit card, but not all can do that.

Cher-Ching

I spend as little 'real' money as I possibly can but still getting decent presents.

Basically last year I was begrudged paying an extra £100+ just for the ‘privilege’ of paying for my car insurance monthly rather than in one go (couldn’t afford it!) So I got a Tesco credit card 0% for 13 months so paid for it on that in one go and worked out how much it was over 12 months and paid it off monthly. This then led to me realising that you got 1 point for every £4 spend outside of Tesco, so I bought EVERYTHING on the credit card (of course ONLY stuff I could afford/would buy anyway) and pay it off straight away. I kept a spreadsheet so I knew exactly what I had bought and how much it had cost. Just by doing that in that year I had £80 worth of points just for buying what I would anyway, and paid no interest on the card as I paid it off straight away. I used the points in the double up schemes and in the rewards to buy gifts so basically got £200 ‘free’ gifts. Once the 0% was over I cancelled the card and this year I have a M&S card and have a similar amount of ‘money’ to spend in M&S.

I also buy gifts in the sale in Jan and stash them in a cupboard ready for Xmas and keep a list of everything so I know what’s there and not buy unnecessarily.

All of my quidco/TCB earnings also go into my savings and at the end of the year I withdraw the amount of cash I’ve earned to spend on Xmas.

Some may think it’s hard work but I love it as I love getting one over on the fat cats who basically rob us over Xmas anyway.

Who said blokes can’t multitask……..

pink_princess

LadyCoupon wrote: »

I hear what you are saying, I know it is one day, but maybe that's the only way some can afford it, to put a bit on a card.

Then they can not afford it.

MoaningMyrtle

Selling stuff at car boot sales
Selling stuff on Ebay/local free ads
Buying stuff gradually from September onwards


No credit used.

penelopedee_2

I stash a bit back each week (starting new year week) hang onto any vouchers I get given or win and then we generally cut back a bit in Oct/Nov/early Dec on the groceries.

Have a teenager and almost teenager and alot of nieces and nephews. The adults don't get anything now.

If we cut back on the groceries early December it means I can get more of the treat stuff over Christmas and new year. We do a lot of family meals etc, which we enjoy rather than nights out. I also keep a watch out for wine glitches etc

Wrapping paper and cards are bought in the sales in January.

LadyCoupon

pink_princess wrote: »

Then they can not afford it.

Maybe not, but not everyone has ready cash to use, so the only way they can buy their kids a present at christmas, is to put it on a credit card.

rachmc

I've built up a fair amount in vouchers on Shopandscan this year so I've paid for everything (apart from my handmade stuff) in vouchers. Everything has also come from Amazon because I find it's the easiest place to do my shopping... my boyfriend is going to hate me for it though. This week alone I've got about 8 or 9 parcels due!

SUESMITH_2

I start in January and buy loads in the sales. got lovely wrapping paper for about 30p a roll. if i see something during the year I buy it and stick it in my present suitcases (a nightmare when we go on hols lol). I buy Morrisons stamps all through the year to buy the food and drink. if i cant pay for it out of my wages we don't have it. nothing on credit cards at all