What was your biggest Xmas waste of money?

jgriggle

Christmas cards (in fact greetings cards in general). I absolutely hate them. Such a pointless waste of money for something that gets looked at, put on a shelf for a bit and then binned.

I know it's 'the thought that counts' but how much thought is actually involved in opening your address book and methodically copying out the contents one by one onto cards and envelopes. Most of the cards we receive are from people who have done exactly the same thing.

How many people would admit that 90% of their address book consists of people with whom they only communicate by Christmas card?

Bah humbug!

Glyndwr2000

Worst waste of money is definitely food. We buy far too much but then again the wifes family know this so invite themselves over for the whole of Christmas. I wouldn't mind if they chipped in with a packet of biscuits but they turn up Christmas eve and stay until I get narky with them. The wife loves having the family around so its just me being scrooge!

I do the passive aggressive thing of buying them decent presents but either using copious amounts of tape so they struggle to get in or, like I did for my wife, wrap the decent present up in the wrong box to see their faces. One year I bought OH a new microwave. Following a christmas day of frosty comments and looks I eventually persuaded her to get it out of the box. When she opened the microwave she found some jewellery that was her real present.

small things amuse small minds I guess.....

happyinflorida

tain wrote: »

Fireworks.

Me and my mates thought it would be clever to spend £25 each on fireworks (making up about £250). It seemed like a good idea, but considering how slow it is to light each firework, stand back, wait for the single one to finish, then light the next... It's really rubbish compared to a proper show.

Please can I ask everyone to think about the dogs and cats that are terrified of fireworks - people keep buying these and almost every week someone is setting these off and my poor dog and cat get terrified and so upset.

It breaks my heart as there's nothing I can do except play loud music and I hate that!

So please - don't buy fireworks anyone. So many animals have this problem.

UnlikelyButTrue

benedictadams wrote: »

to the people who on Christmas Eve who stack their trolly with about 78 loaves of bread, a cow's entire daily production of milk etc

the shops are only shut for two days maximum

Aaah but from October onwards I am eating out of my freezer in order to empty it so that I can fill it with all the lovely (and extremely reduced) Christmas goodies on Christmas Eve. Keeps me going til March!

Maddy338

A couple of years ago I bought my (now ex) boyfriend a red letter day voucher for "extreme dodgems". It was £150, and far too much of a splurge, but I thought it looked amazing and thought he'd enjoy it immensely. He had a year to use it and through his apathy (and despite my badgering), he never used it. So I literally threw away all that money. The thought of it makes me feel sick to this day.

System

About 10 years ago hubby bought a huge fibre optic Christmas tree. It was gorgeous but then it should have done for what it cost.

Got it out the loft 12 months later and it didn't work. The control thingy had gone kaput on it.

So in essence he bought a Christmas tree that cost near enough £200 that only lasted one season.

Frogletina

One year I was given a £20 voucher from my daughter for a photo shoot and one photo. The type where you are badgered to pay for several more photos costing £***'s.

My daughter had a set of these photos and I didn't like them as they looked nothing like her.

Before I used the voucher the company went bankrupt! The only thing I'm hoping is that she was given the voucher as part of the package she got in order to get people in through the door.

Catcherupper14

My biggest waste of money has been buying the Christmas chocolates early and then eating them before Christmas and having to buy more - I don't buy them until the last shop now.

moomoomama27

I bought a series of 'makers' for the children. Chocolate, slushies etc... All awful, all didn't work, all a huge waste of time and money!!

bravobeastie

Zhu Zhu hamsters. The bloomin things never managed to get up the ramps and the connectors never fitted properly. We bought all the little sets for them when they were cheap at Home Bargains (should've guessed at how rubbish they were at £2.99 a pop)

This was about 3 years ago and they're all stuffed in a black bag in the loft, they scare the living hell out of me if I go up there and knock the bag cause they start making that stupid noise. I shouted 'shut up' to one of them last week and I swear to god this thing said 'you shut up' :eek: