price of Christmas

[Deleted User]

We try for a very low key Christmas, we buy one decent present for each of the girls and our son in law, I know this year DD1 wants to replace her Nespresso machine so we'll get her that and DD2 and SIL moved just before Christmas last year and are still renovating and updating their new home so it will most likely be something they both want in that area. My Zebra child will be getting some new pyjamas (with Cars on ) a roadway play mat (with Cars on), A new duvet cover (with cats on), a dressing gown (with Cars on) and a really nice stocking as will the others. I spend all year picking up nice stocking presents is sales etc. charity shops, boot fairs too none of which cost me more than pence and that's the best fun for me and they love getting stockings better than big presents. Christmas food is kept simple, this year we'll be having brisket in the slow cooker and all the trimmings for a roast and Christmas Pud which is sitting on the shelf upstairs now. DD will make the cake and the biggest outlay will be a wonderful box of chocolates from the local chocolatier in a close by village. I couldn't put a total on it all but not a huge amount of outlay, more outlay in time and tracking down suitable presents but I so enjoy it. He Who Knows and myself don't do presents for Christmas or Birthdays for ourselves, we've all we need and we've got each other, seems the best really!

Tiddlywinks

whiteguineapig wrote: »

... surely its just for the children

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooo :D

It's the most wonderful time of the year.... ding dong, ding dong!

suki1964 wrote: »

I personally think it doesn't matter what's spent, as long as it's paid for without having a to pay the credit card off 6 weeks later

Surely it's when you can't pay the credit card bill off at week six that it's a problem.

Personally I use a credit card for virtually everything so that I get reward points - but I pay the bill off at the end of each month. Every little helps.

As to our budget - I don't set one really as I buy things throughout the year and save them in my 'Christmas cupboard' - that way, everything is paid for already and all I have to worry about is the food. The fun is in finding the perfect thing for each person - something that makes them chuckle or go 'aaah'.

Then we buy different food from normal - the really sticky, fattening and chocolatey stuff that we would normally only eat in moderation :eek:.

Christmas to us is having lots of lights and decorations up - some that are decades old, having fun with cheap props for photos, pass the parcel etc and just generally chilling out.

We always take a drive around to see all the lights and have walks around the local streets to see the houses all lit up.

By doing it that way we hardly need to spend any more for Crimbo.

VfM4meplse

I get the compulsion to spend as we live in a consumer-led society. However this is where MSE Martin's zero-sum game becomes reality.

I honestly think the easy answer to this is to have an open house on the afternoon - early evening of the Saturday ahead of the Christmas weekend, which this year is 17th December. Offer tea, coffee, ?a festive tipple and a couple of Christmas delicacies - mince pies and the like, with a festive soundtrack or 2. It needn't be expensive but it will sure get people in the mood for Christmas, and the focus is on the company. (I personally insist on no gifts). The less lavish it is, the more likely people will limit their time with you to a reasonable couple of hours (probably depart when they realise the first set of music is being repeated).

Butterfly_Brain

We have a tradition in our house that we all make gifts and buy something like a DVD, a book from a charity shop or poundland. I have had some really good deals on books at poundland occassionally; last year it was the Primrose bakery book and everyone got one :rotfl::rotfl:

They love their stockings and DD is 27 on Sunday and DS is 22, I fill them with things like deoderant, shower gel, make up and brushes, pens, notebooks, etc and I wrap every single item.

They all get new PJ's, slippers, dressing gown, socks and underwear

MIL gets a garden voucher for the nursery and FIL gets a tin of sweets

All of us are Terry Pratchett fans and I get them one pressie each from the website. Which I will order next month.

Pressies for workmates are handmade and always go down a storm, usually comes to £1 each. This year is going to be HM fudge cut into Christmas shapes and put into a 50p wine glass from Wilko covered with cellophane. Looks expensive but costs pennies

I already have most of our pressies and stocking fillers already hidden and have started buying things like crackers and mixers and hopefully I will have everything sorted by the end of October (£65 of Morrison's vouchers so far will help with the beer etc:D)

I bought the Turkey and Lamb on Christmas Eve at Aldi both had been reduced to £5 each, mincemeat was 10p a jar from Sainsbury in January :D

ERICS_MUM

I spend quite a lot on presents for family only, not friends or neighbours. But my spending is planned and I choose presents with care to suit the recipient rather than 'stuff' for the sake of it.

My extravagance is wrapping - I use loads of ribbons, embellishments, gift bags and boxes, but my justification is I stocked up with this stuff when on a holiday in Florida one November and it was very cheap.

Out,_Vile_Jelly

I think a crucial point is deciding which adults to buy for, and what is a realistic spend. Then discuss this with the adults in your life, most of whom will be relieved not to have to spend time and money on "stuff" that the recipients don't want or need anyway.

Last year I got my adult friends novelty Christmas socks from New Look for a couple of quid each. Everyone has feet, everyone wears socks in Winter, and they were fun. Baked goods for work colleagues are always appreciated and don't cost much.

I unwrap posh paper carefully to re-use, and also save ribbons and shiny string. I like making gift tags from last year's cards; that way you can match them to a person's taste (eg modern/traditional/animals etc).

If you have a TK Max near you, they are very good for unusual little bits such as biscuit tins, sauces, chutneys, scented candles etc.

foolofbeans

Butterfly_Brain wrote: »

All of us are Terry Pratchett fans and I get them one pressie each from the website. Which I will order next month.

Eeek! I had to go and check out what's available and I love it all! Luckily I'm the only fan in the family but I will have to buy myself something and wrap it up for DH to give to me

PasturesNew

The question should start with: What is Christmas?

Christmas dinner?
Other meals your family lump together as "it's Christmas"?
Booze?
Sweeties?
Other treats (mince pies, crisps, oranges)?
Wrapping paper/cards/postage
Presents?
Christmas jumper?
New, random, spends on an assortment of "Christmassy" ornaments and titbits the shops are selling?

It's hard to rein in your spending and to ask others what they spend unless you break down the component parts for comparison.

To me, Christmas is: A dinner, 250 grams of chocs, a 6-pack of crisps, 6-8 cans of fizzy pop. Then: a few small presents, wrapping paper, cards, postage. And one more LED 3" Santa/Snowman/Penguin usually

There's no champers, no Christmas morning breakfast, no meals out that are "do's", no Christmas jumper,

monnagran

Where children are involved I think it should be completely magical. When my own were tiny I used to leave decorating the house and tree until Christmas eve, so they went to bed in an ordinary house and woke up on Christmas day to Wonderland.

Now that I have grandchildren I will still spoil the littlies, the adult GC have had their turn.

As for the rest I will not beat myself round hot, overcrowded shops in search of something to give adults which they may not like, want or use, and know that they are probably doing the same for me. My friends and I stopped doing this year's ago.

My nearest and dearest will get either something that I know they want (if it's not too expensive) or a voucher for something they are interested in. No complaints so far.

Last year I made mincepies with my own mincemeat and my DIL took them round to elderly neighbours who live on their own. One lady stopped me in the village shop after Christmas and confided that she thought she would never eat homemade mince pies again and she loved them. So will do that again and probably add a small jar of HM marmalade or lemon curd.

Food wise it is THE dinner and a few little extras that make it special.

Not sure what is happening here this year. For many reasons things are up in the air and complicated. I am hoping that I may spend it alone. And let no one feel sorry for me, I shall LOVE it.

Above all, I will be celebrating Christmas. Not Yuletide or Winter Festival or the Solstice or any of the other nomenclatures that are so fashionable these days. I will be remembering just whose birth we are celebrating.

x

DigForVictory

We don't do pocket money, so Christmas & birthdays are a Big Deal. The lads know how much they have, and if they want One Big Thing, and the change in penny sweets, that's what they get.

Thanks to MSE, their one big thing is often quite a bit less than RRP as not only am I learning to shop smarter, I'll even try to haggle (for some things).

If anyone knows a really good riveted chainmail shirt maker, my lad's outgrowing his current one...