What's the biggest Christmas waste of money?

AlPal

Candy for the festive season - most of it’s a waste of money, sickly sweet, and just disgusting. Save money by buying a small quantity of good quality chocolate and making your own treats… and savour the fruit and nuts. 

Brie

Flowers.  Red flowers because red is a Christmas colour.  So on sale for twice the price as any other time (except valentines of course) and for twice the price of lovely ones in yellow or orange.

Torry_Quine

We're all different and what one person thinks is a waste of money another thinks is what is best about Christmas.

I do send cards and donate to charity. Many of the people I can only communicate contact through the post anyway.

Rosa_Damascena

Torry_Quine said:

We're all different and what one person thinks is a waste of money another thinks is what is best about Christmas.

I do send cards and donate to charity. Many of the people I can only communicate contact through the post anyway.

I was shocked by the price of 1st class postage. I'd run out of my stash of stamps this year and a new book of £12 was the best part of £10.

Tula100

Secret Santas are not a waste as you are buying one present (£5 limit) instead of 10 presents. Crackers are a waste.  I have saved several really pretty ones without pulling them, and use them as Christmas decorations for several years.  But once pulled they are just scrap with crap contents. I no longer sent Christmas cards outside Europe as the postage is just ridiculous (even then the rest cost nearly £30 in postage).  I send e-cards and then phone my friends as it is cheaper than the postage.

kimwp

There are greater psychological impacts (presumably benefits in the case of Christmas cards) from something physical vs electronic - it's the same reason why a number of MSE-ers use the cash envelope system. (Though personally I'd much prefer a good phone call to a Christmas card that says "To kimwp, happy Christmas! Love from XXX"!)

LameWolf

Oh wow, this is an interesting thread!

I never, ever buy anything on credit card if I can't immediately set the money aside so that I can pay up IN FULL as soon as the statement arrives. Not just Xmas, that applies all year.

I don't have any family, only my husband, so there's no family gathering to worry about or try and find an excuse not to attend.

We ceased doing any form of presents years ago when we were well and truly on our uppers, and have carefully never restarted the practice. Hence no wrapping paper, and no plastic tat.

We've never bothered with crackers; and neither of us would wear a Xmas jumper if you paid us!

I make all my own cards – often re-using bits from cards we've received in previous years. If it was left to me, I wouldn't bother, but my husband likes to send them. It's only a couple of dozen in any case, and I have a SABLE supply of stamps from doing Royal Mail surveys for a good few years.

I don't buy any extra food, and only buy what we enjoy eating – so no sprouts, pigs-in-blankets or turkey here. The only “special” food is my husband likes us to have a Quorn roast for Yule. I do that with roasted root veggies and Marmite gravy, and we finish it up the next day.

We don't buy loads of sweets either; my husband might buy a box of chocolates for us to share – something like Aldi's Seashells – but that's all.

No advent calendars – pointless when we celebrate Yule - the Winter Solstice - which is a few days before December 25th.

Our artificial tree is re-used every year, and was bought in 2003; what few decorations we put up were also bought in 2003.

If I'm lucky, I'll be working over Xmas. That's not as bad as it sounds – I do therapeutic work as defined by DWP as a home-from-home dog-boarder, and it's always a bonus to have a dog staying with us over Xmas.

Brie

LameWolf said:

If I'm lucky, I'll be working over Xmas. That's not as bad as it sounds – I do therapeutic work as defined by DWP as a home-from-home dog-boarder, and it's always a bonus to have a dog staying with us over Xmas.

Having a dog for Christmas sounds like absolute bliss!!

Pollycat

Brie said:

LameWolf said:

If I'm lucky, I'll be working over Xmas. That's not as bad as it sounds – I do therapeutic work as defined by DWP as a home-from-home dog-boarder, and it's always a bonus to have a dog staying with us over Xmas.

Having a dog for Christmas sounds like absolute bliss!!

So sometimes a dog really is just for Christmas...

dander

Joke presents - all those random aprons with boobs on, drinking games, miniature table football - all that stuff that will never never be used and only exists for that second of chuckling when the person opens it before they throw it down the back of the sofa. Also in this same category - gag books - all those Ladybirds for adults, pride and prejudice with guinea pigs, Little Book of Tequila. Charity shops must just have special bonfires for all that stuff because there and the bin are the only place they are going to go.