Half of Britons ‘cutting back spending on presents this year’

34 comments

1. My family has got to the stage where a stocking full of funny stuff, chocolates, and miniature bottles of booze each is just fine.

2. I think its a bit of both, most people have too much stuff, I’ve definitely cut down mainly for that reason

3. Maybe partially due to aging population—-I’m 40 next year and my parents and older sister and I have decided just to buy for the kids in the family.

   We’re all old enough to buy stuff we want ourselves and it becomes a bit transactional where they ask what I want and I ask what they want

4. I’ve spent a fortune on the kids I’ll admit but im gonna cook a banging meal for the family and haven’t spent much on anyone over the age of 12. It’s about being with your loved ones and was never about presents. I guess getting older(in my case anyways) is being excited to make memories with the people you love rather than opening presents. 

5. I got my brother a Tesco voucher god knows he needs it to put a free months shop on the table

6. Most stuff isn’t worth the money these days. Price of toys is extortionate compared to when I was a kid.

7. Cutting back? I just told all family I’m not doing Christmas anymore.

8. Christmas got successfully capitalised on and bastardised to death.

   If you gut a tradition, don’t be surprised people aren’t indulging in it any more

9. We get presents for the kids then have one big secret Santa amongst all the adults. Saves a fortune and means you can buy one good present vs 10 smaller crap presents.

10. No kids but I spent £50 this year on Christmas when i used to spend £300-400 on about a third of my current salary. Everything is so expensive that you cannot anymore just buy someone a normal gift. You used to be able to get friends and acquaintances a nice £10 or £20 present. Now it feels like you need to have £60-70 to buy something thats not just going to go in the bin, so i just dont.

    Got my pressnt buying down to just 3 people now, Ive got my in laws onto a secret santa with £20 limit that cuts down 6 presents to 1, and my parents wanted a specific electric blanket that was on black friday. Me and my partner decided wed get each other a nice bottle of spirit that each other would try but never buy for ourselves to make a Christmas cocktail. Perfect, stress free

11. Funny it’s almost as if just saying your going for growth, but doing nothing to give people extra money in their pocket they can spend in the economy to create said growth isn’t working…

12. 100% Christmas is way too commercial, think about it this way how my gifts from last Christmas do you remember getting. Just spending money people forget about tomorrow 

13. I just wait for a sale. I actually start in September. Spent £350 this year down from £400 the year before. I don’t even think I do too bad

14. I’m in the half that didn’t. Saved throughout the year and the missus not only did lots of pressies but went to town on the wrapping with tens of meters of ribbon used. 

15. My son doesn’t want anything this year. When I was a kid I’d get dvds or computer games. But that can all be provided by subscription these days. Sure there’s other things but a lot of it is overpriced tat.

16. We have

    Funny as this year we have truly hit what we consider a lottery win but are just skint

17. Almost everything I bought to gift this year has come from charity shops… £25 max per person vs the usual £100 min per person.

    We’re all sick of getting things we don’t need or want just for the hell of it.

18. I haven’t spent a fortune yet (there is still a little shopping time to panic buy!)

    All I really wanted to buy myself for Christmas is a new gaming PC, but prices have gone crazy and it would be over £5,000 for what I want!

19. Secret Santa 2.0 is how we do it.

    Names in a hat. Pull from hat. We buy for that person.

    Magic? Person says what they want in a group chat.

    Done.

20. Yeah totally, it’s not just money but also stress.

    Christmas can turn into some impossible mission of finding presents for family members that end up just being anything to satisfy the fact you gave a gift, when in reality they do not actually need or want what you gave.

21. We’ve started doing a secret santa type thing every year with the in-laws.

    £50 limit, everyone gets something.

    Far easier and cheaper for us.

22. Well yeah everything is so expensive. I set a budget for the kids. I’ve found clothes are way more expensive this year.

23. You don’t owe the economy spending. It’s not like a pet you are required to feed.

    If your work doesn’t pay enough for you to afford to spend a lot, do the sensible thing and keep Christmas frugal. There’s no shame in it.

24. You don’t need £100s worth of presents or a lot of things under a tree to be happy. If people are cutting back on presents helps (which let’s be honest, is wise given the cost of living), and it brings Christmas back to being about valuing people and not prices and goods, then this can only be a good thing.

    We’ve all had that discussion with friends and family about “what do you want” and sheepishly responding “I’d just be happy meeting up/going for a drink/having a meal out somewhere”. Normalise it – a nice winter walk in the country or in town taking in the atmosphere and ending in food.

    I’m happy just having a token pair of socks under the tree – they’re pretty much a normal thing to want and nothing extravagant. Heck, even a gift card/voucher to a restaurant works nicely – everyone needs to eat so may as well mean a free or cheaper meal out somewhere with some people.

    I much prefer the food at Christmas, being with my family and seeing friends around this time of year, saving money for going away or saving it to go towards more important things. It means more than finding a present, and if it avoids the temptation of buying cheap plastic tat which can’t be good for the planet, then why not?

25. Half of Britains spending more on presents this year 😶

26. Is it just me or does this story get rehashed every year ?

27. We declared a Christmas truce a few years ago where only young children get presents and it’s been great! No more worrying about giving (and to be honest recieving) presents. I’ve started enjoying Christmas a lot more 

28. My partner was made redundant end of October and a friend was talking about how her family do secret Santa each year. We decided to do the same with both our families and it’s a huge hit! Takes away the financial stress while ensuring everyone still gets a nice gift.

29. If most people are gonna take 40/50 years to save up for a house. Why the hell would we keep spending a fortune at Xmas just to make billionaires even bloody richer. Smaller more thoughtful gifts are enough. Unless its kids then they will undoubtedly get spoiled, that’s how it should be.

30. I’ve done all my shopping at charity shops and vinted this year. I refuse to give any more to amazon. I also handmade a few gifts.

    My 4 year old daughter:
    – Octonauts Spaceship and characters (£1 at charity shop)
    – Barbies, dresses, and Barbie wardrobe (£10 on vinted)
    – Art Supplies and pencil case (£5 total at charity shops)
    – Fairy Garden Kit (£2 charity shop)
    – Cape (I sewed as a reversible cape in her fave colours)
    – Wooden Geoboard (£2 charity shop)
    – Game of Life Jr (£2 charity shop)
    – Foraging Pocket (i sewed so that she can collect acorns/shells ect anywhere)
    – Bluey bracelet making kit (£2 charity shop)

    My 2 year old son:
    – Toy Cars (£1 charity shop)
    – Cape (hand sewn by me)
    – Foraging Pocket (again by me)
    – Duggee Characters (£1 charity shop)
    – Chalk (his fave- £1 charity shop)
    – 90s Little People Set (main gift – £30 ebay)
    – Little wagon for the garden (£2 charity shop)

    Shared gifts for the kids:
    – Toy Kitchen upgrades like wooden air fryer lol (£10 on marketplace)
    – Spinning Sensory Chair (£20 on marketplace)

    When they get older I’m sure it’ll get tougher!

    For my adult family/friends all handmade: Flower bouquet carrier bag, two quilted journal covers with new journals, hand embroidered inside joke ornaments, reversible peter pan collars, tarot card artwork and fabric dragon microwaveable hand warmer.

    Feeling pretty good!

31. To be fair a lot of stuff in high street shops is now overpriced generic present purchases. I could buy something for a family member but why would they want a giant candle with a pair of socks for £40? Chances are they’ll just put it in the cupboard and not use it.

    A smaller gift that is more specifically suited to them from a local craft shop will be far more appreciated.

32. Well yeah, cost of living can’t only be carried so much before you think we are cutting back and Xmas is one of these expenses

33. The other half are more than making up for it at overpriced Christmas markets

34. Well yeah, no one’s got any fucking money and all the jobs are taken so of course Nana’s getting fuck all again this year.

Comments are closed.