A mum-of-seven has revealed how she’s doing the festive season on a tight budget – including deli meat Christmas Day roast and bargain finds.
Tess Giddings, 36, often hits the headlines due to her savvy tips and tricks.
The mum-of-seven to Jacob, 18, Savannah, 16, Amiah, 14, Zion, 12, Nevaeh, nine, and twins, Hezekiah and Levi, seven, like most parents, is looking for ways to get more bang for her buck this Christmas.
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And with the festive season well underway, she’s revealed how her family is doing the entire soirée for less than £800; including not buying close relatives gifts and doing their big day roast for less than £25.
“I think a big expense for many is the dreaded Christmas food shop,” the digital content creator, from Bournemouth, told What’s The Jam.
“People think they have to go and do a huge spend for that three-day period.
“I’ve got friends who will easily do around £400 – it’s mad.
“We don’t do a specific food shop as such and make sure to never go over our usual weekly budget.
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“A Christmas dinner doesn’t have to cost a fortune; for nine of us, it costs £25.
“We usually buy £10 worth of sliced deli meat, instead of a whole Turkey, and £10 worth of vegetables, with £5 spent on pudding.
“Obviously, we buy treats like a tin of chocolates, and some other snacks, but it doesn’t need to be a massive spend for just one day.”
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If they have other family members coming to stay, they “sack off” doing a roast and instead, get a takeaway – chipping in £20 towards the feast each.
Plus, there’s no washing up or mess afterwards.
When it comes to gifts, she keeps things simple and only buys for her kids and her husband.
She said: “I don’t get anything for close friends, my parents, siblings or the in-laws, as it’s a waste of money.
“I’ll give them a token present like a box of fudge, but it’s more about the kids, in my opinion.
“And our families have agreed with us in recent years that it’s just a hassle and unneeded expense to buy for everyone – including the adults.”
Tess’ large brood, like most kids, always asks for anything top-of-the-range and trending from Santa.
But to avoid a large credit card bill, the mum goes bargain-hunting instead.
The 36-year-old said: “One of the best ways I’ve found to save money is buying second-hand, as there’s no shame in buying used items.
“I’ve saved so much money looking on Facebook Marketplace, Vinted and eBay, for example.
“Last Christmas, one of my sons wanted a specific Xbox, which was £380 brand-new.
“I managed to get one for £115, still boxed with all the packing, from Facebook Marketplace.
“It’s the same for things like bikes, I’ve never paid more than £35 for an immaculate used one, which sells for over £100 brand-new.
“For the kids, stocking fillers are from AliExpress or Temu, which cost no more than 10p each.
“And I always re-sell the kids’ clothes and shoes when they’ve outgrown them.
“Once, I bought a pair of Nike trainers for £7 on Vinted and re-sold them for £25 – so it’s a win-win really.”
Tess puts away up to £100 each month throughout the year, so when Christmas rolls around, she doesn’t have to fork into her general budget or savings pot.
She said: “I have always been extremely savvy when it comes to buying presents and sticking to a budget.
“People tend to get so carried away at Christmas and it often becomes a competition.
“I also believe that the more you buy for kids, the less they’ll appreciate it.
“I used to be guilty of over-buying, but they were just ripping them open and then moving onto the next.
“Now, we tend to stick to one main present and a couple of smaller gifts.”
And it’s not only food and gifts where they’re scrimping and saving.
The family have kept the same tree for 18 years, which cost only £11 second-hand from eBay, and a single pack of new baubles in the last few years costing £2 from a charity shop.
Tess says it’s important for parents to remember not to push themselves to the limit and to stop comparing their lives to those on social media.
For them, they stick to the basics and even have enough left over to give back to those less fortunate.
She added: “Christmas puts a huge amount of strain on parents financially, especially with the ever-growing trends, such as Elf on a Shelf and Christmas Eve boxes.
“Each to their own, and there’s no right or wrong on how to do the holiday, but for us, I try to keep it traditional.
“It’s all about quality family time.
“I give out food to the homeless, too, and I recently found out my eldest son has been using his hard-earned wages to do the same – which makes me very proud.
‘It’s not always about what is under the tree, but who is around it.”
