A thrifty mother, Charlotte Deering, shares her strategy for reducing her Christmas budget by £1,200. Recognizing her family’s indifference to extravagant gifts, 27-year-old Charlotte, from Cheshire, adopts a more economical approach to the holiday.
Notably, her cost-cutting ingenuity extends to her budget-friendly wedding, which gained attention for its frugality, featuring a Tesco gown and an overall expense under £2,000.
Once spending £1,500 solely on gifts, Charlotte Deering, now reducing her Christmas budget to £300, shares, “I have a massive family and I bought into it all, always buying them the latest technology and other luxurious gifts.”
She, a stay-at-home mom, reflects on the financial strain, stating, “I noticed how myself and those around me were getting into debt and struggling, so I couldn’t justify it anymore.”
To address this, she introduces a family Secret Santa with a £10 budget per person, affirming, “more affordable.” Her unconventional gift choices include “bulk buy toilet rolls as gifts” and opting for practical items such as “a big box of washing powder” for her mom, emphasizing long-term savings.
Toilet rolls which Charlotte bulk bought. (Picture: Jam Press)
Charlotte adopts innovative strategies to cut costs, explaining, “I also make everyone chip in for the Christmas roast dinner.” She places a money tin on the table, allowing people to contribute spare cash toward the festive feast. For home décor, she opts for budget-friendly options like printing festive artwork for free adornment.
Embracing sustainability, Charlotte utilizes secondhand websites for her daughter’s stocking, sharing, “I got a used Playmobil set from Vinted for £55, but it ages well.” She emphasizes the longevity of such items, planning to donate or sell them once outgrown. Charlotte’s frugality extends to clothing and toys, primarily sourced from charity shops, enriching her daughter’s stocking with pre-loved items.
Additionally, she plans a unique and economical approach to gifting by purchasing 12 used books, wrapping them in brown paper, and labeling them for each month, ensuring her daughter enjoys a new book throughout the year.
Charlotte shares her cost-saving approach, stating, “I avoid themed, novelty gifts to get more for my money.” To enhance her holiday table, she creatively acquires decorative plates for free from Facebook Marketplace, saving cash.
When drawn to new items, she opts for more affordable alternatives, asserting, “I’ll search for a cheaper dupe.” Charlotte finds that these alternatives often surpass expensive brands in quality.
Another savvy tactic she employs is the “divide and conquer” method, buying multipacks of items and distributing them among hampers, maximizing value and ensuring she gets “more bang for [her] buck.”
Charlotte’s Christmas food fund tin. (Picture: Jam Press)For Charlotte, family is the paramount inspiration, shaped by watching her mother struggle financially during past Christmases. She emphasizes, “The most important thing for me is the food and memories spent with family, as that’s what I remember, not the gifts.”
Rejecting the notion that low-cost items equate to low value, she contrasts a £2 photo of her daughter in a frame with a £50 gift card, asserting that her family would appreciate the former more. Charlotte aims to instill in her daughter the true essence of Christmas, emphasizing, “It’s about who is around the tree, not what is under it.”
Believing that the lasting memories are of laughter and spirit rather than gifts from Santa, she concludes, “It’s all for one day at the end of it – it doesn’t need to be fancy – keep it simple, and I guarantee you’ll have the best Christmas ever.”
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