Nowadays the focus of Christmas is often on splashing the cash on presents but one mum is wants to change that within her family.
Writing on Mumsnet, the mum-of-three explained how she fed up at the fact her “spoilt” kids aged 10, nine and six “don’t appreciate” the presents she’s “wasting money on” and so wants to stop the splurging and have more low-key Christmas with fewer presents.
“Usually we go mad and buy the kids loads for Xmas they always have everything they want and more I will admit they are spoilt!” she wrote.
So her and her and husband are doing something about it agreed this year to set a budget after their main present.
“This year they all have their main presents and then my husband an I have agreed to buy a couple of smaller presents but try keep it to £150 budget for each child for the other bits after the main.”
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The mum continued by noting how “they won’t have a pile like normal” and so because of this she feels like she is being a “bad mum,” though she also shared her frustration adding that she has had enough of her kids “just throwing things.”
She also included some context, adding that her children still believe in Santa and so perhaps won’t be able to understand why they have few presents this year.
“Obviously people know how expensive everything is so they won’t have a pile like normal I feel like I am being a bad mum because we could afford to spend more but I am sick to death of them just throwing things and it never seeing the light of day again we just waste money because it’s Christmas and we feel we should! The children don’t appreciate it and don’t play with it (all believers so obvs we don’t get the credit).”
There were many messages of from parents sending their messages of support and advised her on what how she can spent less on presents.
“Not unreasonable at all,” one person wrote, “We always budget and I hate buying stuff just for the sake of more things to open, we have too much clutter as it is.”
Another person said: “I can’t imagine spending £150 per child at that age.....”
“Wow that’s a lot. I don’t think ever spent that much. Great idea not to go mad on presents as less to store,” someone else replied.
A fourth person replied: “What I would do in this situation is maybe prepare them for less. I’d be the same worried they would be disappointed, so you need to come with either the proper reason or a made up one. If they know to expect less than usual, then I would doubt they will be disappointed.”
