I refuse to spend any cash on my man this Christmas – I don’t care if people think I’m cheap
WHILE Christmas is a time for generosity and giving, this year I’ve decided not to spend a single penny on my husband Sam.
It’s not because our relationship is on the rocks so I know it might just sound to some like I’m being stingy or cheap, but I don’t care what others might think.
And I certainly won’t be the only one trying to save the pennies this festive season.
In fact, more than a third of festive shoppers (35 per cent) will spend less on gifts this Christmas – typically cutting their budget by half, according to research.
A combination of the cost-of-living crisis (66 per cent), worries about gas and electricity bills (42 per cent), a reluctance to get into debt (24 per cent), and trying to be thriftier (39 percent), are some of the reasons propelling people to tighten their belts.
Presence over presents
For me, I also don’t feel the need to spend loads proving how much I love my significant other, and I don’t think anyone should feel the pressure to splash their cash if they can’t afford to.
With the cost of living crisis, things are harder now than ever before for most households, and Sam works long hours and weekends as a chef, so our time together is worth more than any showy gift.
Which is why I’ve decided this year to go down the ‘thoughtful’ road, and will give him a jar filled with ‘date day’ ideas that we can do together on the rare days we’re off at the same time.
This means we’ll be able to enjoy doing new things together over the coming year, and will get out of the rut of going to the same old places.
We’ve been together for 12 years now and married for nearly five so it will also be a good way to make sure we don’t waste precious time together.
Christmas is just one day, but this way we’ll get to enjoy each others’ presence over presents the whole year round.
Cost of giving
While it’s not all down to money, with the mortgage crisis and day to day living costs on the rise, not buying Sam a gift is obviously beneficial financially too.
In the past Sam has splashed out on some incredible city break holidays as a gift, and last year I took him to a fancy hotel and a meal at an amazing restaurant as a treat after two years of the pandemic and no holidays.
Both were incredible gifts, but again they centred around experiences we could do together, rather than something like a designer handbag or flashy watch.
However, this year we’re battling sky high energy bills like everyone else and trying to do up our flat – which it turns out is far more expensive than we first thought.
Additionally, with the introduction of the ULEZ charge in London we need to replace our diesel car as it costs us around £12 a day to use even before you factor in petrol, so we have other priorities and things to pay for.
Gifts aren’t just for Christmas
I also feel that Christmas, like Valentine’s Day, shouldn’t be needed to remind us to show how much we care for someone with gifts.
Instead, we just do nice things for each other all year round.
For example, writing a little thoughtful note if they’ve had a hard day or picking up a small token gift that they might like – not just because a commercial holiday is telling us to.
Christmas is a time for giving, but it’s also a time to spend time together as a family and make memories, and we’ll still do this without having to dig deep in our pockets.