I’m a Christmas cheapskate, I gift yellow sticker bargains & my used clothes – I spend the cash on holidays instead
COME Christmas day, Catherine Lofthouse’s nearest and dearest can expect some very familiar looking presents.
In a bid to save money, the mum is regifting her own belongings this festive season.
A lucky few will receive new gifts but Catherine is sure to make a saving there too, only shopping in the yellow sticker section.
And while she is happy to dish out freebies and cut price gifts, Catherine will have no problem accepting new ones in return.
Catherine, 43, is a self-proclaimed “tight mum” and often hits the headlines with her savvy – yet controversial – festive tips and tricks.
The mum-of-three previously said how she’s told her kids, Alex, 12, William, 10 and Robin, five, that Santa isn’t real in a bid to avoid buying extra stocking fillers.
Last year, she bought them “tat” as gifts, so that she could spend the spare cash on a hot tub holiday instead.
And for 2024, she’s upped her game; only decorating her home in charity shop finds, and giving everyone she knows the gift of…freebies.
“This is the first year I’ve got all the adults cut-price presents, as well as the kids,” the writer, from Leicestershire, told Fabulous.
“If I’m honest, I actually don’t think they’ll know any different.
“All of the gifts are discounted stuff from supermarkets, mainly using loyalty points I’ve amassed over the year to pay for it.
“I’ve basically only bought charity shop or clearance items, such as yellow sticker bits, to give as gifts.
“I’ve even got actual freebies to give to people, including hand-me-down clothes from friends whose kids have grown out of them.
“And also books from the village book swap.
“If they look more or less new, I just wrap them up and stick them under the tree.”
Catherine, who previously rubbed people up the wrong way when revealing she rewraps her kids’ old toys to regift them, says she’s spent just £150 in total on presents for the festive season.
Overall, she’s saving at least £500 on the entire soirée with her frugal mindset.
And it’s not only discounted presents she’s stocking up on, but also decorations for the house.
She says: “I do decorate the house with cut-price stuff I find at the charity shops or from the January sales.
“I got a big festive wreath for my mantle piece for a fiver and a golden urn that I fill with baubles for a couple of quid.
“To be honest, we even use the same artificial tree I had growing up.
“It must be the same age as me – and it’s still going strong.
“I love having a look around all the Christmas sections in shops and garden centres, admiring the decorations, but then I look at the price tag and think: ‘no thanks!’
“My house is unique and celebrates the people I love, as I incorporate bits from my childhood, things my kids have made and stuff I’ve found along the way.
“I don’t think we need loads of new bits to make our decor feel magical.”
Despite receiving new items, the mum-of-three “doesn’t feel bad” in the slightest about gifting second hand.
She argues, if anything, it removes all the stress from Christmas.
She said: “I’ve pretty much shopped this way for all special occasions since I had my first son.
“I actually really enjoy it and find it much less stressful, getting a few bits here and there when I’m out and about.
“[Otherwise], I’d be rushing around all the shops in December, grabbing whatever I can find, no matter how much it costs or if it really suits the recipient.
THREE WAYS TO SAVE BEFORE CHRISTMAS
MAKE A LIST:
If you note down what you expect to need for Christmas, you can spread the cost of spending and buy things when they are at the best price.
You can use price comparison sites such as idealo.co.uk to look at the price history of specific items, as well as setting up email alerts so that you know as soon as costs fall.
If you’re shopping specifically on Amazon, price-tracking sites bobalob.com and camelcamelcamel.com do a similar job.
DIARY DATES:
Laptops are typically best priced on December 19 at £1,267 after falling by around £90 from November.
For a capsule coffee machine head to the shops on November 17 when the lowest average price comes in at £135 — £30 less than average prices in October.
Wait to the last minute for trainers, as the cheapest price is on December 24 when you will save around £5 compared with November.
SHOPPING EVENTS:
It is also worth keeping an eye on prices on Black Friday, which this year falls on November 29, as some retailers offer special discounts at this time.
Make sure you sign up to marketing emails of your favourite stores to get exclusive offers or discounts that you can use towards shopping.
Sometimes you can also get money off products by popping it in your shopping basket online and not checking out.
Some retailers will then email with a discount on the item to help get the purchase over the line.
“I’m not actually bothered if people realise where their gifts come from.
“I don’t feel bad about regifting items or finding freebies.
“If they’re worried about how much I’ve spent, that’s on them.
“It’s about the time and effort I’ve put into finding something that I think they will love unwrapping.
“I’ve seen people spend massive sums on tat, that is clearly not wanted, and what’s the point?
“If you’re given something you don’t want or need, pass it on to someone who can make use of it.”
Catherine also believes her “tight mum” attitude is teaching her kids a valuable lesson; something which other parents should do, too.
The mum adds: “My sons are getting to an age now where they do want things like game consoles and expensive trainers – and that’s fine.
I get a buzz finding the perfect gift for someone at a price I can afford
Catherine Lofthouse
“If it’s beyond my budget, I say I’ll help toward it, but they need to save up for a bit, too.
“If it’s not important enough for them to spend their pocket money on, it’s probably just a passing phase.
“The best present I can have is knowing that I’m teaching them the value of money and so they don’t spend more than they can afford.”
Catherine says that more mums should take a leaf out of her book.
“I think everyone can do the same – just do it for one or two gifts as a start and see if you get bitten by the bug,” she says.
“I get a buzz finding the perfect gift for someone at a price I can afford.
“If you’re still buying brand new because you feel like you ought to, it might be time to have a rethink.
“Remember that Christmas isn’t about how much you spend, but on taking time to be with your family and friends.”