Christmas is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year. But we all know that the festive season can also be a demanding time – physically, emotionally and financially.
Recent research from Gumtree found that a third of Brits think this Christmas will be harder to afford than ever, with 5.5 million parents admitting they may be forced to sell their children’s ‘needed’ items in order to afford the festive season. A quarter (25%) of parents polled said they expect to spend less than usual on their children’s presents this festive season too.
If this sounds like a familiar situation, there are things you can do to try and help ease the financial burden this festive season.
Be honest about your budget
Talk to friends and family and work out what you can actually afford, that isn’t going to overstretch you. Managing yours and your family’s expectations upfront can remove some of the stress from the situation and ensure that Christmas remains focused on only the things that truly matter to you. Just some of the practical ways you can do this are:
- Setting boundaries around who you buy presents for, for example only focusing on children and not the adults.
- Set a price cap on Christmas gifts that are within your budget.
- Make homemade gifts such as chutneys, gingerbread houses or craft Christmas decorations for a fraction of the cost of something new. Bakeware on Gumtree
Think second hand first
Second hand doesn’t mean poor quality. Our research found that over almost one in five (18%) of kids think second hand presents are ‘cool’ and over half (52%) of them wouldn’t know if a gift was second hand – so make sure you check online on sites such as Gumtree for free or reduced cost items or toys, as well as charity shops and friends and family.
You can also make some extra cash by listing any unused toys on Gumtree such as Barbies, Lego or Furbies that are always popular, in the lead up to Christmas.
| Toys | Average price on Gumtree | Demand on Gumtree |
| Toys | £22 | +58% |
| Baby toys | £12 | +28% |
| Children books | £5 | +134% |
| Lego | £39 | +59% |
| Doll house | £59 | +80% |
| Scalextric | £57 | +68% |
| Barbie | £38 | +97% |
| Wooden toys | £28 | +119% |
| Disney | £38 | +76% |
| Marvel | £23 | +50% |
Demand on Gumtree – Gumtree internal data, August 2024 v October 2024
Ask for help
It’s a fact that the cost of living has increased. It’s ok to ask for help. If you are worried about money, here’s a list of resources that can offer advice on how to navigate money worries this Christmas and beyond.
