READER LETTER OF THE WEEK

Do you have any tips on hosting Christmas and buying presents on a very tight budget? Any help is gratefully received!

Well, firstly to the hosting... Just because you’re providing the venue, it doesn’t automatically follow that you must provide all the food. Ask your guests who wants to do what with food and drink, and divvy up the responsibility.

Secondly, the pressies. Many people end up spending money they can’t afford on presents when they have no idea what the recipient wants. There’s no logic to this when you think about it, plus it’s stressful and not so good for sustainability.

Many years ago, our family instituted a Christmas secretSanta draw. It started off with us four adult kids and our partners. Our eight names would go in a hat and we’d each pull one out (keeping it quiet about which name we’d drawn).

We’d then each suggest what we might like to get, and agree on a budget – usually

$50. Come Christmas Day, one present sat under the tree for each person, from “the family”.

Over time, once our own kids arrived, we stopped the adult presents and focused on each buying something for the little ones. Once they grew older, we ended up including the children in the secret Santa so they got one decent pressie from the aunts and uncles.

For the older generation, the growing list of in-laws and grandchildren was a presentbuying burden we didn’t think they needed. We made it clear we only wanted their presence at Christmas, not their presents.

I recommend you have an honest present-buying family discussion. I’m pretty sure there will be some relief all round if you stop the senseless buying and the financial stress that goes with it.