Cut costs by hiring Christmas
If you want to save money (and space and the planet), renting festive essentials could be the solution for you
You’ve heard about how the Grinch stole Christmas, but might he have been less grumpy about the whole thing if he’d been able to save some money? With the cost of living crisis showing no signs of easing, and with sustainability at the forefront of our minds, more people are looking at what they can hire instead of buying outright.
In the UK, the re-commerce economy – which covers buying secondhand items, renting products or reselling pieces – is worth a staggering £7 billion, with renting items contributing £1.07 billion to that figure.
And while you can rent products all year round, with Christmas being such an expensive time, hiring festive goods could be a clever way to cut costs. But what does hiring your Christmas really mean, and what sort of things can you hire?
“You can rent almost every aspect of Christmas,” explains Hannah Bartlett, cofounder of Jolly Festive. “From tableware – and the table itself – to festive decorations, Christmas clothes, and even the toys destined to be wrapped under the tree. The world of rental services is evolving at pace with tremendous variety and ingenuity.”
People turn to renting for a whole host of reasons, from environmental worries and space constraints to financial concerns.
“The decision between renting or buying depends on an individual’s motivations, and different products and services will appeal to different people,” Hannah adds. “Hiring Christmas offers an appealing solution for items only used once a year and where rental services may offer a more environmentally friendly alternative.”
With that in mind, let’s take a look inside
the world of Christmas for hire…
DECOR
If you’re tired of using the same old decorations, renting your baubles and tinsel could be the way forward. After buying expensive decorations only to have them in storage for 300+ days of the year, Monty Key created Decorative Deliveries to provide customers with “specifically curated” decorations for as little as £20.
“Lots of people have limited storage so having boxes of baubles to store all year round isn’t practical,” he says. “Also, by renting they can choose a different colour scheme each year to suit their mood or current living situation.”
CHRISTMAS TREES
Picking a real Christmas tree each year may be a tradition, but it comes with the hassle of how to discard it afterwards.
“Renting offers the chance to enjoy a fresh tree at home each year without the environmental impact of cutting a new one down each time,” says Hannah. “Many families opt to rent the same tree year on year, creating a wonderful tradition and nostalgia for the children.”
With prices typically slightly higher than purchasing real trees (depending on the size), this option has the benefit of allowing the tree to be replanted. Google a local tree hire place, as keeping it local is better for the planet.
FURNITURE
If you’re hosting Christmas and need to splash out on bigger, more expensive pieces like furniture, you could save cash by seeing what you can rent via platforms such as Fat Llama. “When it comes to large items like extra furniture, renting can be a tempting and sometimes necessary option,” says Hannah. “The price difference between renting and purchasing substantial items is more significant, and we don’t want these ‘for one week only’ bulky pieces taking up space in our homes come January.”
You can rent everything from a table to tinsel and toys
TOYS AND TECH
It may sound ludicrous to suggest, but with the average Brit spending £430 on gifts at Christmas, opting for rented items can prove handy. “With the cost of living crisis still a concern, we’ve seen an uptake in parents looking for alternative, more costeffective ways to provide their children with the best toys, books, bikes, prams and baby equipment on the market,” says Sanam Saghir, one of the owners of toy and baby equipment rental service Whirli. Elsewhere, platforms including Musicmagpie allow you to rent items such as smart watches and phones.
FESTIVE OUTFITS
Whether Christmas to you is a pyjamas-all-day opportunity or a glitter and sequins affair, renting out clothes from outlets such as John Lewis, By Rotation and My Wardrobe HQ can give you access to stylish pieces on a pay-per-day basis.
“It can provide access to higher-quality brands and products than could otherwise be afforded,” says Hannah. “And when it comes to the little ones, renting Christmas clothes makes practical sense given they’ll probably have outgrown their festive outfits by next year.”