TIS THE SEASON FOR A U-TURN
Perhaps the most astonishing thing about the woman from Devon who’s decided to scrap almost all Christmas presents for family is just how much she used to splurge before.
Heidi Ondrak used to fork out £500 each on her two teenage kids, then lavish £50 each on the rest of her family, meaning her festive spending ran to thousands.
Now, in an abrupt U-turn worthy of any Tory politician, she is ditching it all and only buying gifts for her own children. And they won’t be new, but coming from the charity shop or car boot sale.
Saying that Christmas has become all about ‘consumption and greed’, the 51-year-old from Plymouth will ‘never again’ spend her hard-earned cash on presents for anyone else.
‘The gifting tradition is insane, I don’t need anything, neither do most adults,’ she says. ‘What’s the point of racking up credit cards and debt just for one day of the year?’
Well, quite. Especially during the current hard times. But perhaps Heidi needn’t be quite so bah-humbug about the whole thing? Because there are, after all, plenty of gifts that don’t cost much but are thoughtful and much appreciated. Like baking someone a cake, some biscuits, a batch of mince pies even. Or making them a Christmas decoration. Or painting them a picture. My brother-in-law is batch-making sloe gin to give as gifts – what a great idea.
It sounds like Heidi has been hit over the head with just how over-the-top the whole present-giving bit of Christmas has become. ‘I am not religious and I think it’s all a big marketing construct to make us feel compelled to spend money,’ she yells (I feel like she would be yelling).
And don’t even ask what she’s doing for the big day itself. ‘I ate out the last few years at about £75 a head but will cook at home this year and, as no one really likes turkey, I will buy a chicken.’
Surround it with chipolatas and no one will even notice.