With the big day just around the corner, I want to take the opportunity to talk about Present pressure at Christmas.

Christmas is a time for joy and celebration, especially this year now that we are getting back to normality. We all perceive the idea of Christmas around present opening and writing huge Christmas wish lists, buying our loved ones the things they wish for, just as we hope others will. 

Is that what Christmas is about? A lot of this perception comes from society and our mindsets, parents competing with others about how many presents their children have, somebody spends £20 on a gift for you, so you feel you have to spend the same on them. What we don’t tend to think about is how much money people spend over the festive period.

Money can be tight, people find themselves having to stretch money just to meet their basic needs, especially as payday approaches. Households tend to spend over £500 extra over the Christmas period, in comparison with other months. The typical bill cost per month in the UK averages from £1,200-£2,000, an average full time monthly wage sits at £1,200 -£1,900. 

So where does the extra money come from to buy at Christmas? 

We make it work, we take out loans, we miss bills to buy presents/food, to make our loved ones happy. 

People become extremely overwhelmed trying to keep up with the demands Christmas brings, and your to do list will probably grow daily right up to the big day. Christmas should be a time of relaxation, however for many, it is shockingly stressful.

We all check our social media accounts over the Christmas period, and you see that your friend has half of their lounge space covered in wrapped presents for their children, that then causes you to feel guilty for your own children as they only have a few presents each.

We put a lot of pressure on ourselves, and how we view ourselves, in the way that you must buy someone else a gift to match the value of what they’ve bought for you.

It is so easy to feel the need to go all out, to overspend when really, is it necessary?

You may feel ashamed or embarrassed to tell your family you can’t afford to buy gifts this year, but don’t, taking financial responsibility is something to be proud of. You can always offer your family and friends time, and its free. Spending time and enjoying the season together is what counts.

If you have young children, explain to them that Christmas is all about memory making and having fun. Tell them the background behind Christmas, and the reasons why we celebrate it, to help them understand that it isn’t about how many presents they have, or how expensive their presents were.

It is important to remember that there are many people that are a lot less fortunate than you, that won’t be spending time with their loved ones, opening presents, and enjoying a Christmas dinner this year.

Sit back and be kind to yourself this Christmas, you deserve it ?

Ps – Our Principle Planner Anna Pascoe here at Make Me A Plan continues the Philosopher-in-Residence series every fortnight on a Thursday, you can take a peek at the latest edition here https://www.makemeaplan.com/news/on-10-19/