As we clear up the remains of sagging pumpkins thoughts often skip past bonfire night to the height of consumer chaos….Christmas.
This year however, the word is out that Christmas could be difficult to purchase.
Things are getting tricky
Shortages of lorry drivers and shipping backlogs are creating havoc. Popular toys like Paw Patrol vehicles are seeing price hikes, and running shoes and sportswear items like hoodies, are currently in short supply according to the Guardian.
Hundreds of dairy farms went bust this year, leading to some popular Christmas cheeses costing more and as if all that wasn’t enough, some vegetables have been replaced by cardboard cutouts!
There’s lots to be positive about
You can either let all this dampen the festive spirit, or use it as a kick off point to try a different twist on Christmas. Perhaps a return to simpler days where thoughtful gifts (which don’t break the bank) and time spent together over good food was considered a success.
Things do not need to be new to raise a smile. Books and technology are great to grab a bargain on. Sites such as Awesome books, Musicmagpie and Oxfam Books are all good for browsing classics and modern tales.
But if you have a teen who is badgering for a phone upgrade, the quality of refurbished phones now makes it a no brainer to shop for last years model. Have a look at what we found on rumage.com for an Iphone 12
Do you like games or do they create a family frisson? So many board games have had a comeback during covid and they still have appeal. Trivial Pursuit takes on a whole new dimension if it’s an edition from the 1980’s!
Kids love anything with wheels on, bikes, skate boards, ripsticks, rollerblades. All these get grown out of scarily fast, so why not save yourself the stress of that first scratch on the frame and shop second-hand, here are a collection of scooters we found, quite a few are even free!
The personal gift of time
If you want to go further then you can always wrap up or put in a cracker an IOU for a gift of your time, so tasks done or a special trip out.
There are so many ways you can reduce the pull of Christmas on your pocket AND the planet without losing the sparkle; have a go and get creative. After all it’s supposed to be the thought that counts!