Brits are tightening their belts in the run-up to Christmas (Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Almost half of families who celebrate Christmas are likely to spend less on presents for their children this year, research suggests.
As food and drink continue to skyrocket in price, 55% of parents and guardians of kids aged 18 or under will be reducing their Christmas grocery bills.
A survey for the children’s charity Barnardo’s found 47% of families surveyed this month will cut back on presents for their children.
YouGov polled 1,053 parents who celebrate Christmas, with 953 people asked about their present-buying.
Four in 10 parents and guardians are also planning to trim down how much they spend on Christmas festivities.
Just 18% said they have no plans to reduce their Christmas spending amid the current cost-of-living crisis.
Among those feeling the pinch ahead of Christmas is Kerry, a mother of three who lives in Rotherham with her 14-year-old daughter.
One mother says she’s ‘full of guilt’ that she can’t afford to buy her daughters presents (Picture: Getty Images)
She used to have a steady full-time job until last year when a heart condition diagnosis threw her life into uncertainty.
The open heart surgery Kerry needs for her two leaking heart valves keeps getting delayed and, unable to work, she relies on social welfare and food banks.
‘To me, Christmas is all about family time and that warm feeling you get when giving people presents,’ she tells Metro.co.uk.
‘My favourite memories are of us all sitting around the Christmas tree handing our presents and seeing the kids’ faces light up.
‘Not being able to do that this year really bothers me.’
There’s only one thing she wants to do, though, and that’s buy her youngest daughter a Christmas present.
‘It will have to be something small, even though all her friends will probably be getting things like the latest mobile phone,’ she says.
‘I’m full of guilt,’ Kerry says, adding: ‘There’s no way I’ll be buying a Christmas tree.’
As food prices soar, Barnardo’s is raising money for ‘cold and hungry’ children (Picture: Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Barnardo’s is urging businesses and members of the public to ’embrace the season of giving and chip into its My Christmas appeal.
The money raised will help kids who are ‘likely to feel cold, hungry and left out’ during the Christmas celebrations.
Wary of how the holidays are an additional strain for families, the help will range from food parcels and supermarket vouchers to warm clothing and gifts.
The charity’s chief executive Lynn Perry says: ‘After two years of Covid disruption, many of us are looking forward to a return to normal, pre-pandemic Christmas festivities.
‘But for the UK’s most vulnerable children, a “normal” Christmas can mean not enough food, struggling to stay warm, going without presents and feeling left out while others celebrate.
‘We want all children to feel safe and happy at Christmas, but we know that’s impossible while their basic needs aren’t being met.’
It remains unclear how Rishi Sunak plans to support families this winter (Picture: Simon Walker / No10 Downing Street)
Inflation has stubbornly burrowed into Britain, driving the cost of everything from pasta to petrol for months.
And it’s not going away anytime soon. Consumer prices rose 10.1% in September from a year earlier, having risen by 9.9% the month earlier.
Christmas was expensive even before inflation swelled. People spend on average £3,240 during the holidays, according to the Bank of England.
Kerry said the cost-of-living crunch has left her almost numb. She’s running out of ways to cut back to make sure she has enough to make the end of the month.
The heating definitely won’t be switched on anytime soon, Kerry says, and she’s eating microwave meals more than ever as healthy food is too expensive.
‘I’ve been cutting back on the amount and quality of the food shopping and I have gone without to make sure my daughter has a proper meal,’ she says.
As the cost of purchases grows, Kerry is having to consider even more drastic changes to keep afloat (Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
‘We never go out now and I feel sorry having to say, “we can’t afford it”. She’s been so understanding – but I find it so depressing and is a huge worry.
As her mental health craters, Kerry knows her home is going to get colder even as her purse strings tighten.
The government’s energy fuel cap might soften the blow until April, but without an increase in benefits in line with inflation, it will only do so much for her.
‘That doesn’t change the price of a pint of milk or a loaf of bread,’ she says.
‘I used to have the family around for Christmas — there’d be about 10 of us — and I cooked the Christmas dinner,’ adds Kerry.
‘This year I’m having to go around my eldest daughter’s home, but I’m going to be turning up with no gifts for anyone.’
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‘There’s no way I’ll be buying a Christmas tree.’
