LYING back in the salon chair, Donna Jones feels relaxed and rejuvenated as the beautician applies gentle cleanser to her face.
It’s pure relaxation for busy mum of six Donna, 40, and the only reason she can afford the pampering as well as new clothes and holidays is because she ‘scams’ her six kids out of cash.
The mum of six, who works in a takeaway, can afford to spoil herself because whilst her kids think they’re getting brand new Christmas or birthday presents, she buys them charity shop versions instead.
She’s even been known to nab stuff off the roadside and out of bins, before pretending she has paid full price.
“I deserve it, I’ve worked so hard all year,” she says. “I work the overnight shift, get home, make the children breakfast, pack their lunches, take them to school and then try for five hours before doing the school run and dinner.
“Then I head off to work again. It’s exhausting. Who deserves the money more? Me or them?”
And she figures the children – a daughter who is 19 and Joseph, 16, Samuel 11, Oliver, seven, Olivia, five, and Sophie, four – won’t mind… because they don’t even know.
“Each child is allocated £150 at Christmas – £100 from me and my husband and £50 from Santa,” she says. “That’s £900 in total and a huge part of my salary. But I only spend around £400 on them.
“I save all year for it, by cutting back household costs, yellow label food shopping and going without myself.”
Come September, Donna’s younger children start to get excited about Christmas, writing down exactly what they want – and it’s often the latest toy like Teenage Mutant Turtles action figures, Spiderman Spider Bot and the latest Barbie House.
I don’t write down if the gift was free or cost pennies when I find something that retails for £20. I put £20 – I love it.
Donna Jones
But Donna isn’t going to give all her hard-earned cash away so freely, not even to her children.
She searches Facebook for free items, goes to swap meets, asks friends for used toys and even checks her neighbour’s recycling bags on bin night to see if there are any freebies she can grab for the kids.
“I don’t write down if the gift was free or cost pennies when I find something that retails for £20,” she says. “I put £20 – I love it. “
And Donna certainly knows how to spot a bargain.
She once bought the older boys computer games from a charity shop for £5 instead of paying £30, and found Barbies and action figures for free on Facebook instead of paying up to £40 per toy.
“I was laughing,” she says. “That paid for my haircut, a facial and even a manicure.
Donna, who lives in Leicester and is married to acrylic fabricator Matthew, 40, says he thinks her technique should be applauded.
Sadly not everyone agrees and when she confessed it to some mums she was criticised.
“People have said I am a cheapskate,” she says. “Some are appalled that I don’t refuse to buy brand new at Christmas,” she says.
“But I’m ambivalent. More parents would enjoy the festive season for themselves if they took my lead.”
She started her ‘con’ in 2014 when she suddenly became a single parent after a relationship breakdown.
“I was single with three children and had to find ways to make the budget stretch,” she says. “I was worried about finances and wanted to give the kids the gifts they wanted at Christmas. But I was torn because I also wanted to enjoy a treat myself.
Over the years I’ve splashed out on a new coat, fancy shoes, a nice dress and beauty treatments for myself as well as a holiday.
Donna
“It was a lightbulb moment. I could buy the item from the charity shop and still put down the retail price of the item. I could then make a running total of my savings and use the money to spoil myself or pay a bill.
“Over the years I’ve splashed out on a new coat, fancy shoes, a nice dress and beauty treatments for myself as well as a holiday.”
But nobody in Donna’s house misses out at Christmas – they all get the exact same amount of presents under the tree, regardless of how much they cost.
“If one child got more gifts because I found their gift cheaply it doesn’t seem fair they get a huge haul, while another kid doesn’t,” she says. “This way the kids basically all get the same number of gifts. They get what they want. I get what I want.”
This year Donna has so far found Sonic the Hedgehog pyjamas which retail at £25 for £8 in a charity shop.
“I was dead pleased and thought ‘that will be a massage’ or facial,” she says. “I could already picture myself lying on the table.”
“I got one son a ‘must have’ Switch Game for £38 even though he knows it usually costs £50.
“I bought it on pre-order from Amazon and pocketed the difference.”
She says her technique is fairly time-consuming, but worth it because usually she doesn’t have the chance to sit back and relax.
“I got my daughter her dream puffa jacket pink coat for just £15 in a sale and charged her £40 which was the jacket’s retail price.
“I have spent weeks going through boxes at car boot sales and it’s paid off.
“I found computer games, collectable football jerseys and second hand fluffy toys my kids asked for – they cost pennies not pounds.
“I washed the fluffy toys, gave used car boot Lego bricks a cleanup and ironed secondhand clothes I bought before packaging them up to look ‘as new.’
“I keep meticulous records in my notebook.”
Donna uses the same tactics at birthdays too meaning she can treat herself to a summer pamper session using the spare cash she’s saved.
“In the past I have used the left-over cash to pay bills but in recent years I realised I wanted some ‘me-time money.’
I do the cooking and cleaning…I do the gift buying so it’s only fair…it is a ‘mummy tax’ that they all pay, even if they don’t know.
Donna Jones
“I am a mum of six and put myself last. This way is perfect for a sly pamper session or spend up,” she says.
Even Donna’s husband Matthew is part of her hustle and she squirrels away money meant for him.
“I found him men’s pants which usually cost a tenner each on sale for three quid,” she says. “The £7 difference is going on my festive me-time treat.
“He gets what he wants, and I get what I want.”
Donna, doesn’t feel a bit of guilt, adding: “I am the one that does the budgeting – I do the cooking and cleaning.
“I do the gift buying so it’s only fair… it is a ‘mummy tax’ that they all pay… even if they don’t know.”
