WITH Christmas around the corner, many children will be writing up their lists ready to send off to Santa.
And every year, parents may feel like they get caught up in a whirlwind of all the gifting taking place – not to mention all the toys that will be arriving at their home.
But one mum is refusing to let it get on top of her, and is sharing her advice so other parents don’t feel the pressure either.
Laura, who goes by the name of ‘motherhood & money’ on TikTok, took to her social media page to explain her choices when it comes to presents and gifting.
She captioned the video: “I spent just £25 on my son’s Christmas present and this is what I got him!”
Speaking to the camera, she says: “My son’s getting one gift for Christmas. One.
“And that is it. It seems to be a trend on this app at the minute to criticise mums for what they bought their own children for Christmas.”
She then showed her 18.1k followers on TikTok what she bought her son for Christmas which was a double sided easel.
Laura continues to write: “This is his one and only present. It’s this. He’s getting this and that is it.
“Why have I bought my son only one present?
“First of all, he’s two years old. I don’t think he knows and I don’t think he cares who Father Christmas is.
“Now, I know my son better than anyone else. And what I do know is numbers, letters and drawing are currently his favourite activities to do.
“So this is combining three of his favourite activities into one. He’s gonna love this.
“Quite frankly, I find it a waste of money to buy my son materialistic rubbish that he’s only gonna play with for a couple of days at best and then never touch again.
“He’s got plenty of other family members who I’m pretty sure will be buying him gifts and toys this Christmas to go along with this.
“So he’s not gonna be feeling left out.
I couldn’t personally only buy my babies one present for Christmas
TikTok comment
“If you thought it was cheap of me to have only bought one gift for my two-year-old, wait until you see what I bought for my six-month-old.”
Many people rushed to the comments section to share their thoughts, which were mixed as some supported her idea but others disagreed.
One wrote: “Absolutely no judgement, but I couldn’t personally only buy my babies one present for Christmas.”
Whilst someone else said: “[But what about] the excitement and memories of watching them open them on Christmas morning.”
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Another added: “I don’t understand why some parents don’t enjoy buying their kids Christmas presents.”
But a fourth said: “I don’t even remember what I got at two years old so people need to calm down, no need to go all big when they won’t remember it.”
And a fifth commented: “Yes I love your thinking, you’re raising your son not to be spoiled.”
Another parent mentioned: “I spend £2000 on each of my kids and I have three.”
Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how you can save money on your Christmas shopping.
Limit the amount of presents – buying presents for all your family and friends can cost a bomb.
Instead, why not organise a Secret Santa between your inner circles so you’re not having to buy multiple presents.
Plan ahead – if you’ve got the stamina and budget, it’s worth buying your Christmas presents for the following year in the January sales.
Make sure you shop around for the best deals by using price comparison sites so you’re not forking out more than you should though.
Buy in Boxing Day sales – some retailers start their main Christmas sales early so you can actually snap up a bargain before December 25.
Delivery may cost you a bit more, but it can be worth it if the savings are decent.
Shop via outlet stores – you can save loads of money shopping via outlet stores like Amazon Warehouse or Office Offcuts.
They work by selling returned or slightly damaged products at a discounted rate, but usually any wear and tear is minor.
