Right, have you bought your Christmas cards, scoured the high street for a cracking Christmas outfit, spruced up the house and picked the perfect presents and wrapped them? There’s a lot to think about, isn’t there?
As well as growing pressure to host the best Big Day, research shows the cost of Christmas has tripled in the last 30 years. From Christmas decorations to travelling to visit friends and relatives, UK families spent over £1,800 on average in 2023. Another no-so-jolly fact is that the UK throws away an estimated £100 million bags of rubbish during Christmas, and 400,000 tonnes of paper and card that could have been recycled.
2. Use or make eco-friendly decorations. Avoid tinsel and baubles (or buy preloved!) and reuse fairy lights. You can also get creative with nature-inspired decorations, like orange slices and cinnamon sticks.
3. Tree – consider a potted tree from a local nursery, a plastic-free tree or a cardboard tree. You can even rent a tree! Don’t forget you can also recycle your real Christmas tree.
4. Food – meal plan so you only buy what you really need. Use leftovers and compost food scraps.
5. Shopping – Shop less and shop local. There’s something nostalgic and special about buying pre-loved, and you might discover something that sparks a special memory. Visit our shops for items like tableware and decorations knowing that every penny you spend helps us to support local people affected by cancer.
6. Dress to impress – Explore stylish and sustainable partywear in our shops for a fraction of the cost.
7. Buy our Christmas cards – in each pack of Wessex Cancer Support Christmas cards, you’ll find 10 cards and envelopes. All are glitter and plastic-free, printed on FSC-certified cardboard in the UK and fully recyclable. If you can, hand deliver cards to avoid postage costs. It also gives you the opportunity to call in on loved ones and relatives. You can find them in our shops.
8. It can be difficult to find the perfect present, so why not visit one of our shops for a gem of a gift? You might come across a first edition of a favourite book, a board game, puzzle or a lovely ornament.
9, If you’d like to buy a gift for someone affected by cancer but feel a bit stuck, our lovely client, Jenny, shares her thoughts on how you can help them feel cosy and supported this Christmas. Click here for her list.
10. The UK throws away obscene amounts of wrapping paper, and the plastic, foil, glitter and sticky tape on many sheets makes them unrecyclable. Why not wrap gifts in fabric from a preloved outfit, a scarf or bedding, kitchen or bathroom linen and tie it with a pretty bow?
11. Crackers are pricey and usually contain a plastic gift that gets thrown away. Buy fillable ones or make your own and load them with your own personalised gifts and jokes. As well as being cheaper and more sustainable, it’s a more thoughtful way to create a bang this Christmas
12. Most importantly, enjoy joy time together! Nothing is more important at Christmas than the people we spend it with, and time is the most precious gift. Consider how you can support people in the local community and enjoy rest, nature and quality time with loved ones this Christmas.