Rachel ‘The Grinch’ Reeves has stolen Christmas from one fifth of us, say Brits
A week before her budget fears over tax hikes and price rises have led to 21% of folk cancelling festivities because they fear what Reeves may have up her sleeve
Rachel ‘The Grinch’ Reeves has stolen Christmas from more than one in five Brits – before she has even revealed her budget. The Chancellor has yet to announce her plans to plug the UK’s £20bn financial hole.
But fears over tax hikes and price rises have already led to 21% of people concluding they cannot afford to celebrate the festive season, according to a new poll.
Almost a third of folk said they plan to buy no or fewer presents to economise, a quarter are ditching the Christmas tree and 19% will go without a turkey.
More than half of shoppers are ‘worried’ about being able to afford to buy gifts for the festive period.
And 51% plan to spend less this year than they did at Xmas 2024. They were among the findings of a festive poll of 1,000 shoppers from BuytoGive, the UK’s only online marketplace dedicated to fundraising.
Researchers found 53% of households were looking at lots of ways to limit spending this Christmas. The most popular method was to set a cash limit on presents for loved ones.
Four in 10 will buy presents in charity shops while a third of folk plan to dish out home-made gifts.
One in five plan to ditch wrapping paper for cheaper alternatives such as old newspapers. A quarter of respondents will make a charitable gift as a present this year.
More than a quarter plan to ask house guests to make a contribution to the cost of Christmas food and drink.
BuytoGive founder Kevin Turner said: “Many shoppers face a nightmare before Christmas. But they are finding clever ways to save money and make sure that the Grinch doesn’t spoil all the fun.
“The cost of living crisis continues to bite and fears of looming tax rises in Rachel Reeves’ budget have caused households to look again at Christmas spending.
“Some people are cancelling Christmas altogether while others are scaling back to save cash. Sadly charitable donations will be hit this year as we all look to economise.
“BuytoGive provides a great alternative where you can support your favourite charities at Christmas but get something back at the same time. You can do all your Christmas shopping at competitive prices while making a contribution to a good cause with each purchase.”
BuytoGive allows shoppers to buy brands they love while supporting causes they believe in. It has created a gift-list in which every purchase will include a donation to a good cause.
Big name charities set to benefit include the Macari Foundation homelessness centre in Stoke, the YMCA, mental health charity MIND and AEDdonate which puts 3,000 defibrillators into the public domain annually.
