Will you be cutting back on Christmas spending this festive season?
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00:00 So when it comes to Christmas this year, the industry that I work in is currently suffering a huge slump.
00:07 So lots of people are out of work, so personally myself I'll be not spending a lot of money this Christmas,
00:12 just to make sure that I've got enough to tide me through until my industry picks up again.
00:16 I mean, I don't usually spend that much on Christmas, I usually just stay with my friends and family.
00:21 But the minimum I could spend is like, just under a hundred, it depends on what.
00:27 Usually, my max is probably sixty.
00:30 We're definitely cutting back this time, yeah. It's a fine balance, isn't it, I think.
00:35 Everyone's looking at the bills and stuff like that, so it's a bit of a reality check, isn't it, nowadays?
00:40 I'm trying to, because I know, especially around this time of year, everything's twice the price, if not more.
00:47 Am I cutting back? I'm trying to. Like I said, I'm trying to.
00:53 I'm not cutting back. I'm not going mad, because you kind of look at it now and think,
01:00 I'm really not going to waste money. I'm going down the lines of maybe giving them cash, in the hope that...
01:07 I mean, my youngest granddaughter, she sent me pictures of what she wanted from River Island.
01:13 I went, any one of these nan, no one full well, I'm getting them all.
01:19 I think they have to, I'm going to have to. Yeah.
01:23 Especially the industry that I've been working in has completely died out.
01:27 What is that industry?
01:28 I work in film and TV as well. So yeah, there's been no work in TV at all.
01:35 So I've had to find other work for the time being.
01:38 So that's hit me. I mean, that's slightly relative, but it's made it even harder, because, you know, things are more expensive.
01:44 I'm trying not to be stressed about Christmas, because that just takes away the joy.
01:50 And what I've been doing is, as I've seen gifts that I think my nearest and dearest would like,
01:58 just buying them without sort of having one big glut of spending when it gets really stressful and you're trailing around the shop.
02:06 So I've been buying little bits here and there just to spread it, so it's not horrible.
02:12 I suppose just trying to be sensible.
02:14 And because normally what happens is I buy presents and then I'm like, I'll just get a few extra little bits.
02:19 So probably trying to be a bit more organised with what I'm buying for who.
02:25 Yeah. And we have looked at buying some pre-love stuff, to be honest.
02:31 Haven't done that yet, though, because I haven't found what I want.
02:33 But I have looked at that, whereas I maybe wouldn't have looked at that in previous years.
02:38 So just some of your thoughts there on the matter. But what is the data telling us?
02:44 Well, market research suggests that a lot of us are turning to bargain hunting and taking out credit to cover Christmas expenses this year,
02:52 and that roughly 51 per cent of households are expected to stick to a stricter budget.
02:57 And from what we've heard from you, it sounds like many of you could well be doing the same.
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