A British mother has ignited a fierce online debate after announcing she is refusing to buy anything new for her children this Christmas, aiming to slash her contribution to consumerism.
The Viral Thriftmas Declaration
The mum, named Jade, shared her controversial plan in a TikTok video that rapidly went viral earlier this month. She revealed that she had sourced all the holiday gifts for her four children from charity shops and had set a total Christmas budget of $100 (approximately £80).
'Is that insane? Probably,' Jade stated boldly in the clip. She explained her reasoning, saying, 'We refuse to go into debt over Christmas and we really want to go on a nice vacation next year. I feel like with how expensive everything is you almost can't have both, and we would rather travel.'
Jade admitted that while she attempted to budget last year, she failed to track her spending accurately. This year, she was determined to stick firmly to her $100 limit.
Showing Off Her Second-Hand Haul
In her video, the budget-savvy mother proudly displayed some of her thrifted finds, demonstrating how far a limited budget can stretch. Her purchases included:
- An alphabet puzzle for $3
- A musical jewellery box for $4.50
- A unicorn zip-up top for just $2
- A book for 50 cents
She also showed a plastic shopping cart which she proclaimed she would fill with spare boxes from around the house. Anticipating criticism, Jade preemptively declared, 'Call me cheap, whatever, I don't care.'
A Divided Internet Reacts
The video set the internet ablaze, launching a massive conversation about festive spending, parenting, and consumer culture.
Many users were quick to criticise her stripped-down approach. One critic commented, 'You knew Christmas was coming all year. Learn to budget it in,' while another reprimanded, 'I think even $50 per child is good but $25 per child? Yeah that’s insane. It’s their childhood memories too.'
The backlash was severe in some cases, with one enraged user quipping, 'People need to stop having kids if they can’t afford them omg.' A fourth penned a pointed remark: 'Life is short and it moves so quickly. These children are going to remember this about you. Is that what you want?'
However, Jade was unapologetic in her responses, showing no remorse. She fired back at her detractors, writing, 'There is a lot of people every year who take on debt from Christmas on their already growing pile of debt. I don’t have debt, I don’t want to create it. And people don’t like that. Wild lol.'
Support for a Sustainable 'Thriftmas'
Despite the torrent of criticism, a significant number of supporters applauded Jade's sustainable and cost-effective mindset, dubbing it a 'Thriftmas'.
'I wish Thriftmas was more common, we truly are ruining the world,' said one supporter, highlighting the environmental angle.
Another commenter praised her long-term perspective, stating, 'As an older parent trust me the vacation will mean so much more.' A third agreed with her financial prudence, writing, 'I think you’re smart. Crazy how much debt people go in for Christmas. Each year gets worse and worse.'
A final supporter offered reassuring words for any doubting parents: 'The kids aren’t going to know where it comes from. They will grow out of it but they will remember waking up to gifts. Go mama.'
