A bargain-hunting mum who has made it her mission to have a sustainable, low-budget Christmas admits she starts her festive shopping in January.
Community worker Victoria Billington, 31, who lives with husband Simon and kids, five-year-old Teddy and three-year-old Elisabeth, has been bargain shopping for years.
She first started looking for cheaper gift options a few years ago when money was tight and she had 12 nieces and nephews to buy for.
In the past, the frugal mum has sifted through books in charity shops to pick up novels for as little as 10p and even made a doll's house for £30.
In a bid to be as eco-friendly as possible, she also makes her own recyclable wrapping paper and reuses her homemade advent calendar every Christmas.
She said: "My husband and I used to be freelancers so we couldn't always rely on how much income we were going to have at that time.
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"So about five years ago, I started making a gift for each of the children on my list as it will be meaningful but won't cost anything.
"Now, it’s not really about the saving for us and more about being as eco-friendly as possible."
She added that, of course, Christmas works out cheaper when she's buying second-hand presents too, but she puts a lot of effort into carefully selecting each gift.
Victoria, who has four sisters, said her family always valued thoughtful gifts over expensive ones.
"My mum always said she'd rather have a bar of soap wrapped up than a really expensive present," she said.
"So we grew up with this idea of being generous at Christmas, but that doesn't have to be extravagant."
In order to keep track of her bargains, Victoria has to be incredibly organised, and starts a checklist for all her recipients every year.
"I start as early as January," she said.
"I used to lose track when I started, so now I keep a list and write down what I’ve got everyone as I go.
"I really think about what each person wants. I don’t have a spend limit - I just try and make it meaningful to that person."
Although she has no budget these days, Victoria still sets out to find bargains and scours charity shops for gifts she thinks will suit her loved ones well.
"At some charity shops, you can get brand new, unread books for as little as 10p," she explained.
"So I grab a few of someone’s favourite books and their present costs me like 30p."
"I also found one of my nieces a doll that retails at £36 for £4, so I'm definitely saving a lot of money.
"Plus it saves any last-minute panic buying!"
After having kids, Victoria says she became much more aware of environmental issues around fast fashion and buying lots of new things all the time.
“It broadens your horizon that it's not just about yourself. You start thinking, ‘What are we leaving for our children?’
“I've always been quite thrifty and I've always looked to find a bargain. But especially in the last few years, I've been thinking about where I spend my money.
"It made me realise charity shops and small businesses will benefit more from my spending as well as being more sustainable."
As well as charity shops, Victoria finds gifts on websites like Olio and Facebook Marketplace and often upcycling items to create cool gifts.
“I can't draw so I wouldn't call myself creative in that way,” she laughed.
“I suppose I have the time. When I’m making things, I usually start with an open Google search to find out how to use a material or how to make a particular toy.
“I got a lot of crafting supplies from Olio. I think for me that was one of my most exciting finds."
Last year, Victoria bought a second hand doll's house for £30 - and spent several weeks decorating it before gifting it to her kids.
She said: "It was their big present so we'd got it early and we'd planned ahead so we were able to spend a while decorating it.
"There's tiny little bunting, made from paper and string, that we put on the walls."
Victoria has a felt advent calendar that she reuses every year, putting chocolates and bad Christmas jokes in every day for the kids to enjoy.
She also enlists hubby Simon to help making presents.
Victoria said: "My husband is actually very creative so he draws pictures that we can then frame and gift to people.
"We also make decorations out of pine cones. By just adding festive ribbon or felt greenery, you can make a wreath with a timeless Christmas feel."
And none of their arty work is thrown away come January - instead it is carefully stored away in the airing cupboard in a reusable shopping bag, ready to use every Christmas.
Although she's proud of her eco-friendly traditions, Victoria doesn't want to pressure other parents into copying her.
"I recognise I have the privilege of time,” she explained.
Do you plan Christmas months in advance? Email jessica.taylor@reachplc.com
“What we don’t spend in money, we do spend in time and I know not everyone has the ability to do that.
“But for us it makes Christmas more special and it's really enjoyable to see everyone love the gifts you’ve put so much time into."
Victoria’s top tips for a sustainable Christmas
* Don’t leave it too late – Get started early so you have plenty of time to look out for bargains.
* Shop local – Reduce delivery and shipments by shopping in your local area. You don’t have to wait and can guarantee your presents will arrive on time.
* Charity shops are great for a bargain – Many businesses donate brand new items to charity shops. Not only do you save money but the money you do spend goes to charity.
* Watch how you wrap – Not all wrapping paper is recyclable and making your own can be a fun activity with the kids. Make it a family activity using stamps to create fun recyclable paper.
* Don’t follow trends – You don’t need to change your decorations every year or follow the latest fad. Make decorations that are timeless that you can reuse every year.
