A mum decided to skip buying Christmas presents for her one-year-old daughter and instead, use the money for a holiday.
Matilda Hannah, 24, from Stoke-on-Trent, believes it's 'pointless' buying her little girl, Penelope, something "for the sake of it".
The mum and her partner Ben, also 24, have decided not to exchange gifts this year either. The couple plans to use the £2,000 they've saved to jet off to Goa, in India, for Christmas, taking Penelope with them.
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The young mum explained that Penelope is still playing with her birthday presents, so buying new ones "seems daft". She said: "We were thinking about what to get her for Christmas and thought 'this is silly to buy stuff for the sake of it'."
The family usually spends Christmas Day driving around to their families. But with Penelope now a toddler, they've decided to do things differently. Matilda added: "It's really lovely but really hard when you have a young toddler getting them in the car."
The family splashed out nearly £1,000 on Penelope's first birthday bash and gifts, and figured Christmas presents for themselves and her would set them back around £2,000. So, they've decided to jet off to Goa with Ben's parents on December 18 instead.
Matilda is excited about some quality family time, as Ben is often away for work. She explained: "By the time we've bought all the Christmas presents and food shop it costs the same as what we've spent on the holiday.
"We spent £1,000 for the birthday party and presents. Christmas would have been £500 on gifts for her, and then £500 each with drinks and meals. That money has gone towards the holiday. As a parent I always want to focus on experience over material gifts."
Matilda had to disappoint her family when they chose to go abroad, cancelling pre-made plans. She admitted: "In a big family you can never please everyone. We had to cancel plans and back out gracefully. They were disappointed at first but they're supportive. I promised I wouldn't do it every year."
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Matilda believes Penelope is too young to remember or understand Christmas. She added: "She doesn't know what's going on anyway. She wouldn't have a Scooby Doo. It will be a normal day lounging in the sunshine. I won't need to dress up no wearing itchy sequin tops. I quite like changing it up and doing something different."
The mum is also planning a family trip to Canada next year, including ski lessons for Penelope. She shared: "My mum took me on a flight to Ibiza when I was six weeks old. I don't remember but I always tell everyone.
She added: "It's overwhelming for them with all the presents. We know what's right for our family."
* This article was crafted with the help of an AI tool, which speeds up Daily Star's editorial research. An editor reviewed this content before it was published. You can report any errors to [email protected]
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