For many, Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, but it could also be the most expensive, as the cost of gifts and family visits add up quickly.
This is certainly the case for Aurora, who wrote on Mail columnist Bryony Gordon’s podcast to ask for some festive advice.
“Every year I spend way too much on Christmas gifts because I hate the idea of looking cheap,” Aurora wrote. “But this year things are different.”
The woman, who preferred to use an alias, confesses that she lost her job in June but “didn’t tell anyone.”
“Now, obviously, my budget is tight.” she said. ‘I’m not crafty so making homemade gifts is out of the question and I’m struggling to know how to approach it.
‘Should I be honest with everyone about why I’m leaving, or is it too awkward?’
The anonymous listener said she even “thought about lying” and telling her friends and family that she had donated to charity in their name.
‘But that’s horrible, right?’ -Aurora asked. ‘How can I handle this without feeling guilty or disappointing people, especially myself?’
Christmas can be an expensive time of year when buying gifts and visiting family (File Image)
On the latest episode of The Life of Bryony, the author and podcaster was joined by her family: Jane, Jack and Rufus Gordon.
And it was Jack, Bryony’s father, who immediately gave “sage advice” to Aurora.
“Honesty is the best policy,” he said bluntly.
Mocking her decision, Bryony’s brother Rufus said: “Next question.”
Offering Aurora a broader response, Bryony suggested she tell her family about her job loss and subsequent financial hardship “because maybe they’ll want to help.”
The award-winning journalist said: ‘Christmas is not just about gifts. It’s about family and love, and there are other ways to show it at Christmas.
‘Your family must love you unconditionally so that they will love you regardless of what you give them, and perhaps a gift for them this year could be honesty.
“Maybe they would really like to support you in this.”
If you’re struggling financially this holiday season, Bryony Gordon suggests telling your family and friends the truth (File Image)
Their father agreed and said, “Give them a chance to show some Christmas spirit.”
Jack then suggested that “sometimes the best gifts are more thoughtful than expensive,” before going on a tangent about his own Christmas spending.
Talking to his sister, he said: Last year I bought you a milk frother.
‘How much do you think a milk frother costs? It’s like a hundred pounds.
‘Does it also produce milk? Is there a little cow there?
Podcast host Bryony interrupts and sarcastically says, “There we were in danger of suffering Answering a question sensibly and succinctly until we had to move on to the damn milk frother.
She joked: “Aurora, there’s a milk frother named after you.”
Have you ever felt like life is a little…too much? Bestselling author and journalist Bryony Gordon is here to ditch the shame and dive headfirst into the trickier parts of life. Look for The Life of Bryony wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes released every Monday and Friday.