A mum-of-two who recovered from £40,000 of debt and now shares money-saving tips with her 20,000 TikTok followers is buying all her Christmas presents second-hand this year amid the cost-of-living crisis. Maddy Alexander-Grout, a 39-year-old chief marketing officer for a voucher company, typically spends £250 on Christmas presents, but so far this year has spent just £30 at charity shops, car boot sales and online.
She has bought books for her husband, James, 41, as well as games, scooters and Paw Patrol presents for her two children, Ben, seven, and Harriet, three. Maddy has also sold her unused Christmas presents from last year on Facebook Marketplace and is using Nectar points and vouchers to buy her Christmas dinner.
She is not only taking actions to save some cash, but also to help the environment, using recyclable and reusable wrapping paper and ribbons, and buying second-hand gifts without plastic packaging. Maddy is a savvy shopper day to day, using coupons and buying yellow-sticker items, but the cost-of-living crisis has encouraged her to save that little bit more this Christmas.
