The reality facing families struggling over Christmas

The reality facing families struggling over Christmas is highlighted by our Food Ambassadors Tsz and Rylee

Tsz, 24, Birmingham

When winter comes, families and individuals face additional pressures such as higher utility bills and health problems, just to name a few.

To illustrate this point, I have seen a young person be mentally affected due to a cut in spending at home. They would, for example, have to make excuses when their friends would ask them to hang out as they couldn’t afford to go shopping with them. Beyond financial strain or health problems, food insecurity compounds these difficulties by limiting families' access to nutritious food.

Reports indicate that the poorest 20% of households with children would need to spend 70% of their disposable income on food to meet the government-recommended healthy diet. Although these people may manage to eat, their quality of life is significantly diminished. This can lead to negative behaviours or emotions as coping mechanisms, such as theft or depression.

Additionally, companies heavily promote consumer spending during this time, which, while economically understandable, places significant stress on those around me. From my experience at work, I have observed customers feeling the societal pressure to purchase items to avoid feeling excluded. Consequently, many spend beyond their means, resulting in increased financial burdens such as debt, which further strains their finances as they enter the new year. This cycle of overspending and debt can have long-lasting impacts on their financial well-being and overall quality of life.

In response to these pressures, various community support initiatives play a crucial role, for example the Hardship Grant Community Fund. I have seen a friend in school who benefited from this still couldn’t meet the demands on Christmas spending. Despite these initiatives supporting needy individuals, activity based initiatives, like community games should also be considered to help these people enjoy Christmas without enjoying it the mainstream way.

Despite the challenges faced during this time of year, I still find ways to celebrate. I prefer to keep it simple by sharing a Christmas meal with my family. If time allows, I also participate in a Christmas charity activity.

To stay engaged and positive, I keep myself active with daily activities or work. Instead of buying gifts during the peak season, I wait for post-Christmas sales to purchase discounted items. This approach to celebrating allows me to connect with the holiday spirit through quality time with loved ones. Staying busy helps me avoid the stress of comparing myself to others, and waiting for discounts gives me a sense of satisfaction from making smart purchases.

This balance helps me enjoy the season without succumbing to financial pressures or social expectations.

Rylee, 14, Somerset

During the winter, families and individuals face added pressures like heating costs, poor nutrition, and hunger, such as skipping meals. Feeling the cold can lead to sickness and depression, and food insecurity only makes things worse. People worry about being able to afford food or the cost of cooking it, and some may struggle with knowing how to prepare meals. 

There’s also the constant pressure to ‘buy, buy, buy’ from companies, pushing more expensive options and highlighting what people can’t afford. There’s often a sense that possessions bring happiness or that buying things shows love for your family. A Food Foundation report show that people living in food insecurity are twice as likely to have a mental health condition, and 66.5% feel depressed. I think this time of the year makes things even harder, with everyone being bombarded with advertising everywhere (on billboards, tv commercials, radio, online – it’s hard to escape).  

In the modern world, we have grown accustomed to being able to get anything at any time of year. Yet, healthier options are scarce. Where I live, in Southwest England, we have a strong agricultural presence, and a strong notion of farm-to-fork, making good food available. However, good food, nutritious food, is not easily affordable. The farm shops that exist near me have to charge more than supermarkets just to meet their own costs of production. While I see advertisements everywhere for big businesses offering cheaper (often less healthy or sustainable) alternatives.   

For me, the season is about keeping it simple—enjoying being with family and appreciating what you have. At the same time, Christmas is a time of giving, but it can be difficult to give when you have little yourself. This is why I believe we need more support for families on low incomes and stronger regulations on junk food advertising. In my community, local libraries are being used as warm spaces, and there are food banks and free hot meals available to help those in need. These efforts remind us of the importance of coming together to support one another during the season.