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Four friends, one group chat and a pact to skip presents this Christmas in favour of a January dinner. It sounded smugly simple — until someone turned up with a wrapped box. Here's the honest truth about budgeting, boundary wobbles and why I'd do it again.
I've set myself a fifteen-quid ceiling this year and stuck to it, which is a first. These are the small gifts I've actually bought — proper shops, small makers, things people will genuinely use — and the viral TikTok present I've decided to leave on the shelf.
I spent three weekends in November 2026 doing the rounds so you can skip the duds. Here is what five UK Christmas markets are really like — queue times, £7 mulled wine, and whether the train fare is justified.