I’m Britain’s meanest gran – I’ve saved £20k giving my grandkids rubbish Xmas presents that I’ve scavenged off streets
SCROOGE has got nothing on tight-fisted gran-of-five Emma Parsons Reid, 57, who proudly reveals why she refuses to splash out on loved ones at Christmas.
Relaxing in a hot tub with bubbles tickling her chin, Emma Parsons Reid laughed to herself.
The spa break cost £400, but the self-confessed “meanest nan” and husband Kevin knew they could afford it after deciding to spend a total of just £80 on Christmas gifts for their family.
Emma’s daughter Hannah, 34, a single mum and community worker, and her five children, Elise, 17, Isabella, 14, Scarlett, 12, Lacey, nine, and Ivy, eight, get just one present each.
And Granny’s gifts are usually from a charity shop, or sometimes even scavenged from the street.
“I’m Britain’s meanest nan and mum,” 57-year-old Emma, from Ely, Cardiff, proudly says.
“I will use the money I save on buying presents for the grandkids on a fancy trip for myself and Kevin, usually a day at a five-star spa.
“We’ll have a lovely time relaxing in the hot tub, swimming and enjoying a meal. I don’t feel guilty. Why should I? I work hard for my cash and I want it spent on me.
“Children should learn the value of money — and Nintendo Switches and Lego sets don’t teach them that.”
Emma’s “tight” attitude is in stark contrast to the nation’s more generous one.
A survey by SunLife revealed nearly a third of grandparents expect to spend more than £150 on their grandkids.
“Bonkers,” says Emma.
“Next year they won’t even remember what they got but I’ll remember having a lovely time. I think it’s symptomatic of a wider problem — spoiled brats and snowflake parents.
“Kids today just expect, expect, expect. It wasn’t like that when I was younger. You said thank you and you wrote a nice note after receiving your gift. I don’t want to give my grandchildren expensive gifts if their behaviour isn’t good.”
Emma’s Scrooge-like stance started when Hannah was a teen and continues to this day.
She estimates that by cutting back on Hannah and her grandchildren’s’ presents she has saved £20,000 — money spent spoiling herself and Kevin, 63, who she met 22 years ago on a blind date.
Emma makes her grandchildren work for the presents they do get.
On Christmas Day, she makes each one pick a number, then rolls a dice. If their number is called, they get to open their present.
“It works well,” she says.
“It means people really enjoy their gift, even if it only cost a few pounds on Vinted, or I found it on the street.”
Over the years she has given her grandchildren items including a well-worn Etch A Sketch, badminton set with no shuttlecocks and old Disney videos, although they do not own a VHS player.
‘Charity shops are great’
“It’s the thought that counts,” says Emma, who is not averse to giving the kids as little as a satsuma.
The retired civil servant says she is willing to spend more money on her grandchildren if the reason is legitimate.
“I might help towards the cost of a school trip to Dunkirk, or a visit to see the Bayeux Tapestry,” she says.
“That’s educational. But I won’t splash out on tat. I instil the value of money and education in them.”
Emma says her attitude dates back to when she was a child growing up in Cardiff.
“I was never spoiled at Christmas. If I got one gift and a stocking, I would be happy and grateful.
I was never spoiled at Christmas. If I got one gift and a stocking, I would be happy and grateful
Emma
“These days, people go overboard. Parents give their kids dozens of gifts. It’s sickening.
“No wonder there are so many entitled children stomping about.
“Meanwhile, grandparents are being guilt-tripped into spoiling their grandchildren.”
This year, Emma has trawled charity shops, spending 20p and 30p a time on second-hand make-up, bath bombs and other smellies she finds in discount boxes.
“I visit car boot sales too, and find ornaments for the kids. I usually get a box for a couple of quid,” she says.
“Charity shops are great for finding board games, Lego and little toy stocking fillers.
“I might find a nice used shirt or T-shirt on Vinted or in a charity shop, wrap it nicely and give it to my daughter.
“And all my neighbours know that if they’re chucking out ornaments, crockery, or clearing the bathroom cupboards, they should let me look at their bin boxes before they head to the dump.”
Emma then puts her foraged finds in a special ‘tat’ cupboard at home.
“I add to the cupboard all year round, it means no stress at Christmas,” she says.
This week, Emma has started creating little gift bundles for her grandkids. She is using recycled ribbon and old wrapping paper.
She never spends more than £5 on each child and is frugal when it comes to Secret Santas, too.
She says: “Used charity shop mugs cost 50p. I fill them up with sweets or chocolates I get at a pound shop. People never complain. I think they are too scared.”
‘Entitled brats’
Despite tightening her purse strings where friends and family are concerned, Emma will not be scrimping on herself or her husband this festive season.
“Kevin and I had a lovely two nights away at a posh hotel, costing £300, and a three-course meal using cash I’d saved by buying tat for the grandkids this Christmas,” she says.
Emma has also booked two spa days for herself, costing a total of £450 and including massages, facials, manicures and pedicures — to help her cope with the stress of the holidays.
“I’m getting my eyebrows microbladed, my hair cut and coloured and I can’t wait,” she says.
“And I am planning another posh mini break for myself and Kevin. My festive shopping is all done and I am spending cash I’ve saved on quality ‘me time’.”
Despite reining in her spending on gifts, the tight-fisted nan says she is generous in other ways.
“When I babysit them or they visit, I give them ‘Nanna time’ and they thrive on it,” she says.
“I take them for walks in the woods, even if it is bucketing down, and make it an adventure.
“They moan at the start but by the end of the muddy walk, they want to keep going.
I am used to Mum’s super-tight ways.
Daughter Hannah
When I was a child, I’d tell her what I wanted and she’d find the cheapest rip-off version instead. It was embarrassing.
“I take time to talk to them and I bake with my older granddaughters. We will chat about everything from boys to schoolwork to music.
“Spoiling children at Christmas is bonkers. It breeds rude, entitled little brats.
“My gift to the grandkids is me.”
Hannah says: “I am used to Mum’s super-tight ways.
“When I was a child, I’d tell her what I wanted and she’d find the cheapest rip-off version instead. It was embarrassing.
“She always gives the grandkids absolute rubbish, but they are now used to Granny’s odd ways and we just roll with it.
“I am completely different. I buy the kids the items they want and spoil them.
“It’s the result of my stingy, Scrooge-like mum’s ways.
“She doesn’t like to get tat herself though.
“She provides us with a detailed list of what she wants for Christmas and we have to spend big.
“She reckons she is worth it.”
- Additional reporting: Alley Einstein