Is honesty the best policy when I can’t afford Christmas presents? Bryony Gordon answers your festive questions on new podcast episode

For many, Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year – but it could also be the most expensive, with the cost of presents and visiting family racking up quickly.

This is certainly the case for Aurora, who wrote into Mail columnist Bryony Gordon’s podcast for some festive advice.

‘Every year I overspend on Christmas gifts because I hate the idea of looking cheap,’ Aurora penned. ‘But this year things are different.’

The woman, who preferred to use an alias, goes on to confess 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 presents is out of the question and I’m struggling with how to approach it.

‘Should I just be honest with everyone about why I’m pulling back, or is that too awkward?’

The anonymous listener said she even ‘thought about lying’ and telling friends and family she had made a donation to charity in their name.

‘But that’s awful, right?’ Aurora asked. ‘How do I handle this without feeling guilty or letting people down, especially myself?’

In 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, that jumped in with an immediate piece of ‘sage’ advice for Aurora.

‘Honesty is the best policy’, he said bluntly. 

Mocking his decisiveness, Bryony’s brother Rufus said: ‘Next question.’

Offering Aurora a more extensive answer, Bryony suggested that she let her family know about losing her job and subsequent financial struggles ‘because they might want to help’.

The award-winning journalist said: ‘Christmas isn’t just about presents. It’s about family and love, and there are other ways that you can show that at Christmas.

‘Your family should love you unconditionally so they’ll love you regardless of what you get them, and maybe a gift to them this year might be the honesty.

‘Maybe they would really like to be supporting you through this.’

If you are struggling with finances this festive season, Bryony Gordon suggests that you tell your family and friends the truth (Stock Image) 

Her father agreed and said: ‘Give them the opportunity to show some Christmas spirit.’

Jack then suggested that ‘sometimes the best presents are more thoughtful than expensive’, before going off on a tangent about his own Christmas spending.

Talking to his sister, he said: I got you milk frother last year.

‘How much do you think a milk frother is? It’s like a hundred pounds.

‘Does it produce the milk as well? Is there a small cow in there?’

Podcast host Bryony then cuts him off and said sarcastically: ‘We were in danger there of answering a question sensibly and succinctly until we had to get on to the f****** milk frother.’

She quipped: ‘Aurora – there’s a milk frother with your name on it.’

Ever feel like life is a bit…too much? Bestselling author and journalist Bryony Gordon is here to ditch the shame and dive headfirst into life’s messier bits. Search for The Life of Bryony wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes released every Monday and Friday.