For most mums, the thought of cutting back on Christmas presents for the children to instead lavish money on yourself goes completely against the grain. Particularly for those who usually make a thing of pushing the boat out to give the family the best festive season possible.

Janet Ashton used to fall into this category. Last year the 65-year-old mother of two, who works in healthcare, spent as much as £3,000 on Christmasincluding gifts, festive outings and the very best food she could afford.

But not this year. There’ll be no glittering Gucci earrings, Dyson Airwraps or trips to Lapland for her grown-up daughters, and she won’t be footing the bill for festive family meals in expensive restaurants either.

Her partner, who she’d ordinarily splash £200 on, will make do with a pair of new golf shoes costing no than £60. She’s even resisted the urge to spend a small fortune on her two grandchildren, aged eight years and four months.

the و to و and – تفاصيل مهمة

In fact, she estimates she’s slashed her spending by a whopping £1,000 on gifts alone.

But Janet’s festive frugalness is not due to cost of living price increases. No, in fact, there is a thoroughly modern reason for her seasonal spending cuts: she’s saving instead for her own guilty pleasure. Namely, weight-loss jabs.

‘It’s strange to prioritise myself at Christmas,’ admits Janet. ‘And at the same time it’s rather liberating!’

Since September this year, Janet has lost than 2st, thanks to her £130-a-month investment in Wegovy pens. And she doesn’t want to stop before she reaches her goal weight of 11st 5lb – just another 5lb to go, which she hopes she’ll achieve by the spring.

to و her و she – تفاصيل مهمة

But why not pause the fat jabs just for Christmas – and start again in the new year?

‘I’m so close to my target weight that I don’t want to risk taking a break,’ says Janet, who lives with her partner and has two daughters aged 33 and 29. ‘I’m sure I’d only end up putting some of the weight back on. This is about my health.

the و and و to – تفاصيل مهمة

‘I’m so much comfortable and confident in my clothes than I have been in years. I’d been slim my whole life until I hit the menopause and gained almost 3st that wouldn’t budge.

‘I’m 5ft 9in tall and my weight crept up to 13st 13lb. My back ached, I had pins and needles in my feet and acid reflux because of the extra pounds, and I felt uncomfortable in my clothes.

‘I tried all sorts of diets over the years and managed to lose a few pounds by fasting, but the jabs – which I researched and considered very carefully – have been a gamechanger. In just four months on a very moderate dose, I’m now down to 11st 10lbs and my target is 11st 5lbs.’

Janet, who has spent around £4,000 on her jabs so far, does admit that another incentive to dial back Christmas is she’d like to upgrade to the pricier Mounjaro – an extra £80 a month – having plateaued on Wegovy. It’s a rise that will be than covered by her Christmas savings.

and و to و a – تفاصيل مهمة

‘My BMI has already come down from an unhealthy 27 to 24, which is just inside the healthy bracket,’ Janet adds. ‘The jabs are expensive but I feel so much better that I don’t want to give up before I’ve reached my target weight just for the sake of Christmas.

‘My partner and daughters can see how losing the weight has had a transformative effect on me. In 2018 I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis after fracturing my spine and my back pain has improved 100 per cent since starting the jabs. The pins and needles and acid reflux are gone.’

No wonder her family have been so supportive of her spending less this Christmas.

‘I usually ruin my daughters, but have than halved the £500 I splurge on each of them, having put money aside for Christmas. Last year I treated us all to a family trip to Lapland, which cost thousands, but this month we’re staying put in London.

and و the و I – تفاصيل مهمة

‘They tell me they’d rather have a healthier, happier mum than expensive gifts. I’ve reigned it in with my grandson too, and where I used to spend £200 on him and even bought him a TV one Christmas, I’ve cut that to £100.

‘Though it’s tempting to go a bit mad with gifts to mark my baby granddaughter’s first Christmas, I’ve just bought her a few token gifts costing less than £30.

‘Although I absolutely love treating my family, I can’t afford to splash out on themandme.’

Thanks to the injections dulling her appetite, Janet is also saving hundreds of pounds on festive meals. After all, there’s ‘not much point’ going to expensive restaurants with her partner and friends when she isn’t hungry. Gone too are the pricey bottles of wine for Christmas lunch; cheaper versions in their place. Now, she finds that one glass of wine is just enough – again, thanks to the jabs.

to و her و the – تفاصيل مهمة

‘At this time of year I’m a sucker for sequins, but although most of my clothes are too big now, I’ve kept the money in the bank and dug out special outfits from my wardrobe that used to fit me before I gained weight.

‘Christmas will still happen whether I spend a fortune on my loved ones or not, and being there to spend time with them is what’s most important.’

It’s a similar story for Deanna Williams, 48, an exam invigilator who’s single and lives in north Nottinghamshire with her two children, aged 18 and 23.

Having lost over 3st and dropped down from a size 22 to a 16, she’s not willing to sacrifice her weight-loss pens for a pricey Christmas either. Particularly as she did pause them last December when she was on Mounjaro, and her weight shot back up to 13st 7lb from 12st 11lb.

a و and و to – تفاصيل مهمة

‘I felt so disappointed in myself,’ she says. ‘I ended up wishing I’d saved money so I could spend it on jabs instead – so that’s what I’m doing this year.’

Deanna first started on Mounjaro in June 2024, after a friend, who’s a nurse, recommended it to her. At her heaviest she weighed 17st, and was 15st 7lb by the time she ditched the likes of the Atkins diet and WeightWatchers for Mounjaro.

I و on و and – تفاصيل مهمة

This year her two kids are the only ones who’ll receive gifts; no friends or extended family. And Deanna has cut her total present budget from £300 to £100.

Last year’s food shop for Christmas Day set her back £200; this year she’s set a limit of £100.

‘It goes against my nature not to spend as much on my children, but I don’t feel too bad about it as they’re grown ups now. It would have been much harder if they were little.’

Gone, too, are the usual party season blow dries and beauty treatments, on which she previously spent £150 pre-Christmas. She’s even declined invitations for festive meals which she anticipates will save her another £150.

for و set و her – تفاصيل مهمة

‘I don’t drink or smoke, so salon treatments were my little treats,’ she adds. ‘But nothing can beat the feel-good factor of weight loss.’

With total savings of around £600 on what she spent last Christmas, Deanna has ensured there’s enough money to pay for three months’ of jabs – she recently switched from Mounjaro to the much cheaper Wegovy – £150 instead of £300 per month.

But having only lost a few pounds since, she’s concluded it may be false economy.

‘Although I had side-effects on Mounjaro including nausea, sickness, terrible constipation and a bit of hair loss tooit was effective. If I had the income, I’d revert to Mounjaro tomorrow.

of و to و Mounjaro – تفاصيل مهمة

‘My Christmas wish is that I’d like to reach 11st and a size 14 – I’m currently a size 16 and 12st 13lb, so I have almost 2st to lose.’

But how do her family feel about her Christmas cut backs?

‘My children were very supportive when I told them I wouldn’t be spending much this year. My blood pressure has come right down and the weight on my arthritic hips has eased, meaning less pain and mobility. They’re proud of me for losing the weight.’

Marketing manager Sophie Jones, 49, has had to covertly slash her festive spending as her parents don’t know her recent weight loss of 3st is down to jabs.

her و has و I – تفاصيل مهمة

‘They keep telling me I look amazing, but they’d be cross if they knew the reason I’ve lost weight is not in fact, down to diet and exercise,’ says Sophie, who’s married to graphic designer Andrew, 50, and lives in Dorset. ‘They’d worry that the jabs might not be healthy long term and that I shouldn’t be spending so much on them.

‘As for Christmas, I’m doing so well on the fat jabs that I don’t want to miss a couple of months so I’ve cut right back on spending this year.’

That includes regifting a jigsaw and some toiletries, and making gifts such as homemade chutneys, Christmas puddings and photo baubles for close friends, and only buying gifts for family that are on offer or heavily discounted. She’s also opted for single-course festive meals out with friends and colleagues in the run-up to Christmas rather than three courses to save money.

‘Luckily I don’t have the appetite now I’m on the jabs, either. I’ll save a small fortune on home entertaining too as I won’t be hoovering up mince pies and pigs in blankets throughout December like I used to.

and و on و for – تفاصيل مهمة

‘To my surprise, I’m really enjoying being frugal this year. I’m even looking forward to Christmas walks instead of expensive nights out.

‘I’ve saved money on fancy gift wrap by using brown paper, and I’ve got holly and other foliage from the garden to decorate my Christmas dining table instead of buying it at the garden centre. I usually go to lots of Christmas parties, but because I’m now a size 10, as opposed to the size 16 I started at, I’ve sold all my old Christmas party dresses on Vinted for £200, which is money for a new outfit.’

Sophie’s husband has fallen foul of her budgeting too: ‘I’ve spent around £175 on him, half what I normally would, including new trainers and running gear. He’s not concerned with how much things cost and can see how much happier I am with myself.’

She is also ditching the annual trip to the panto followed by dinner in a steak restaurant that she normally pays for with her neice and nephew. Meanwhile, Christmas dinner will be courtesy of Lidl instead of Waitrose, including a affordable turkey crown.

and و the و of – تفاصيل مهمة

‘We’ll save around £200, including £80 alone by not having a whole turkey. I don’t think most people will even notice that I’ve spent less because I think others are doing the same because of the cost of living. I’m sure that’s what my parents will assume if they spot that my gifts aren’t as financially generous as normal.

‘As for my dog, Nelly, she loves ripping the wrapping off her presents most, so I’ve just wrapped up some of her old toys.’

Meanwhile, her plans to take her team at work out for breakfast instead of a boozy dinner out is a masterstroke in saving money as she won’t have to buy multiple courses or alcoholic drinks. ‘They all think it’s a great idea as they get an entire morning off work instead of having a night out in their own time.’

So, any pangs of guilt for prioritising her svelte new figure over splashing out on loved ones?

her و of و out – تفاصيل مهمة

‘Occasionally I feel guilty,’ she says, ‘but then I remind myself I’ve put a lot of time and thought into the presents this year, which is what makes them special – not what you spend on them.

‘And it all means that I don’t need to worry how I’ll pay for my jabs for the next few months because I’ve overspent on the festivities. After all, I’m determined that my weight loss is for life, not just for Christmas.’

Some names have been changed