Arabnews24.ca:Tuesday 6 December 2022 12:36 AM: Amid soaring energy costs, another thing that has grown in recent years is the popularity are expensive advent calendars.
Gone are the days when a £1 Cadbury's classic would suffice - now they can cost hundreds and are filled with anything from miniature gins to a stack of beauty products.
Last year, Chanel went viral for its £610 advent calendar.
Shaped like a mini bottle of perfume it included some smaller-sized perfumes, body cream, stickers, lipstick and... not a huge amount else of value. With people online estimating the cost of the products around £200, it was very hard to justify the price.
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One of this year's most expensive advent calendars comes in at an incredible £22,000. Shaped like a stately home, the luxury jewellery and gift set from C W Sellors contains a number of expensive individual pieces.
It is around this time that influencers are seen touting these calendars online and it can be easy to fall into the trap of feeling it's something you need.
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Always do your research before plunging your money into one - although it can feel like spoiling the fun, most have a list online of what is available inside. Double-check that they are products you will actually use.
If you want a cheaper alternative, consider teaming up with a friend and building each other an advent calendar. You can each fill it with products - beauty or otherwise - that you know the other will actually use, and ensure that your money isn't wasted.
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If you want to cut costs further, consider doing just the 12 days of Christmas, rather than a full 24.
To build one for children, a book advent calendar is one you can reuse - pick up some Christmas-themed books at any charity shop and you can rewrap it each year, changing out a few books as they get older.
But if you still aren't sure, remember that December is just as exciting without opening a tiny door every day.
