No matter how much you have to spend over Christmas, everyone should be able to enjoy the festive season without worrying about finances. We’ve put together some tips and tricks to help you celebrate the most wonderful time of the year without a high price tag!
Set your budget in advance. It’s easy to let the costs of Christmas pile up if you’re not organised. Know how much you have to spend in total; then write out all the different types of costs you’ll encounter – food, presents, outings, decorations – and decide how much you wan to spend on each. You’ll need to be strict with yourself. There’s no point committing to a budget is you blow it two weeks later.
Talk to family about gifts and parties. If you have a large family, suggest doing a Kris Kringle, or that everyone bring a plate in lieu of gifts to Christmas lunch. If you still want to buys gifts for all your family members or close friends, a price limit is a good way to keep things fair and remove some pressure. Plus you can get creative – it’s amazing what you can find at markets, fairs or even second-hand shops!
Start buying well in advance. It might seem like your budget will be stretched thin if you start earlier, but it gives you time to take advantage of different sales throughout the year. Keep a list so you don’t forget who you’ve bought for or what you got them.
DIY some of your decorations! This isn’t just a great way to save money, it’s also a lot of fun. Gather up your friends and collect pinecones to spray paint with silver or glitter paint and pile into a vase. Or spend an afternoon with your kids making decorating baubles with ribbon, glitter, sequins or whatever you have in the house!
At the end of the season update your budget tracker one last time to see how you went. Don’t throw it away though! You can use it next year to see what worked and what you could improve on.
Want some inspiration for DIY gifts and decorations? Take a look at our Pinterest page!