Spending a lot of money is not necessary to have a magical Christmas. There are plenty of ways to enjoy the festive season without having to worry about your spending habits and stressing over your finances. Here are our tips and tricks for having a magical Christmas on a budget so you can celebrate the most memorable Christmas yet.
Set a Budget Now
Setting a budget in advance means you can start saving early and spread your costs evenly. It is also a great way to allocate funds and keep track of what you are spending. Ensure to include food, gifts, outings, decorations and anything else you are planning on buying at Christmas. Remember to keep a record of your budget so you can use it next year and see what worked and what you could improve on.
Think about Necessities
There are many things that aren’t necessary at Christmas that you can avoid spending money on. Save your money by cutting out on things such as extravagant outdoor Christmas lights, real Christmas trees that can’t be reused, fancy ribbons and bows on your presents and turning your Christmas lights off when no one is home to save on your energy bills.
Take Care of your Christmas Decorations
Look after your decorations and carefully store them after use so they don’t get damaged and can be reused for many years to come. Store fragile items wrapped in a box and keep an inventory of your decorations so you know what you have and can avoid buying duplicates.
Start New Traditions
If you are running low on money, now is a great time to start new family traditions that don’t make a big dent in your savings. Whether it’s a Christmas eve slumber party, Christmas movie night, setting up a tent in your lounge room or going to a free Christmas carols.
DIY Christmas Gifts and Decorations
This isn’t just a great way to save money, it’s also a lot of fun. Search Pinterest for the latest DIY decorations and handmade gifts to get some creative ideas. Gather up your friends or children and collect pinecones to spray paint with metallic paint and pile into a vase. Spend an afternoon with your kids making personalised baubles with ribbon, glitter, sequins or whatever you have in the house!
We hope these tips help you to have a magical Christmas no matter what your financial situation is. Remember, Christmas is more about enjoying celebrating with family and friends rather than spending your money on extravagant gifts. Want some inspiration for DIY gifts and decorations? Take a look at our Pinterest page!