With just over 20 days till Christmas, you should have by now been planning early to prevent spending a fortune at the last minute. This isn’t about celebrating early; it’s about getting ready. You can do a slew of things right now to relieve financial stress and avoid running out of money in January. This varies from shopping in the cheap designer sales to making your own Christmas decorations.
We love Christmas just as much (if not more) than the next person, but one thing that can put a damper on our Yuletide mood is thinking about the significant dent it makes in our bank account. But, with a splash of ingenuity and a sprinkle of budgeting wisdom, you’ll be able to have the Christmas you’ve always wanted without the bank balance of your nightmares. So, keep these valuable tips in mind this festive season.
Budgeting – Consider this before you begin planning: many people make a wish list of everything they want, including gifts for everyone and a delicious meal, and then wonder, “How will I pay for it?” That’s a surefire way to go bankrupt. Instead, figure out your budget and ask yourself, “How much can I afford to spend?” Christmas is only one day; don’t let it ruin the rest of the year.
Prioritise – We all want a turkey dinner with all the trimmings, as well as the latest video game console for Christmas. Still, the overdraft won’t stretch far enough. You’ll never be able to fulfil all that featured in your ideal holiday vision, especially if you’re doing Christmas on a budget. So, grab a pen and paper and start brainstorming what’s the most essential to you this year. It’s a sad reality that you won’t be able to buy gifts for everyone you know, or that you won’t be able to attend every Christmas party you’ve been invited to. Still, once you’ve figured out what you want for Christmas, you can start planning how to make it happen.
Wrapping – Wrapping Christmas gifts is one of my favourite things to do, but wrapping paper, bows, and ribbons can rapidly add up. For all of my wrapping needs, I go to the bargain store, where you can acquire plenty of paper for a few pounds. I collected cartoons from the Sunday paper to wrap my gifts when I was on a low budget. Yes, your gifts won’t look as lovely beneath the tree, but it’s preferable to spending a lot of money on something that will be thrown away.
Combined Presents – Instead of buying individual gifts for each person, you can save money while still delivering fantastic gifts by giving a somewhat more expensive gift to two or more people. For example, instead of buying a Barbie Car for each of my three nieces, we could buy a Barbie Dream House for them all to enjoy.
Personalised Gifts – When it comes to buying Christmas gifts on a tight budget, it’s all about thinking! Choosing bespoke gifts is one of the finest methods to save money without dropping your gifting game. For example, a personalised beer glass could be a nice present for your father. In the meantime, your pals will like receiving a photo cube loaded with fond memories. Low-cost gifts can rapidly become priceless by adding a personal touch!
Discount Codes – Budgeting for Christmas can be complicated, so keep an eye out for specials and discounts to help you stay on track. You can find a lot of codes and deals for toys and gadgets on NetVoucherCodes, which you may use when buying gifts.
Gift Vouchers/Cheques – It is not necessary to spend a lot of money on gifts. Your time could be the best present, whether it’s breakfast in bed, taking care of some life admin, or washing someone’s car. So, instead of spending, resolve to do something nice by printing out free Christmas gift cheques.
Secret Santa – Every December, you may find yourself shopping for Christmas gifts for family, friends, coworkers, students, and so it goes on (as do the costs). Suggest doing Secret Santa instead of Christmas shopping to keep the festive mood alive without going into significant debt. If you’ve never heard of Secret Santa, it entails placing names in a hat and having each individual draw one from it. Then, you buy a gift for anyone you get out of the hat, but no one else. For gifts, there is usually a specified budget, and it is generally kept secret. Decide amongst each friend/family group who wants to participate, put your names in the hat, and set a maximum spending limit that you’re all okay with. In this manner, everyone receives a beautiful present, and no one goes broke.