Christmas is coming! It's official! Adverts are on the TV, songs are on the radio, people are pulling their Christmas jumpers out of hibernation ready for December. There is so much fun and excitement associated with Christmas time, however for many, the stress of financing Christmas can be horrible. Is it possible to do Christmas on a budget? How can you cut back on what you spend? Where can you make savings and how can you create a budget that really works? Let's look a how to do Christmas on a budget with some top tips that could help save your festive season this year.
Make & Stick To a Budget
Firstly, how to do Christmas on a budget starts with a budget. We need to make a budget. Something that is realistic. You're probably not going to be able to give gifts, put food on the table and visit Santa's Grotto for £10. Figure out what is important to you. Prioritise the things that make Christmas Christmas for you and your family. Then you can figure out where you can spend the money you have. You can even look back at how much you spent last year to you can get a figure in mind. However many of us want to spend less on the festive season. See where you can make savings.
Maybe shifting to another supermarket for your food. It's still going to be delicious but you'll spend less! Perhaps buying things for different shops or spending more time researching the prices. You need to stay within the amount of money you are budgeting for each area of Christmas. It can be easy to be tempted by things on shelves or that we see in the shops. List making is perfect for staying within your budget, as is shopping online as you can simply only search for things you need and then close the laptop. t's harder to avoid things in shops where we are targeted with appealing festive things at eye level. Making the budget is the easy bit, it's sticking to it which is difficult.
Christmas food shopping on a budget
Only Buy What You Need
When you are looking at how to do Christmas on a budget you need to only buy what you need. We've sort of already covered it with the list making and being regimented in your purchases. However one thing that we should mention is the food. People overbuy food at Christmas and a lot of it stays unopened, used throughout the coming weeks or thrown in the bin. That is your cash you are throwing away if you're simply tossing out things that haven't been used.
How many loaves of bread do you really need for the 36 hours or so that the shops are closed? Are you going to really use 18 pints of milk? 4kg of potatoes is probably too much when there are four of you around the table. We panic buy, it's the fear of not having something. The fear of missing out. Figure out the food you're actually going to need and stick to that list. We're not saying don't enjoy festive food, just buy the amount you need. This is important when you are looking at how to do Christmas on a budget.
Make Your Own Gifts
Do you really have to buy gifts this year? Whilst there will be things that maybe your children are asking for, there will be people you perhaps want to gift something to that you can make something for. If you have a talent, create your own Christmas gifts. It is all too easy to buy a box of toiletries off the supermarket shelf, but in many ways it is soulless. When you put your time and energy and imagination into creating and crafting a gift, it is noticed. It is appreciated and it is enjoyed and loved that bit more.
Maybe you are a great graphic designer and can make a personalised print for a family. Perhaps you are an expert photographer and can capture a moment in time that will be fantastic as a gift. This could be a special place or a portrait of a loved one. Using your skills can be a great way of saving money when you are looking at how to do Christmas on a budget.
Talk To People About Gift Giving
One of the worst feelings is when you receive a gift from someone and you don't have one to give them back. This idea of I-will-give-you-this-and-you-will-give-me-that gift giving is hard to face when you don't have the cash. Your budget needs to be for your priorities. you might not have the cash to stretch to a gift for that Mum you chat to on the school run. What do you do this year, if the past couple of years she's gifted you something and you've felt like you have to give her something back? This happens with family as well. Extended families that maybe have more cash than you and you feel guilty for not giving them something in return. It is time to talk about gift giving. Openness and honesty is so important and it can lift weight off our shoulders too.
Talk to the people you aren't going to buy for this year. Explain that it's simply not in your budget and you aren't expecting a gift from them. Ask them not to give you anything because it makes you feel bad for not gifting them something in return. Perhaps they will be relieved because they are struggling financially. One in a hundred people might be offended, but most people who love you will understand. One great idea is to give the gift of time instead. Why not say that you want to spend a morning with them after dropping the kids off at school? Pack yourself a flask of coffee and go for a walk through the park. Time together is much better than a gift off the shelves. It's a great way to save cash when you are looking at how to do Christmas on a budget.
Save It For The Sales
Some of the stuff we buy for Christmas Day, drops in price, sometimes up to 50%, the day after! There are post-Christmas sales that start before Christmas these days. You probably won't be able to get them in time because they usually happen online rather than instore. However you could buy the gift, print out the order and pop it in a card for your loved ones. This probably won't work with kids as they love getting the gift there and then, but with friends and family it's an option. They'll get their gift within the week or fortnight. With children you won't see on Christmas Day, maybe nephews or nieces, you could buy them something in the post-Christmas sales and save cash. You'll save so much money by doing this and it's a good idea when looking at how to do Christmas on a budget.
A budget Christmas is indeed possible. However you need to put a little bit of time, planning and preparation in to stick to your desired budget. Figure out how much you can spend on the festive season this year and create the best possible Christmas within your budget.
