If money is tight over Christmas, then why not consider ways to cut festive spending? Saving money at Christmas time is probably easier than you think! You can definitely cut back on some of the costs associated with gifts and food. Take a minute to read through the following suggestions.
1) Set A Budget
It’s important to set a budget for yourself before you start buying gifts. It’s easy to spend too much when you’re not keeping track of your purchases. More importantly, it can be financially dangerous for those struggling month to month. So set a limit for yourself and stick to it. This will help to ensure that you don’t go overboard while shopping and also ease the financial stress that Christmas tends to bring with it.
2) Baked Goods And DIY Gifts
DIY gifts are a very heartfelt and widely popular way to express how you feel about the important people in your life. You’ll find a variety ideas for DIY projects, as well as tutorials on how to make them, on popular websites like Pinterest and Facebook.
Baking treats for the people on your gift list is also a greatly appreciated, age-old tradition. You can keep it simple and make a communal plate of treats for your co-workers. Alternatively, you could personalise things by whipping up some of each individual’s favourite sweets. In most cases, buying the materials and/or ingredients needed for DIY gifts and baked goods will cost significantly less than buying one that’s already made.
3) Have A Potluck Christmas Dinner
Try hosting a potluck dinner this year by simply asking your guests to bring the dish of their choice. Since the host is typically expected to provide the main course, think about requesting side dishes and desserts.
Leave the choice of what to bring to the people attending. Part of the fun of a potluck is the variety of dishes. This not only relieves much of the stress of planning a traditional Christmas dinner for a group of people, but it will typically save you money without sacrificing on quality or quantity.
4) Organise A Secret Santa Christmas
Secret Santa is a fun tradition for many. It is most commonly implemented among friends and co-workers, as a means to save a substantial chunk of money on gift giving. Because Secret Santa involves drawing a random name from a collection of participants, you’re limited to buying just one gift for the person whose name you drew, rather than a gift for everyone in your circle. If you’re in charge of Secret Santa this year, check out this guide to organising.
While it may be difficult to get young children on board with the idea of receiving only one gift for Christmas, it’s great for families with children who have grown up and understand the importance of limiting spending during this time of year.
5) Shop All Year Round
For many people, shopping for Christmas gifts all year round is the best way to cut costs on festive spending. It reduces much of the frustration of Christmas shopping and also saves you from buying gifts at inflated prices. Year-round shopping allows you to take advantage of amazing sales you can generally find throughout the year. But make sure you store everything in the same place and make a note of what you’ve bought. Otherwise, you may end up forgetting what you’ve bought and spending more overall!
These are just five easy ways to cut your Christmas spending without feeling like Scrooge. Remember, it’s not the amount of money you spend, it’s the thought that counts!