It’s hard to believe that we’re already approaching Winter, but this has been a strange old year. With Christmas round the corner, now is actually the perfect time to start both planning and budgeting for it. The festive season can be tough on your wallet — especially if you have a big family. Not only do you have to think about the presents, but also the food, the parties and the festive outfits! If you find yourself waiting for payday throughout these months, try out some of our tips to make Christmas a less expensive or stressful affair.
Plan Ahead
It might seem strange to organise your Christmas budget, but starting early will really help you out in the long run. By doing this, you won’t be stuck paying for the entire holiday with one month’s paycheque, and you’ll be able to use more money. It’s also easier to save money if you buy presents earlier. Although Christmas deals look tempting, they usually don’t make any difference. It’s far easier to buy your presents earlier in the year when you won’t be sucked into these so-called bargains.
Planning ahead also gives you more time to enjoy the lead up to Christmas, which sadly many of us neglect to do. You don’t know true satisfaction until you’re sat in Costa, cradling your Christmas drink, watching everyone around you panic about all the presents they still have to buy. You’ll also have more money to spend on fun Christmas activities, like ice skating or exploring the Christmas markets. Just make sure you don’t buy Christmas presents too far in advance, especially for children. The chances are that the toy or gadget that they were utterly obsessed with in March will be irrelevant by December. Wait until around halfway through the year before you start trying to guess what’s on your loved ones’ Christmas lists.
Make Some Presents
Making presents can be a great idea. If done well, they can save you a lot of money, especially if you’re able to buy in bulk the parts needed to make multiple gifts. And the recipient will truly appreciate the time and effort you put into crafting their gift. But never set yourself the task of making all of your presents. This is not only stressful, but it’ll take up a lot of your time too. And Christmas is when you need this time the most since it’s often the most hectic part of the year. Although budgeting is important, so is your own sanity. If you don’t have any time to take a breather in the midst of all the commotion, then you should reconsider making your own gifts.
What’s more, homemade presents can even sometimes be more expensive than shop-bought presents. For example, if you’re making handmade soaps as Christmas gifts, high-quality ingredients can be quite expensive and difficult to find, so it may be more economical to buy them. If you’re keen on making your own presents, make a list of all the parts you need. And make sure you remember to factor in extra of each part, in case something goes wrong.
Once you’ve done that, add up the cost and compare it to the cost of the gift which comes directly from the shop. If making the gifts yourself costs too much, don’t be ashamed to ditch the idea. If you still want to make a homemade present, but you’re stuck for ideas, consider making some homemade chocolate gifts. These can be very easy, economical and can even be made in bulk. And if you do this, you’ll get the fun (and highly important) job of taste testing the finished product.
Go Second Hand
This is a great and ethical way to save money. Pre-loved items are sold at a lower price, and since they’re able to be used by two or more owners, this means that they’re usually better quality too. Going second hand is great for the environment as well. We’re living in the era of fast fashion, which means that every day, more and more of our items of clothing are sent to landfill. So if you buy second-hand clothes as presents, you’re giving that item of clothing another chance, and you’re not adding another item to the landfill by buying new.
There are a number of places where you can buy pre-loved items. Charity shops are a great place to start looking. Although the shops can be quite small, you have the added bonus of getting to see the products in person. And as the items are checked over by the volunteers before going out onto the shelves, you’re less likely to end up with damaged and poor quality goods. Plus you’ll be giving your money to a charitable cause, which is what we all should be doing at Christmas.
You can also look online for second-hand stuff to get a wider selection of choice. Depop is a great place to find clothes, and Shpock is full of high-quality tech at a reasonable price. If you want a real bargain, try looking on Gumtree, as you can sometimes get free items if you’re willing to pick them up in person. Of course, we all have to be more careful with buying second-hand items at the minute. Fortunately, buying second hand is still safe, as long as you follow precautions. Let items sit idle for up to 72 hours, and sanitise them after. If you buy second-hand clothes, make sure to wash them before using or gifting them.
Be Strict With Your Budget
When buying gifts, it’s always tempting to go just a little bit over. If your office secret Santa gift has a £10 limit, but you see the perfect present for £14.99, it can be hard to say no. But sticking to your budget is crucial if you want to ease your money worries over the Christmas period. It might not seem much, but a few pounds here and there really does add up. A good way to force yourself to stick to your budget is to create a separate account which is solely for Christmas gifts. That way, it’s easier to see how much budget you have left, and you’re far less likely to splurge. And try not to worry about your presents not being expensive enough. Your loved ones will love whatever you give them — most of the time.
Written by Siobhan Kelly
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