There is no getting away from it, you WILL
spend more money than you intend to this Christmas. There are a number of reasons for this; panic
buying, dis-organization and caving into pressure being some of the top
reasons.
BUT, it doesn’t have to be this way. With a little forward planning and
determination it is possible to have
an affordable Christmas that you remember for all the right reasons.
Follow these top 5 tips to make sure you don’t
have a nightmare before Christmas:
Set
a budget
All too often we approach Christmas the
wrong way: decide what we want to buy with a rough idea of budget in our minds,
and then worry about the actual cost afterwards. This will inevitably lead to
overspending. Decide your budget as
early as possible, and then work out how to have the best Christmas you can on
that budget.
Divide your budget into clearly defined
areas, such as Christmas food, kids presents, Christmas parties, etc. This will help you decide your priorities and
allow you to make alternative plans for anything you simply can’t afford.
Think
creatively
Once you have set your budget, you may
decide that there isn’t enough money in the Christmas kitty to buy presents for
your older siblings, or grandparents.
That’s OK as there are sure to be other, more creative solutions meaning
they don’t have to go without.
If you have young children, ask them to
paint pretty Christmas pictures for any family members you wont be buying presents
for. You can add heartfelt Christmas
messages to them, and I guarantee these will be more gratefully received than
even the most expensive shop bough present.
Homemade edible gifts are also a great idea – think gingerbread men or
mince pies.
Organisation
Being well organised is probably the best
Christmas money saving tip of all, and will help all the other tips listed here
actually happen. By planning, writing
lists, shopping around and setting expectations early you will avoid all last
minute stresses and overspending temptations.
Use
your skills
If you’re a fantastic seamstress, then use
your skills this Christmas to save precious dollars. Beautiful Christmas
stockings can be whipped up using cheap brown sacking cloth lined with red
gingham material. Children’s dressing up outfits can be craftily re-created
from old bed sheets. Put your imagination
and skills to work and you’ll be surprised at the results.
The
internet is your best weapon
Shopping online will guarantee you bag the
best deals. Not only will you save
money, you’ll save hours of time by being able to compare prices at the click
of the mouse, rather than having to traipse all over town.
In addition there are several fantastic
voucher code sites offering some amazing deals like money off a free delivery
before Christmas. For example, Charles
Tyrwhitt Promo Codes have some fabulous deals on men’s clothing, perfect
for even the most difficult to buy male in your life.
