If you are trying to save money for Christmas, the realization that there are only a few months left is incredibly frustrating and stressful. Christmas is a wonderful time, but when you feel like you’ve got to invest a lot of money into it and get credit card debt that lasts you well into the following year, it can be incredibly annoying but also anxiety-inducing. It’s important to have a great Christmas, but it’s also important to make sure that we don’t get ourselves into debt in the process. How do we do this?
Do Not Underestimate the Quality of Second-Hand Items
Sometimes we feel that we’ve got to buy brand new, and yes, there is something better about purchasing new, especially when it’s for the people you love, but you have to remember that there are high-quality items that you can get for cheap. You can purchase Rolex watches from WatchBox and choose second-hand options, but also remember that you can purchase items off auction websites and dress them up to be like new. Yes, this can involve a little bit more work, but there’s a lot of money saved in the process.
Focus on Cheap Food by Dressing it up Properly
Budgeting for a Christmas meal is crucial if you want to save money because we can feel that because “it’s Christmas” we should just go wild. The reality is that we end up buying too much food that we are dipping into well into January, and potentially beyond. The best thing that you can do is to create a menu plan, and once you’ve decided what you think you need to eat for the main meals, as well as snacks, you need to cost it all out. Once you do that, you can start to swap high-end brands for cheaper ones, especially when it comes to certain ingredients, for example, vegetables. A big Christmas feast has a lot of sides, and when you can dress up a frozen turkey with all the trimmings, nobody is going to complain about the taste!
Use the “Four Gift Rule”
When you are buying for children, you need to focus your spending on four key areas:
- Something they need.
- Something they want.
- Something to wear.
- Something to read.
When you focus your efforts on the Four Gift Rule, it’s going to keep you well on budget.
Focus on Quality Gifts
This is something that we should always have in mind when we are buying gifts because we’re going to give a better present to the people we love rather than buying a bunch of small ineffective gifts that they won’t remember this time next year. Quality gifts, whether it’s a day spa experience or vouchers for a gym membership or martial arts classes, are things that your family can use in real life, rather than just using them once.
Hopefully, these are a few things that can get you inspired to create the Christmas that you really want. Always remember that Christmas is about being with the people you love. Focus on this more than anything else, and you will not go far wrong!