Lifestyle

10 tips for Christmas on a budget.

Christmas on a budget - girl about townhouseI’m not going to lie to you, Christmas on a budget doesn’t particularly sound fun. 

Christmas is supposed to be a time of indulgence, isn’t it? You’ve worked hard all year, so you deserve to go overboard on delicious food, too much booze and extravagant gifts for everyone, right?

Then you wake on 1st January full of good intentions for the New Year (with a bit of a fuzzy head). But the horror, oh the horror, when you see your bank balance in the minus figures.

Being in debt is not a fun way to start the new year.

Don’t panic my friend, because I am here with some ideas of how to have yourself a merry little Christmas, on a budget (and not seem like a grinch)!

1#Save all year

I know what you’re thinking, perhaps I could have bought this to your attention last January? Well unfortunately I hadn’t started the blog back then, but I am suggesting you plan now for Christmas next year. Work out how much Christmas has cost you this year and divide by 12, to see how much you’ll need to save each month. Set up a direct debit to a savings account and come next year you’ll have all the cash you need ready and waiting.

2#Secret Santa

Within the groups of people that you buy for (work colleagues, friendship circles etc), suggest that you put all your names in a hat and each pick one person to buy for. I love this idea, because it saves you money and time. 

3#DIY presents

Hit up Pinterest for amazing DIY gifts that are super cheap to make. Even if crafts are not your strong suit, there are a ton of really simple, but lovely gifts. I’ve made a Pinterest board with my favourite DIY gift ideas from around the internet just for you, so go ahead and find me on Pinterest. I will also be doing a tutorial for DIY gift ideas soon, so why not subscribe to my email list and I’ll have that post delivered right to your inbox when it arrives.

Christmas on a budget - Girl about townhouse

4#Divide up the dishes

If you’re hosting the Christmas lunch for a crowd, it’s amazing how much the costs can mount up. Why not suggest that others bring starter, dessert, evening buffet etc? It’s also worth considering where you’ll buy the food from. Last year we bought lots of food from Aldi, which saved us a ton of money and the food was really fantastic quality too. Might I add that their mince pies are amazing this year.

5#Pre-Christmas sales

Black Friday is on 25th November. No need to brave the stores in person though, you can survey the bargains at your favourite stores from the safety of your laptop or phone. Don’t get distracted though (damn you Instagram).

If you have nerves of steel, you can shop last minute, as lots of stores start their sales before Christmas now, rather than on boxing day. Boots normally have a 3 for 2 offer across all of their gifts sets and such a wide range too, I can usually get half my Christmas shopping done there.

6#Simplify Santa

Do you find yourself buying a trillion present for the kids stockings? I love this idea from Dixie Delights, her family goes by the rule of 4 gifts from Santa. Something they want, something they need, something to do and something to read. Something to do could be a trip to a theme park later in the year, so you wouldn’t need to pay for it all in December.  

7#Set a budget challenge

Last year my husband and I set a limit of £20 to spend on each other and it was fun seeing what presents we could find within the budget. 

8#Find the best prices

Shop around online to ensure that you are buying gifts for the best possible price. I often use price comparison sites such as pricespy or pricerunner to quickly find the best deal. It’s also worth checking ebay.

Christmas on a budget - Girl about townhouse

9#Earn some extra cash

By far the easiest  and quickest way to earn extra cash is to sell things you own. You can easily boost your budget by having a big clear out and selling any items you no longer want or need on ebay, facebook selling groups or a car boot sale. If you have lots of CDs and DVDs to sell I recommend music magpie. If you do receive any unwanted gifts, you could sell these too or re-gift them, so that they don’t go to waste.

10#Keep a detailed Christmas list

Rather than shopping on impulse and over spending, make a very clear list of who you need to buy for, how much you plan to spend and what you want to buy, if you know. Add each item you purchase on to the list including the amount you spend, so you can easily keep track.

I hope this has given you some ideas of how to have a fantastic Christmas without spending a fortune.

Have I missed anything? What are your best tips for a budget-friendly Christmas?

Let me know if the comments below.  

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10 tips for surviving Chrismas on a budget - Girl about townhouse

 

Cuddle Fairy

Brilliant blog posts on HonestMum.com

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10 Comment

  1. Heidi Brown
    November 17, 2016 at 9:47 am

    Fab tips, I do quite a few of these already – but definitely be putting a few others into practice. I would love to try some DIY presents but I’m not sure I have the type of friends and family that would appreciate them haha!!

    1. Caroline
      November 17, 2016 at 9:54 am

      Heidi, I know what you mean. I’ve made somethings for my nephew, he’s 3 months old so he can’t complain.

  2. Eb Gargano
    November 17, 2016 at 1:40 pm

    Super useful tips – thanks Caroline! I would add with the food side of things to really think about how much people will actually eat on Christmas Day and write a really specific list before you go shopping. (And stick to it!!) It is so easy to buy way more than necessary and have a whole load of food waste on Christmas Day. Eb x

    1. Caroline
      November 17, 2016 at 5:33 pm

      Good point Eb! I’m definitely guilty of making 10x more food than we actually need. X

  3. becca farrelly
    November 18, 2016 at 11:48 am

    Great ideas there! I love the 4 presents rule as its something I could easily implement! We are having a budget xmas as we are moving in January so we want to make sure we don’t over do it! I always go overboard on food but we are pretty good at sticking to a ‘present’ budget 🙂

    #brillblogposts

    1. Caroline
      November 18, 2016 at 7:42 pm

      Thanks Becca. I hope you have a lovely Christmas and that the move goes well. I have a post with some tips for moving here that might be helpful.:)

  4. Helena
    November 18, 2016 at 9:14 pm

    I love this. I’m a real lover of diy but my sisters are into their brands! #bloggerclubuk

    1. Caroline
      November 18, 2016 at 10:23 pm

      Ah that’s a shame Helena. I love homemade gifts!

  5. Nikki
    November 20, 2016 at 5:22 am

    These are really great tips, I love the holidays, but I hate the thought of overspending and having a rude awakening in January. My husband and I buy each other a few small things, but mostly we buy for the kids. They are older now and so they know to expect some things like toothbrushes and toothpaste, candy, gloves and slippers and heating blankets. It may not sound like the most extravagant Christmas, but we love spending it together. I love the idea of a secret Santa for friends and I’m definitely going to check out those price Checker sites that you mentioned. Thanks for the tips.

    1. Caroline
      November 20, 2016 at 8:37 am

      I totally agree, I just love spending time with my family and cooking for them all.

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