15 December 2019

The Festive Season On A Budget


Holiday gift-giving can be draining, both on your mental health & your wallet. 2019 is quickly coming to an end & that means that the Christmas season is upon us. 

As you get older, the holiday spirit takes on a different meaning. Hopefully the feelings of cheer & goodwill with stay the same, but your attitude towards presents starts to shift. I know it has for myself. It changes from something you await eagerly to something you endure wearily. 

Gift-giving does take on new connotations once you're expected to give as much as you get. It can feel like an imposition to spend so much money on so many different people - especially if you're living on a tight budget. But Christmas shopping doesn't have to be a budget buster & there are plenty of ways you can cut back on holiday expenses, you just have to be willing to try something new. Here's some of my favourite methods of cutting back over the holiday period. 

Make A Budget 
Christmas spending often goes overboard when we fail to match our budget with our shopping list. To avoid overspending, determine how much you can afford & then make a list of all you holiday obligations. Then attach a dollar amount to each item, overestimating slightly. 

Find Extra Savings 
By this I mean keep an eye out for sales & discounts. Around this time of year there are generally plenty of sales & discounts up for offer but another small way I tend to save is on wrapping. Don't get me wrong, I love wrapping Christmas gifts more than anything, but wrapping paper, bows, ribbons & name tags quickly all add up. When it comes to shopping for these items I prefer to shop at the dollar stores. If you do this, you can normally get everything you need for a really good deal. 

Cheaper Alternatives 
Instead of buying everyone on your list an expensive present there are alternatives such as putting the money you'd spend on gifts to treating everyone to dinner at your favourite restaurant or even better, cooking them a meal yourself! A movie night could always be an option too! Another alternative that my family participates in every year is a gift exchange. We draw a name out of a hat, set a price limit & that becomes our designated person to buy for this Christmas. It's the perfect way to be able to buy a substantial gift without ruining your budget! 

Talk To Your Family & Friends 
If money is tight, Christmas can feel more like an imposition than a celebration. Stressing about the holidays isn't fun & can lead to feeling of resentment. You might just find they're feeling the same way. 

B x

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