With the Christmas period upon us, it can be a time of dread for many. Christmas has become more and more expensive over the years, and if you haven’t managed to put enough money away for it, it can leave you feeling a bit disgruntled over the holiday period. While some people go all out buying the most expensive presents over the holidays, sometimes you don’t need to spend a fortune to have a great Christmas. More expensive doesn’t always mean better; you only need to look at the honest company lawsuit to see that.
We have compiled a handful of awesome tricks to help you save money while maximizing on Christmas cheer for you here.
Send cards not gifts
You do not need to send an expensive gift to show people you are thinking of them. Often a nice card and a heartfelt message can mean a lot more to someone. Buying cards in bulk or handmaking them yourself is a great way to save even more.
Plan your list in advance
Make sure you plan in advance what you are going to buy everyone. Keep that list with you and take it with you when you go shopping. Be strong and don’t give in to impulse buying by following your list. Try and establish your budget ahead of time so you can use it to plan your list.
Save money when it comes to wrapping paper
Don’t buy that expensive wrapping paper from the shop, go to discount shops, or re-use wrapping paper from previous gifts. Not only will this save you a fortune, you are also saving the planet, two birds, one stone.
Do your shopping online
You can’t argue with the fact that you normally get the best deals by shopping online. Shopping online has a multitude of money-saving benefits. You save money on gas; you get better deals on your purchases, and you eliminate the chance of impulse buying by smart displays in real-life stores. Just make sure you set a budget again and stick to it. Another tip here is to be strategic when you are planning your purchases if you need to reach a certain spend limit to get free delivery and you might end up buying more from that store later, wait until you can do it all at once.
Ditch store-bought and go for handmade
Just like with the cards, handcrafted gifts can often trump expensive presents. Some ideas here could be crafted goods or homemade cookies and cakes. If you type in handmade gift ideas into google, you will find an unlimited amount of options. You could even give coupons promising your services. You could run errands or cut the lawn. Often people will appreciate this as much as any gift.
Finally, focus on the festivities, not the gifts!
It’s that time of the year you get to spend with loved ones, give people the gift of your company. Make the time to see friends you don’t normally visit elderly family members and plan to do stuff with your siblings. It’s a magical time of the year, don’t waste it thinking only about the gifts!
