Christmas and the holidays can be an expensive time and we’re encouraged from every angle to buy more and do more to make our Christmas memorable. In this article we look at some simple Christmas money saving tips to help you stop overspending.
SIMPLE MONEY SAVING TIPS
Here are some simple money saving tips to help you create a wonderful Christmas filled with magic and meaning, hopefully without spending more than you can afford.
There’s a free Simple Christmas Planner you can get at the bottom of this article too!
Keep your Christmas traditions simple
No need to go overboard and do everything. Choose which Christmas traditions you’d like to follow and focus on making these special. There are plenty of traditions that cost little, if anything but you can remember for years to come.
Buy Christmas presents throughout the year
Don’t leave everything until the last minute. Spread the cost throughout the year.
Take advantage of sales
If you see something in the sales and it’s on discount but you think it might make a great Christmas gift for somone, snap it up and store it away until Christmas.
Take advantage of January discounts
Cards, gift wrap and Christmas decorations are often on discount right after Christmas is over so it’s a good time to be stocking up for the next holiday season.
Use coupons and vouchers
Instead of paying outright, keep any coupons and vouchers that you build up during the year and use these to pay for Christmas presents.
Points from store cards
As above, use store card points e.g. from supermarkets to pay for your Christmas food and treats.
Spread the cost of Christmas food
If you can buy non-perishable or food that’s suitable for the freezer in advance of the Christmas season then you can spread your food bill too.
Have a Christmas budget
Create a budget for how much you can afford to spend this year on Christmas. Allocate funds to food, drink, presents, decorations etc and keep to it as much as possible.
Avoid using credit cards
Where possible, avoid paying for Christmas on credit to avoid hefty repayments come the New Year. Unfortunately, so many of us increasingly rely on credit cards due to the cost of living so if you can’t avoid using your credit card totally, spend wisely and make sure you have an affordable plan for paying off your debt afterwards.
Pay for Christmas with cash
Avoid using cards at all by purchasing Christmas gifts and food with cash only. Allocate a certain amount to each item/person and only spend what cash you have.
Give simpler presents
Don’t feel you have to give big, expensive gifts. Chat with your family and friends and ask if they’d be happy to give and receive simpler presents this year.
Give your presence not your presents
You can gift your time, energy, skills and love in other ways than physical gifts. Think about offering to do the housework, walk the dog, cook dinner. Can you offer your skills instead of buying gifts? Here are some other tips to help us all prioritise connection over consumption.
Choose simple Christmas decorations
Just because the shops are full of Christmas stuff from September onwards, doesn’t mean that you need to fill your home in the same way. Choose a few meaningful Christmas decorations that bring festive fun and sparkle to your home instead of going overboard if you can’t afford it. Here are some tips on decluttering Christmas decorations.
Look at last delivery dates
Don’t leave it until the last minute to order food or gifts. Not only do you risk not being able to get what you need because it’s out of stock but you might have to pay expensive delivery costs so it doesn’t arrive late for Christmas.
Shop in person not online
It’s easy to press the ‘buy now’ button and end up spending too much online. The physical act of travelling to, choosing, paying for and carrying your shopping gives you time and space to think about what you’re buying and how much it’s costing.
Make a list of presents you’re going to buy
Keep a list handy with everybody’s names down the left hand side who you need to buy a gift for. When you know what you’re going to buy that person or you’ve bought something for them, write it down against their name. This avoids buying duplicate presents or missing someone out altogether.
Be organised
Being organised and planning what you’re going to buy, cook and need in the home at Christmas will help save you money. You’re less likely to need to do last-minute shopping with expensive delivery costs or have to pay more because you didn’t have time to find a cheaper but quality alternative. Here are 30 things to organise and plan for Christmas.
Write a wish list
Choose what you’d like for Christmas and give this to family and friends who want to buy you a gift. It will help them know what to buy you and they won’t waste money buying something you won’t use or want.
Ask friends and family for a wish list
For the same reason as you writing your wish list, it might be helpful to ask people what they’d like for Christmas too.
Meal plan for the Christmas week
Choose your menus for parties and gatherings over the festive period, including any snacks and drinks you might need. Use this meal plan to create a shopping list to take with you when shopping. It will help you know what you need to buy and avoid buying food you don’t really need.
Ask family and friends to contribute to the meal
Spread the cost of the meal and ask your guests to bring a plate of food or a bottle of drink.
Use up leftovers
There’s usually a fair amount of food left over so plan some recipes in advance where you could use these leftovers. Make sure you have any other ingredients you’ll need to make up these recipes.
Declutter your food cupboards
Before you start shopping for Christmas food, check what food you already have, including expiry dates. This way you won’t accidentally buy duplicates that you don’t need.
Don’t shop hungry
Avoid going food shopping when you’re hungry as, if you’re like my husband, you’ll be tempted to buy all sorts of foods that you might not really need!
Beware of Christmas deals
Supermarkets particularly love to entice us to buy things we don’t really need with some amazing Christmas deals. Just because it’s on offer doesn’t mean you need to buy it.
Don’t go shopping with children
It’s difficult for us adults to avoid the temptations of the shelves and even more difficult when we have little kids to say no to. Shop alone if you can!
DO YOU HAVE ANY CHRISTMAS MONEY SAVING TIPS?
I’d love to hear your ideas for Christmas money-saving tips. Do you have any ideas to share that might help others? Please leave a comment below!
OTHER RESOURCES TO HELP YOU SAVE MONEY
Here are some other resources to help you save money in different ways:
- Minimalism and Money: How Minimalism Can Help You Save Money
- How to Stop Impulse Buying and Purchase More Intentionally
- Minimalism and Shopping: How to Shop with Intention
GET YOUR FREE SIMPLE CHRISTMAS PLANNER
I’ve created a free Simple Christmas Planner to help you plan and prepare for Christmas. It will help you do many of the suggestions we’ve mentioned in this article.
Pop your details in the box below to get your copy direct into your inbox…