8 Steps To A Financially Stress-Free Christmas

Christmas? But it’s only October I hear you say! Unlike putting up the decorations, it’s never too early to start saving for the big day. According to YouGov, a typical family spends £796 at Christmas and many end up pushing their budgets to the limit and pay the proverbial price for most of the following year.

Don’t be one of those people – don’t spend more than you can comfortably afford.

With only 12 weeks to go, there are steps you can take NOW to make sure Christmas spending doesn’t get you in a financial pickle.

To Give Or Not To Give?

Most of the money we spend at Christmas goes on gifts for friends and family. Of course, you’ll want to spend on your darling nieces and nephews, but do you really need to exchange gifts with your sister, brother-in-law and Aunt Emily?

We can all save money to spend on other things if we agree with certain friends and family members not to exchange gifts. You’ll probably see relief written all over their faces when you suggest it – after all, who needs more stress at an already stressful time of year?

If you decide that Christmas isn’t Christmas without exchanging gifts with all and sundry, agree to set a limit on the amount you spend. It will be easier to narrow down gift choices and you’ll save some of your hard-earned dosh.

Make A List… And Check It Twice

Once you know who you’re buying for, make a Christmas gift list. It can look overwhelming, especially if you’ve children to buy for, but if you nip away at it bit by bit, it’ll become more manageable.

Take the list with you wherever you go and if you see that Super Mario game you had in mind for your son on offer at the supermarket in November, nab it and cross it off the list.

Tip: Quite often, twelve weeks before Christmas is the time that toy shops such as The Entertainer and Toys R Us have excellent sales, so if you’re buying toys, take advantage of them.

If you know which gifts you’re buying, keep an eye on price comparison sites such as Pricerunner and Kelkoo to ensure you buy at the cheapest price possible.

Season’s Greetings

You can spend a fortune on fancy Christmas cards. But sometimes, rather than buying sparkly hand-crafted individual cards, you can find some quality gems (and save money) from your local supermarket or card shop. You can personalise them with sequins or extra glitter (no, scrap that one…how annoying is glitter on cards?) or by sticking photos of your children or pets inside them.

To save on postage, hand deliver if possible, but if you do have to post, buy second class stamps – just give yourself a couple of weeks in advance of the Big Day to post.

The absolute best way to save on cards and other Christmas paraphernalia such as crackers and decorations, is to buy them in the January following Christmas. Shops are desperate to get rid of last year’s stock so they sell items at hugely discounted prices. If you’re organised to do this, make sure to remember you’ve already bought cards, decorations and crackers when you consider buying more 11 months later!

‘Tis The Season To Be Jolly

Alcohol can be pricey. A good tip is to start buying right now – a bottle of wine or spirits every two weeks or so, so that by Christmas day, you’ll have a bar-full. Whatever you don’t get through (yeah, right) save, or give as birthday presents to adults the following year.

Buying in bulk almost always saves you money. Look out for savings (especially in supermarkets). Check the Bring a Bottle website to find the best prices on beers, spirits and wine. Don’t leave buying alcohol to the last minute – it’s a big expense that should be spread over a few weeks at least.

Festive Food Foresight

Start buying a few weeks before Christmas (obviously only items with a use-by date that beyond the festive period). Boxes of chocolates, nuts, crisps, sweets, some cheeses are just of the items you could keep for a while in advance. Look for the deals and bulk-buy discounts. Go to MySupermarket to compare the cost of goods at the big online supermarkets.

Make use of unused loyalty points with supermarkets or high street retailers. If you want to avoid the last-minute rush at the supermarkets, order your food online, but be aware that for priority access to Christmas slots (which go like wildfire), you’ll have to subscribe to their delivery service a month or two before – so do it now!

For a “sharing is caring” kind of Christmas, ask your guests to bring along a dish to Christmas dinner: takes all the burden off you and brings a little variety to the dinner table.

P.S …for all that food that’ll be going to waste after the Christmas period, I’ve found a really interesting website that offers recipe ideas for leftover food: Love Food Hate waste.

Quit The Kitchen?

Many hosts spend 90% of Christmas Day in the kitchen but would rather spend it with family. If you fancy the idea of letting someone else buy the food and cook for you, now’s the time to book a restaurant – the good ones get booked up well in advance so make your reservation soon!

Hostess With The Most-ess

If you’re thinking of hosting a party over the festive season, draw up your guest-list and send out your invites now! Like sophisticated restaurants, sophisticated people get booked up quickly so get your invitation to them pronto!

Christmas Eve and Boxing Day: After-thoughts?

So Christmas Day is planned; you know what you’re buying, who for and how much to spend… but have you thought about those two little days either side?

Usually Christmas Eve and Boxing Day will require some extra expense, so plan for them now and factor them in your budget.

However, there are some low cost (or no cost) festive fun to be had.

Many people join midnight Mass at church on Christmas Eve. This costs nothing to attend (although donations to the church will be welcomed) and you’ll really get into the Christmas spirit. If you want to go with friends, check their availability now before they plan to do something else.

On Boxing Day, what better way to re-energise than to get out in the fresh air after being in a food coma caused by Christmas excess? A cost-effective way to have fun and burn calories is to take a long stroll in the local park or countryside followed by some well-loved games at home such as charades or a Christmas treasure hunt.

So now you see that you can start now with making those simple, yet effective, changes in preparation for the festive season. After all, preparation is the key to success!