Chappy News
Chappy’s Cost Cutting Tips: Christmas[1]
Christmas can still be a wonderful time if you are on a tight budget.
Emphasise deeper meanings. Your attitude towards Christmas affects not only how you experience the time but also how your children experience it. In many households, Christmas gifts get much of the attention. But, once they are opened, there’s an anti-climax and people start looking around for something else. To combat this, you could explore Christmas traditions that move you beyond the season’s material side. If you celebrate Jesus’ birth, you could look at how you could emphasise this more. Also, you could explore creating your own family traditions that focus on spending quality time with loved ones, like picnic beach breakfasts or board game afternoons. Or you may decide to donate to a charity to help make someone else’s Christmas brighter.
Set expectations. Being upfront about your finances with older children and extended family members will help them know what to expect. Indeed, they may be in the same situation and are relieved that you brought up the subject! Many people interpret gifts as material representations of what others think of them. Thus, in your conversations, you may have to emphasise that you still love and value your family even if you can’t afford extravagant gifts.
Think creatively and minimalistically with gifts. Free gifts (e.g., custom Spotify playlists), second-hand gifts, handmade gifts, and non-stuff gifts (e.g., consumables like food) are worth investigating. Also, offering a service or simply offering to spend time with a loved one can all be valued gifts. If you are gathering with family, consider only buying for the children or organising a Secret Santa or Kris Kringle to decrease costs.
Save on Christmas food. Set a budget and stick to it, and remember that simple meals can still taste delicious and are much less stressful to prepare. If you’re having guests, ask them to bring food to share and to provide their own drinks. Plan your menu in advance so you can ensure it fits your budget and you have sufficient time to buy items when they are on sale. By buying one or two items each week, you will have a stash of treats by the time you get to Christmas Day. Additionally, cooking from scratch will allow you to make the most of cheaper, seasonal fruit and vegetables, and serving only a few choice nibblies will save money and leave you more room for main meals. You can also serve smaller portions and allow people to go back for seconds, which will save waists and waste.
Cut back on other expenses. In the lead-up to Christmas, every coffee, lunch or takeaway you don’t buy means there’s more you can spend at Christmas. Also, be choosy about which Christmas events you attend. Particularly if your social calendar is full and you are feeling overwhelmed, cutting out events you don’t really want or need to attend may help your mental health as well as your hip pocket.
Get help to celebrate. Many families worry about how they will pay for Christmas, so reach out if you need to:
Happy saving! Chappy Rachel
[1] https://www.frugalandthriving.com.au/christmas-when-youre-broke/