I love Christmas but as regular readers know I am also a huge fan of budgeting. It helps me to stay in control of my finances which as a self confessed control freak is extremely reassuring. I wrote here about setting your Christmas budget, so now I’m going to share my tips on sticking to your budget.
Top four tips for sticking to your Christmas budget;
1. Get the best deals that you can on the gifts you want to buy. Look online for voucher codes, or offers. Take advantage of deals like three for two on gifts etc. Shop around and make sure you are getting the best price for the product you want to buy.
2. Give home made gifts. I’m terrible at crafting so I tend to give foodie gifts. Wherever your talents lie use them and not only will you save money but you will also add a really personal touch. Even if you don’t think you can make anything a voucher for babysitting, DIY or whatever it is you feel you can offer makes a fabulous gift.
3.Don’t overspend on food. It always astounds me how much food people buy for what is essentially a couple of days celebration, I mean seriously how much do you need to eat? Do a meal plan for Christmas week, work out what you actually need, add a few treats and don’t overspend. This will also save you money on new trousers needed in the new year!
4.Make your own decorations. Home made decorations are wonderful, my children love helping me to make decorations and even though I’m not particularly crafty there are lots of simple ideas on the internet. One year we made salt dough decorations and made enough for a whole tree for literally pence.
