Early Tips to Celebrate Christmas on a Budget

Christmas is all about spending quality time with those who matter and celebrating the birth of Christ. Now that does not require you to throw a lavish part and splurge on exotic wines. Instead, you could save up all that money, or send it over to the lesser privileged. After all, Christmas is all about self-sacrificing for the sake of others, so challenge yourself to spend very little this Christmas and donate the rest. If that seems like a sensible thing to do, then consider following the below-listed tips about how to celebrate Christmas without spending a fortune.

1. Save up on Decorations

Most people tend to buy decoration items every year instead of hoarding them up in the attic. If you’ve been doing that then you need to start reusing your previous collection and hold back from buying new stuff. If you haven’t stored anything from last year’s Christmas celebrations, consider doing that in the future. In the meantime, consider exploring the local flea market to get some reasonably priced candle stands, ribbons and other things that don’t cost a fortune.

You could also get creative and upcycle what you already have. Start by placing your wine glasses upside down and using them as candle stands or make ornamental curtains with ribbons and leftover decoration from the previous year. Start by exploring the DIY videos and unleash your creativity, but remember to save up all that you make for the next year. You don’t want to spend time making them all over again.

2. Buy gifts before the prices Skyrocket

Ever wondered why you end up spending more on toys during Christmas than you do on your kid’s birthday? Retailers notoriously spike up the prices of their products and the most overpriced categories are the ones meant for kids. This includes toys, gaming gadgets and other things that you would commonly gift your child. So if you have been waiting for the big sale to make your purchase, then it may not be worth your time. So go ahead and buy your gifts well in advance to save some serious money.

3. Use ecommerce to cut down delivery costs

If you wish to send presents to your friends and relatives located in another city or country then you could save up a great deal by finding a local vendor. So, if you live in London and your friend lives in Edinburgh, then simply find an Edinburgh-based seller and save up on packaging and delivery costs. You could send anything from a fruit cake to a Bluetooth speaker and everything in between. Finding reliable local vendors is quite easy — start by running a quick Google search and then go through the reviews to narrow down the best ones.

4. Send E-cards

Are you still stuck up with the idea of sending postcards on Christmas? Then it’s time you started going green by adopting more Eco-friendly methods. So consider using electronic means to greet others on Christmas. You could easily create personalized e cards by making use of online tools like Canva and posting them on your social media. If that sounds too generic, consider sending it through WhatsApp or Telegram, along with a personalized message.

5. Don’t get buried in debt

It’s sad to see how so many people end up in debt soon after Christmas — lavish parties and expensive gifts are the most common culprits. So, avoid doing that and stick to your budget even if it is extremely low. Always remember that being minimalist is a whole lot better than being in debt. If you have absolutely no option but to borrow, stick to the zero interest options available.

6. Benefit from conversion rates

If you are an immigrant and currently work in London, then you probably know the power of the British Pound. Take advantage of London’s strong economy and send some money to your loved ones this Christmas. You could also use it to buy gifts for your loved ones from local vendors back in your country of origin. However, since foreign exchange conversion is involved, you must find an intermediary that offers real-time exchange rates as that gives you the decision-making power. It allows you to choose the best time to transact, which is the most profitable way of converting your currency. You could do this through money exchange platforms like Small World which not only offer real-time exchange rates but go a step forward and offer free transactions to new customers. So besides increasing the possibilities of getting the best conversion rates, it also eliminates the need to pay transaction fee.

7. Try your hand at Baking

Baking is pretty easy and if you have kids then doing this with them could be all the more fun. You could get them to bake cupcakes, snowman biscuits, or even some candy lane lollipops and other kid-friendly recipes. You could also try making your own chocolates and sending them over to your friends and relatives.

8. Head countryside

Popular holiday destinations become extremely expensive during the Christmas season and the best thing to do would be to stay at home and spend time with your family. However, if you have kids unwilling to stay back, then consider planning it well in advance. Although the hotel room tariffs will remain the same, you can always skip the popular destinations and head straight to the countryside. You could consider spending time in lesser crowded places like the historical village of Kilkhampton in North-East Cornwall or Earnley in West Sussex.

Christmas is all about surrounding yourself with your loved ones and being thankful to the almighty. Now that does not require you to spend all your savings or get into debt, so make it a point to plan your Christmas budget carefully and stick to your resolve of not going overboard.