'Tis the season to be festive and frugal
The festive season is a time when many of us overspend, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are some tips and tricks to cut costs at Christmas time, without becoming a Scrooge.
By Nadia Howland
However you decide to celebrate the festive season, it’s important to build a budget—and stick to it.
You may be someone who likes to shop sales throughout the year, or a saver who puts aside money into an account for end-of-year shopping. Either way, this incremental approach can be fantastic, saving you the headache of a budget blowout. Another tip is to ‘live by the list’.
I’ve often wound up overspending at Christmas because I’ve forgotten what I’ve already bought.
The past couple of years, I’ve built a gift list with each family member’s name, the items I’m planning to purchase, and the price. I simply tick off each item as I go, and track the total spend. I do this on my iPhone in my Notes app, but you can use a simple piece of paper or a spreadsheet on your computer.
Speaking of spreadsheets, these are a great way to track spending if you’re sticking to a budget. Choose a user-friendly program like Excel or Google Sheets and update it regularly. Google Sheets can even be shared between family members, so anyone responsible for grocery shopping or gift buying can input items and prices.
Secret Santa or gift swaps are a great way to share gifts without spending a lot of money. All you have to do is set a buying limit, pull names out of a hat, and buy a gift you think that person would like.
This method of gift giving makes sense particularly if you have a big family. Rather than buying a small gift for each person, you can buy a decent gift for one person that you know they’ll truly appreciate.
There are also quirky spins on this game, such as white elephant. In this version, someone opens a wrapped gift and then the next person has the choice of either unwrapping a new present or stealing another person’s gift.
When a person's gift is stolen, that person can either choose another wrapped gift to open or can steal from another player. It often ends up being a hilarious exercise that adds fun and frivolity to the day.
If buying gifts isn’t within your budget, why not give time instead? A handmade voucher offering an evening of babysitting or time spent helping someone get work done around the house could be truly meaningful to a family member or friend.
If it’s less about budget and more about giving experiences over material things, why not take the grandkids to the zoo or the theatre instead? They’ll have wonderful memories that will last a lot longer than the latest gadget or toy.
Handmade gifts can also be really meaningful. A crocheted blanket can become a treasured piece, or a recipe book with handwritten family recipes can be passed down through generations.
Other ideas include photo books, paintings or illustrations, handkerchiefs with embroidered initials, handmade pottery, propagated and potted plants, woodwork… the possibilities are endless.
Entertaining during the festive season can get expensive. If you enjoy hosting family and friends for Christmas lunch, you can avoid grocery bill blowouts by making a menu well in advance and buying one or two ingredients each week in the months preceding.
This is particularly handy if you keep an eye out and stock up when things are on sale rather than buying everything at once because you have to.
Another idea could be substituting the traditional Christmas lunch with all the trimmings for a casual but festive barbecue. Salads and snags are a lot more cost effective than buying a leg of lamb and turkey, and everyone will still leave full and happy. Besides, it’s the people who share your table that matter, not the spread itself.
Shared meals are another great option. Instead of the host doing all the cooking—and spending—why not ask your guests to bring their favourite Christmas dish to share? Compile a suggested list of sides, mains, and desserts, and guests can choose what they’d like to bring. Everyone brings their own drinks to keep things simple, cheap, and cheerful. If you’d like some recipe ideas, we’ve compiled some festive options that are perfect for shared meals on the next few pages.
This article is featured in National Seniors Australia’s quarterly member magazine, Our Generation.
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