Christmas without the credit card
Yes! The festive time of year is upon us and you may be starting to share a little Christmas cheer. That’s all well and good, but for many, Christmas can be a financially stressful time of the year and lots of people start their New Year with new festive debt. This year, let’s celebrate the festive season without burning a hole in your pocket or punishing your credit card!
How to enjoy Christmas on a mindful budget:
Your gift doesn’t need to cost money
Your time is the most valuable resource you will ever have so, how about you offer your time as a gift voucher to help your family or friends free up some of their time? You could offer to babysit so your sister can finally have a date night or a well needed break. Got some good skills can you put to use? You could also offer your services to help with any handy around the house or help your Mum in the garden. Time is money, so why not put a value on your time instead? Handy, free design tools like Canva mean you can also whip up a decorative gift voucher in no-time too!
Secret Santa
Why break the bank with gifts people don’t really want? Secret Santa (or Kris Kringle) is a great way to set a dollar limit, so you won’t go into debt, and you only need to buy 1 present, instead of the whole family. Gone are the days of buying every family member pressies and swimming in a pile of Xmas wrapping and unwanted pressies! Bonus points – less purchasing is better for the environment AND it means everyone gets a gift they actually want, win-win!
Hit the Sales
Plan what you’re going to buy and take advantage of sales throughout the year to get your gifts on the cheap. For example, Black Friday is coming up very soon – Friday 29th November so there’s a good chance you can get the gift you want for less. And if you’re looking for tech-bargains, Cyber Monday is on 2nd December too. Remember – aim to never pay full price on anything, but keep the receipt – just in case. So get online, grab a bargain and kick back until all your gifts are delivered!
Potluck Christmas lunch
Got the whole family coming over this year? Spread the burden (and the cost!) by asking everyone to bring a dish. This will save you so much time and stress on the day, whilst saving some extra dollars by not having to put on an epic feast for 20 people at your expense!
Homemade pressies
If you’ve got a bit of time and can get organized, homemade gifts are the way forward. Whether it’s a box of biscuits or a crafty card, making homemade goodies in bulk will take you a bit of time, but will save you a lot of cash! Check out our favourite biscuit recipe for ideas!
Socially savvy catch ups
Christmas is also a big event on the social calendar, with many drinks, parties and events to go to (and things to buy!). But we’ve got your back and can help you become a socially savvy spender so you can enjoy the silly season without spending a fortune!
Finally, it’s called the ‘silly season’ for good reason – we all tend to go a bit overboard and silly! But with these simple tips, you can still enjoy yourself, whilst keeping more of your money in your pocket and your credit card in your wallet!
Ps – The New Year is just around the corner – eek! If you want to get your 2020 off to a strong, financial start, our January client calendar is open for bookings, so book in your free chat today for a financially strong 2020!
General Advice Disclaimer
This blog contains general advice only. You need to consider with your financial planner, your investment objectives, financial situation and your particular needs prior to making any strategy or product decision. InterPrac Financial Planning Pty Ltd and its authorised representatives do not accept any liability for any errors or omissions of information supplied in this document except for liability under statute which cannot be excluded.