Christmas can be a wonderful time of year, with weeks of fun festive events, food, presents and special time with friends and family. But Christmas can also be an expensive time of year. No matter how much you buy, not matter how prepared you are or how early you start, there always seems to be something you’ve forgotten. 

It’s safe to say that in the past few years, we’ve become obsessed by having the “picture-perfect” Christmas. When really, the only thing that makes Christmas perfect is one you spend it with. So we’ve collected a few ideas to bring down the cost this Christmas, so you can spend time of what really matters. 

Planning

Planning is the best way to keep in budget this Christmas. Rather than heading out into town with the objective of just “getting presents” or “food shopping”, make an exact list of the things you need to buy and that way you’ll get your shopping done quicker and you’re less likely to spend too much.

Watch out for the Christmas ‘deals’

We all see these Christmas ‘deals’ popping up in the shops earlier and earlier but we can’t help but be sucked into them. So much so, you end up buying things you never needed or even wanted, all because it had a ‘Sale’ sticker on it. 

If the things you really need are on offer, perfect! But don’t buy something just because it’s has a shiny sale sticker. 

Christmas Dinner

For some people, the Christmas dinner is their favourite part of the day and some even spend days prepping. But I don’t think there’s been a Christmas go by without a mound of uneaten food. We all know how to use the correct portions on any other day but that all seems to go out the window at Christmas. As lovely as all that food looks, you can only eat so much. 

Second Hand Gifts

There seems to be a somewhat negative association with buying things second hand but it’s a great way of buying cheaper gifts without sacrificing quality. If there’s an expensive brand some likes but you can’t quite afford it, why buy them from Ebay or from charities shops. And of course the added bonus of giving money to charities by buying from them.

Secret Santa

Secret Santa works especially well with bigger families, with siblings, aunts, uncles, grandparents and your second cousin’s neighbour to buy for. So why not try a Secret Santa, so every gets a gift and you can set the budget to suit everyone.

Local High Street Deals

This time of year many local independent shops have great Christmas deals on, so make sure you take advantage of this. Always keep your eye out for great deals around your local high street.

Fake Christmas Tree

Yes, a real Christmas tree looks great and smells very festive but investing in good fake tree can save you loads of money over the years. Many people think that a fake Christmas tree will look….well, fake and tacky. But with more and more people buying fake trees, you can get some really nice ones and even buy some “Christmas Tree” scents. And you don’t have to worry about lugging it out on the street every new years.