How to budget this Christmas  

Christmas is a time of immense joy and happiness. One of the big delights of Christmas is presents. The tradition of giving and receiving presents will never get old. The pleasure of seeing a loved one open a present you’ve put so much thought into offers immense satisfaction.

However, with this tradition comes high expectation. We often feel pressure to give extravagant presents to make others feel good. If you can afford it and you want to do it, that’s fine. But, if Christmas gifting worries you, it might be an idea to take control of your spending. Setting monetary boundaries before the Christmas period begins is an effective way to keep on top of your Christmas shopping list. So, here are our tips on how to budget this Christmas.

Make a list

Having a definitive list of people you need to buy for gives you an idea of how much money you need to budget. Make sure you count everyone, even if you’re getting them a small gift or a lovely card to go with your present. Accuracy helps to keep you on budget.

If you want to go the extra mile, create separate columns for presents and budget. Planning your presents ahead of time will stop your window shopping and being tempted to buy more. What’s more, listing presents and prices will increase the accuracy of your budget.

Beware of deals

When working through your Christmas list, you can often get tempted to stray from the plan. What’s more, the deals that get offered around Christmas offer even more irresistible temptation. These deals appear on websites, in-store, and on mass-marketing emails, luring you in, causing you to spend more money than is necessary.

So, if you want to stay on budget – resist the deals. Stick to your original list and follow it. If you find a deal on a gift already on your list, amazing. But, if it’s out of budget and the list – avoid it.

Homemade gifts

If your budget is tight this Christmas but you still want to give your family and friends a heartfelt gift – go homemade. Homemade gifts are a thoughtful way to let your loved one know how much they mean to you. The time and effort put into making their present will be a beautiful gift in itself. So, if you want to save money whilst fulfilling your Christmas list, get crafty.