It’s December, the month of celebrations - and spending! This can be a tricky time for many families doing Christmas on a budget, especially when trying to manage the normal day to day bills and expenses. In this blog we’ll look at how you can you still enjoy Christmas without the big spend. Here are our tips to make it enjoyable without going overboard.
Sell the things you no longer need
Make some room and clear out space in time for the festive season by holding a garage sale or listing your unwanted items online. This is a great way to kick off your savings plan, as you may be surprised at what you could earn for your pre-loved household items. Charities, churches and other organisations may also take old Christmas decorations off your hands for their own displays. Re-purposing is a great way to get rid of unwanted items and reduces your household waste. Think of others during this time by donating things you no longer need if they’re unable to be sold.
Look for Sales & Deals
Do your homework and shop around for your gifts before finding and buying the first thing you see. Online shopping can be a clever way to do this, with the many comparison sites that are now available providing consumers with the best deals. Shopping during sales periods are also a great way to save on your Christmas spending. Start a Christmas budget planner and estimate how much you want to allocate to gifts, food and decorations.
Don’t buy on emotion
Taking a rational approach to your Christmas shopping means you may have to sacrifice pricey brands you know and trust for a cheaper alternative if you are sticking to a budget. This is why a great savings tip is to make a list of who you’re buying for and what they are receiving from you, with an allocated limit. Don’t plan a shopping trip - online or offline, without this list - you could end up overspending and buying things unnecessarily.
Christmas Day Meals
It’s easy to go overboard with food preparation for Christmas Day. Take advantage of future food items on sale in the lead up to Christmas. Try to plan your grocery shop as close to Christmas Day as possible to avoid fresh produce going to waste. If you are sharing this time with family and friends, ask others to contribute by bringing a plate of their special dish for everyone to enjoy. Have lots of containers handy to store leftovers so they can be enjoyed on Boxing Day instead of making or buying more food.
Set up a Christmas Account
Planning for Christmas expenses ahead of time is a great way to manage your Christmas budget. This makes it easy to put aside savings throughout the year and then use this money for the festive season. We can assist you with setting up a new Christmas Club account at Horizon Bank.
Get in touch with the friendly team at Horizon Bank today and let us help you on your Christmas savings journey.
Horizon Bank has a branch network spanning the NSW South Coast and Illawarra. Horizon Bank branch locations: Albion Park, Bega, Bermagui, Berry, Merimbula, Moruya, Nowra, Thirroul, Ulladulla & Wollongong.
The content in this article has been prepared by Horizon Bank for general information only and it is not intended to be professional advice. It does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. You should seek your own legal, accounting, financial or other professional advice where appropriate, and consider the relevant Product Disclosure Statement and Terms and Conditions before deciding whether to acquire any products or services offered by Horizon Bank and/or its affiliated partners. We do not recommend any third party products or services referred to in this article unless otherwise stated and we are not liable in relation to them. Any links to third party websites are for your information and we do not endorse any content on those sites. Horizon Credit Union Ltd ABN 66 087 650 173 AFSL and Australian Credit Licence Number 240573 trading as Horizon Bank.
