Almost everyone overspends in the run-up to Christmas and regrets it in the lean month of January. The good news is that there are some very quick and easy ways in which you can make your hard-earned cash go further this Christmas.
Send Christmas e-cards or Print Your Own Christmas Cards. You may not wish to send Christmas e-cards to everyone on your Christmas card list, but, if you are on a tight budget, it makes sense to send at least some e-cards. You will not only save money on buying paper cards and envelopes but you will also save money on postage, especially if the recipients live overseas. Another option is to print your own Christmas cards using designs that can be downloaded free of charge from the Internet. Some designs allow you to incorporate your own photos, which is a nice idea if you live far from family and friends. It is also possible to print out envelope shapes and fold and glue them together to make your own envelopes, This is more cost effective than buying them and gives your Christmas greetings a personal touch too.
Don’t Buy Any New Christmas Decorations This Year. Most families already have several boxes of Christmas decorations, yet it is easy to be seduced by the Christmas spirit in the run-up to Christmas and buy even more decorations Take out all of your Christmas decorations well in advance and decide which ones you will re-use this year. If you have some time, look on the Internet for instructions and set aside some time at the weekend for the whole family to make new decorations together. Try and use only materials that you already have. Paper chains, for example, are a great decoration to make, as you only need paper, scissors, and glue or scotch tape.
Buy as Much Own-Label Food as Possible. Food bills over the holiday season are always high, whether you are just having a few friends over for a small party or whether you are inviting the whole of your extended family. In order to reduce your spending on groceries at this time of the year, buy as many supermarket own-label products as possible. Own-label products are usually of a similar quality to branded products with the only difference being that the packaging is plain. Your guests will not be able to tell the difference unless they see the packaging. If you are in doubt about the quality of a certain own-label product.