Christmas is approaching soon. Those of you who have been super busy with life after the lockdown has been lifted may not have had time to sit down and think of planning to have a Christmas party. While eating out can be simple, it can also be unnecessarily expensive if you’re on a tight budget.
Below are 10 quick tips to celebrate Christmas on a budget:
Stick To the Budget
Set a budget and stick to it. When setting a budget, include everything relevant to the celebration: food, drinks, gifts, plates, cups, cutleries, decorations, rugs/tablecloths (if you’re planning to have it outdoors).
Make a Shopping List
When you go to the supermarket or stores, don’t just randomly follow the trend of what the stores offer for Christmas as you may end up spending more than necessary. Make a list of what type of food and drinks you and your guests are having for Christmas. If you’d like traditional Christmas food, start gathering information about what ingredients you need to make them.
Check the Shopping Catalogues Before Buying Anything
Stores and supermarkets have weekly special prices for different items and this information is available in their catalogues. The special prices can differ quite significantly, so always check the catalogues first before buying anything.
Organise Who Brings What
Throw a list of food and things to bring. If it’s an outdoor picnic, make sure some people bring non-food items such as plates, cutleries, napkins, rugs, tablecloths, and chairs. A friend of mine once organised a picnic and everyone brought their favourite food to share, but no one brought plates and cutleries. Fortunately, the location was close to a supermarket so it was only a matter of buying them. It would’ve been a hassle if the supermarket was miles away.
Reuse Decoration
Don’t hesitate to reuse last year’s decoration. Rearrange them differently so they give a newer feeling. If you didn’t keep any decorations from last year, then you’ll need to keep in mind to always put the decoration back in a box you label ‘Christmas’ so when it’s time to celebrate Christmas, you can reuse them again and again.
Have an Outdoor Picnic
Pick a public park or simply use your own or your friend’s backyard to celebrate Christmas this year. If it’s a public park, you’ll save time from having to decorate the indoor part.
Take Advantage of the Christmas Sale
Usually, all Christmas items go on sale, sometimes up to 80% discount right after Christmas. This means you can stock up on the Christmas decorations for next year, or even move your Christmas celebration to one or two days after Christmas if that’s not against you and your guests’ personal preferences.
Set a Spending Limit for the Gifts
Exchanging gifts is one of the most fun things in a Christmas celebration. However, when you’re on a tight budget and have little or no time to make your own gift, it can be a daunting event. Do you just eliminate gift exchange? No, you don’t need to. You can just limit the spending. Instead of saying “minimum $10” for the gift, you can set “maximum $10”.
Make DIY Quick and Cheap (But Useful/Edible) Gifts
Instead of buying the already-made-but-boring gifts from the store, why not make it yourself. Some ideas include buying Christmas cookies and chocolates in bulk, then wrapping them with drawstring papers and Christmas ribbons.
Plan For the Next Year
If you celebrate Christmas in a rush this year, then you know it’s time to plan for next year. Start saving, collecting recipes and ideas on how to celebrate it better with more interesting ways.
