Elsie UdohIt’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, but is your bank account looking like that too? If not, then this might be a little worrying. After all, no matter how bad things might be, you want to celebrate Christmas by at least sharing a meal with your family and gifting your loved ones.
Cooking a meal and staging a state-of-the-art Christmas decoration will come with an expensive price tag now due to the high cost of things and you definitely don’t want to “overspend” for Christmas and be left broke in January.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelWhat you can do instead is to have a budget Christmas. Regardless of how much you have in your account, the ultimate goal is to have a great time with your loved ones. And with some planning and creativity, you can do just that, even with limited funds.
Here are ten ways to enjoy Christmas on a budget:
How to Enjoy Christmas on A Budget
- Set a Christmas Budget and Stick to It
The first thing you want to do is know how much you can spend. The best way to do this is by looking at your bank account and asking yourself:
- How much do I have there?
- Do I have extra cash somewhere else?
- Will I be expecting any money soon?
- How much can I spend without going broke?
It’s essential to avoid impulsive spending “in the spirit of Christmas” because Christmas will soon be over but your bills will remain. When you’re sure how much you can and are willing to spend, you can start planning within your budget limits.
- Get Creative with Gifts
You do not need to go broke while getting gifts for your loved ones for your gift to be valued. Sometimes, it is the little things that mean the most rather than the big ones.
So when thinking about gift ideas, think more about what you can do rather than what you can buy, since you’re trying to cut costs.
You can consider homemade or personalised gifts like a photo album, a meal, or even handmade crafts if that’s your profession.
Click here to get inspired about ideas for affordable gifts that you can get for your loved ones.
READ ALSO: How To Treat Your Lady This Christmas: Gifts, Outings And More
- Plan a Secret Santa Gift Exchange
If you have a large family or you’re going to be celebrating Christmas with a group of friends, then you can suggest a Secret Santa gift exchange rather than buying gifts for everybody.
With the Secret Santa exchange, you only have to buy a gift for just one person, wrap this up, and present it on Christmas day with the other gifts that others will bring. Nobody has to even know that the gift came from you.
This is another great way to cut costs in your Christmas celebration.
- DIY Your Christmas Decorations
It’s “your Christmas decorations” for a reason. Feel free to get creative and make your own decorations by using coloured paper to make beautiful designs to hang around to enhance the look of your house.
You can also improvise by using any shiny fabric that you might no longer be wearing to decorate your home. The idea is to get your home looking like Christmas.
- Reuse and Repurpose
You can also reuse the materials you have from previous celebrations for your Christmas decorations.
This does not involve just decorations alone. If you cannot afford new clothes, then you can always wear what you already have. Just look for new ways to style them or you can even restyle them by changing their current styles to make them look different.
- Host A Shared Christmas Dinner
Reduce the financial burden by asking every one of your friends or guests to come with a dish. You don’t have to limit this dish to a meal alone so everybody can bring anything according to their capacity.
By doing this you’ll have a home filled with various foods, snacks, fruits and even drinks on Christmas day.
- Cook a Simple Dish
If you decide to cook the meal you’ll be serving your guests instead, then you can choose to cook a simple dish that will not make you spend much. Rice might not be the best option now due to its high cost but if you can afford it or you even got a bag of rice from work, then go for it.
If not, then see some Christmas meals that you can cook apart from rice here and select any that your budget can cater for.
- Try Low-Cost Activities
Rather than spend a Christmas outdoors in parks, cinemas, or restaurants, you can choose to stay indoors and still have a great time while saving money.
Try the earlier suggestions by having friends over and asking them to come with their own dish, then you can host a movie night or a fun indoor game night.
Whatever you choose to do indoors, you’ll be spending less than you would have if you had a Christmas outing.
- Shop Early
If you haven’t gotten your Christmas clothes and gifts yet, then you should make plans to do that as soon as you read this post. The later you wait, the more expensive they’ll get.
For your Christmas clothes, you can consider shopping from thrift stores for affordable items. And remember that buying Christmas gifts is not mandatory; you can make it yourself to save more.
But if you must get gifts, then many stores are running end-of-year sales this period so quickly partake in this promo before they end to shop gifts at lesser prices.
- Focus on Experiences, Not Things
Remember, Christmas is a time for giving but who said that the giving has to involve only gifts?
Take advantage of the Christmas holiday to spend quality time with your loved ones. You can go out to less expensive places together, go for a picnic, or stay home with them.
Whatever you do, just make the most of the time spent together and have a great Christmas with your loved ones.
Final Thoughts
Christmas on a budget doesn’t mean that you cannot have a great time with your loved ones.
Follow the steps provided in this guide to enjoy Christmas on a budget with your loved ones while focusing on what truly matters—the time spent together.
Start your planning and unleash your creative side so that you can spend less and still have a great Christmas this year.
Elsie Udoh is an SEO content writer who specialises in writing engaging stories that resonates with diverse audiences. She studied mass communication at the Lagos State University.
