Ah, ’tis the season… for overspending. With Christmas upon us at a time of rising costs, you’re probably wondering how to celebrate the holidays this year without emptying your piggy bank in the process. But wonder no more, because just like Santa, we’ve made a list – except ours isn’t about who’s been naughty or nice – it’s about ways to enjoy the festive season so frugally that Scrooge himself would take notes.
1. Get crafty.
One word – Pinterest. It’s your new bestie for DIY decorations and homemade gift inspo. And you don’t even have to be that crafty. Can you pick pinecones off the ground? (Hellooo free materials). Could you aim a can of metallic spray paint at said pinecones? Then, well done – you’ve just made yourself a festive table centrepiece.
2. At your service.
In lieu of purchasing material gifts, why not gift your loved ones acts of service? Everyone has a skill that can be appreciated by others – maybe you’re a great cook, or a green thumb, or you’re generally handy when it comes to household repairs. Create vouchers that can be redeemed for those services – think ‘1 overnight child minding’, ‘1 pantry organisation’ or even ‘10 hours of dog walking’ (in total – not in one walk).
3. Quality, not quantity.
Rather than buying cheaper gifts for everyone in the family, why not suggest your family does a Secret Santa, where you can spend your gift budget on one person and get them something of higher quality? With only one person on your shopping list, you save yourself time, stress and carpark wars as well as a few quid.
4. Plastic fantastic.
Nope, we’re not talking credit cards (this is a money saving list, after all), we’re talking trees. Rather than go out and buy a new Christmas tree every year, consider investing in a fake tree that can be used for many Christmases to come. These days, the faux kind are almost as authentic-looking as the real thing, and if you miss the smell, just grab yourself a pine-scented candle.
5. Rando wrapping.
One of the things we can’t avoid purchasing most years is store-bought wrapping paper. So why not challenge yourself this year to use anything BUT gift wrap to cover your pressies? Set your kids to work with the challenge to make Christmas ‘art’ on A1 paper, before collecting their drawings to use as ‘handcrafted artisanal gift covering’. No kids? Then buy a pile of butcher paper and some Christmas stamps, then get to printing your own festive wrap.
6. Light entertainment.
Your decoration budget might be tight, but you know whose isn’t? The neighbours with the all-out light exhibitions in their front yards. Go enjoy their efforts knowing you don’t have to pay their energy bills or dismantle it all in January. All you get is pure Christmas entertainment, for a total of free ninety-nine.
7. BYO Brussels sprouts.
If you’re hosting Christmas this year, you don’t need to let the food budget fall solely on your shoulders. Make it a potluck event and you’ll not only save money, you’ll save hours slaving away in a hot kitchen. To avoid everyone turning up with their ‘famous roast potatoes’, create a sharable spreadsheet where every guest assigns themselves a dish from the list – that way, if their specialty is plum pudding, they’ve got dessert covered.
8. Hold the ham.
Speaking of food, with prices soaring, why not make this year the one where you ditch the lobsters and legs of ham for less traditional (but no less crowd-pleasing) dishes, like lasagne and snags on the barbie? Or even better, swap some meat and seafood for hearty vegetarian dishes and let sides step up to a starring role. We’re looking at you, potatoes dauphinoise.
9. From trash to cash.
Turn kilos of barely lifted dumbbells into kilos of Christmas ham by selling your unwanted stuff online in the lead up to Christmas. An extra twenty bucks here and there can go far in the festive fund and can be the difference between an empty and a stuffed stocking.
10. Don’t shop, swap.
Host a re-gifting swap meet where you and your friends pool unwanted items that can be given as gifts to others. This idea is especially great when there are a lot of children to buy for, as kids don’t care if a toy is pre-loved, it’s still new to them! Swap candles you never lit, perfumes you never opened and decorative items that aren’t your style for pressies your loved ones will actually enjoy receiving.
11. Kindness costs nothing.
When we think of Christmas as the season of giving, we automatically think of friends and family. But what if this year, instead of giving presents to the people you love, you give your time to those less fortunate? Contact your local charities about volunteering this Christmas period – whether it’s assisting at soup kitchens or delivering donations to families in need, it’s a great way to get back in touch with the true meaning of Christmas.
No matter what your budget is, you’ll be amazed how far you can stretch it with a bit of out-of-the-gift-box thinking. We even hear Santa’s tightening his big black belt due to rising reindeer running costs (if the kids are wondering why the under-tree haul is a little more modest this year).
Watch your savings stack up with SaveME.
With no monthly fees or confusing criteria, you’ll be crushing your savings goals sooner.
Get started
This article is prepared based on general information. It does not take into account individual financial objectives or needs and is not financial product advice.