If you are someone with a large family, Christmas is likely both the best and the worst time of year. It is the best because you are able to make plenty of amazing memories with the people that you love and you can enjoy some time away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Though it is an amazing time of year, it is also incredibly difficult in terms of money, especially if you have a big family and a small budget. Christmas doesn’t have to break the bank and here is how you can experience Christmas on a budget.
Save Up Through The Year
Something that a lot of people do is start their christmas saving at the very start of the year. You can actually buy small jars and tubs that are especially designed to allow you to collect change in it through the year that you can then spend on Christmas. Whenever you have a spare dollar or change from shopping, you can throw it into your little savings jar and it will all start to slowly add up.
Buy Gifts Earlier On
We all have one of those friends who starts their christmas shopping in January and we always laugh at them for being ridiculous. However, these people are also the ones that are not worried about buying gifts when December rolls around. You also have to remember that in January and February there are a lot of excellent deals on gifts and you can actually buy your christmas decorations for cents. It just makes sense to make a low investment earlier in the year as this will allow you to save money in December.
Wait For Big Sale Days
As you know, there are certain days in the year that you can find some brilliant deals on christmas gifts. For example, black Friday is well known to be one of the best days in the year to buy presents as you can get objects for less than half off, which will save you a lot of money in the long run. You also have to remember days such as Cyber Monday, as you can get a lot of fantastic deals online ahead of the Christmas season. Wait for seasons to end, as you can get the best deals then.
Work Through Your Debt Ahead of Christmas
Christmas can be even more difficult for you if you are already suffering from debt. The best thing that you can do is work on your debt way before christmas. If you have recently filed for bankruptcy, it is likely that you have a lot of money to pay back and debt to repay. A part of being in debt is having to deal with monthly payment for chapter 13 bankruptcy and this can really get into your Christmas budget and the last thing that you want is for everything to be spent trying to deal with your debt, so prioritize getting on top of your debt early in the year.
Make Gifts Yourself
If you are someone that has a creative streak, it would be a disservice to yourself to not make the most of it. A lot of people actually prefer homemade gifts, as they are a lot more personal than someone just heading to the store and buying you a gift. If you are someone that can knit, something that you can consider is making someone a blanket or even something as simple as a scarf, they will just feel grateful that you have put the time and effort into making them something amazing.
Try and Grow Christmas Produce
One big cost that we all have at Christmas is Christmas dinner. This is especially the case if you have a large family. You are going to need a lot of fresh produce, such as potatoes and other vegetables and these can be costly. However, if you grow them all by yourself, you will be able to save a lot of money which you can invest into other aspects of the holidays. You can also give your friends and family produce for their Christmas dinner and they will really appreciate it as that will save them money too.
Buy Group Experiences
Instead of spending money on buying everyone individual gifts, why not buy a group experience that your loved ones can do together. This will save you a lot of money and it will also be something that will be more memorable for them. You can also get group discounts on events and there are a lot of events that your friends would love. For example, you could take them to a musical or even a play, or if you have younger children you can take them to a fair or an amusement park.