Avoiding the Christmas Crunch
“I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month.” – Harlan Miller
Christmas is a very busy, exciting time of the year, and not only for children. Although everyone loves the time spent decorating our house and tree, preparing Christmas treats and of course the holiday period with our family, the chore of Christmas shopping is definitely something most people could live without.
This year the financial crisis has generated an economic slowdown that we are all, in one way or another, starting to feel in our pocket, making festive shopping all the more painful. So, with Christmas approaching scarily quickly, what are your tips and tricks to please the whole family while not going over budget?
Han is going to celebrate Christmas without overspending by only getting presents for the kids: “We’ll all meet up for a day around Christmas and get a bit merry and just enjoy each other’s company.” As Rambler62 said, you can always get the adults a nice Christmas card!
It could also be worth having a family talk, like Pierce, and all agree on spending much less on Christmas this year: “There was immediate consensus and relief from all parties.”
But if you’re still keen to preserve all of the festive rituals (minus the costs), here is a list of 10 things you can do to be generous your family and friends this year without having to eat baked beans the whole of January:
- Recycle old presents, for example those you bought in the sales after Christmas last year (Captain Starkiller)
- Shop online, especially on private sales websites to enjoy extra discounts on already cheaper items, and get goods delivered at home. (Juliette)
- Start your Christmas shopping in the January Sales (Nanny chris w)
- Organise a secret Santa with family and/or friends (Lonely in a crowd)
- For Christmas dinner, use a lower end supermarket for some food
and buy alcohol in bulk (Katy S) - Go for supermarkets 3-for-2 offers (Gothicmamma)
- Organise a ‘treasure hunt’ for the kids by hiding stocking fillers around the house: “Lots of little gifts that only cost a couple of pounds but kids love them.” (Gothicmamma)
- Wrap your present with newspaper (u_tubby_little_tit_wit…)
- If you live far from your family and can’t afford the costs of sending presents, why not donate to charity instead? (Amanda)
- Set a upper limit of £20 or so per person and assemble a Christmas stocking for everyone filled with inexpensive little items that you know they will use. (Posie)
And finally, if you feel your creative side coming through, why not try to make your own presents this year? This surely is the greatest way to save this festive season. Sglmom is personally printing her own SLR Photos that she’ll frame herself: “It is economical (since I took those photos myself), and will be treasured.”
And Woofers suggests we should celebrate the true spirit of Christmas, by making inexpensive and well loved presents like home made jams, chutneys, biscuits, cakes etc, and “be first to follow old fashioned principles of going to a church service, enjoying a Christmas meal together with family/friends/others less fortunate.”
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Yes, that is all very good but when are you going to fix YahooAnswers so it updates all the Top Tens?
You could make that your Christmas gift to us loyal users.
I am writing a blog on Christmas as well including my decorating tips, latest news with shopping and the financial crisis we are in and traditional Christmas ideas. I love your list of ideas for presents including donating to charity. I think that is very important since many people are unfortunate and do not have the funds to support their family during this time. It makes me sad to think that some children are unable to open presents on Christmas morning. I also think the idea of exchanging gifts with family members by having a draw is a really good idea. It gets to be too much when everyone has to buy everyone in their family a gift and it can be very stressful for many people. Not to mention the amount of money it costs to buy presents for everyone!
Check out my blog and see what your thoughts are!
Poundland is the answer to all your christmas crunch fears!!! definately, or savers if there is one near you, for things like biscuits and sweets and general household goods, or alternatively go to ASDA
The financial crisis provides opportunities to “think outside the box” during this Christmas season. A frined of mine has written a book and will donate two-thrids of the porceeds from sales to a fund she and her son established for refugees, so that the poorest of the poor get to share in the Christmas spirit too. I am giving my husband and I the gift of becoming members of HUB (Humanity Unites Brilliance) so that next year we can encourage our friends, colleagues, associates and family to give to charity instead of focusing on material presents. I love the idea of making things instead of buying presents. I’m not very good at making things but I have already adopted an idea from my mentor’s webiste that he used for thanksgiving: creae a gratitude jar. Take a jar and fill it with all the things you feel grateful for written on small pieces of paper. Commit to things that will enable you to keep filling up that jar in the coming year. I’m going to buy some nice clay pots, decorate them and get my kids involved in helping me paint them and share this concept with all my clients and ministry partners.
Use a free wish list site and make sure you get the right presents! Sick of Socks has no adverts or pushy “buy this” messages and it helps you buy the gifts people want!
if you have a big family suggest you all do a chris crindle put everyones name in a hat every1 pick 1 and who u pick is who u buy for (1) it is fun (2) it is cheap and ever1 has a happy holiday :@)
I go to the pound shop and lidl to buy presents and food. i always find good food and stuff for ppl then i wrap em up and still save quite abit.
also the markets and shops like primark help too.
i do all my neices and nephews goodie bags.
I buy little bits all year lip glosses, belts, toy cars you name it. Nothing costs much more then a few quid then i wrap them all up and put them in a gift bag with tissue paper. Even the older ones appreciate it. For my neice that was 17(last year) i put in things like party feet, vaseline, hand cream, cheap false lashes and make up.She loved it!any everything she used. I wrap everything seperately too and put tissue paper in the bag. And because i start in the sales by christmas they have loads. Even the little ones look forward to all the prezzies and it keeps them entertained on christmas.
In view of the global economic crunch the best way to celebrate christmas in a true spirit is to acknowledge the reason for the season JESUS CHRIST crucified dead and buried rose from the dead lives forevermore halleluia attend church service and worship Him with your family/friends/others the less privileged share His love and so make this world a better place.