Christmas is upon us, and yet many of us are still struggling to have enough money to celebrate it with gusto and bonhomie. You do not need a lot of money to have fun with your friends and family. To keep January's worries at bay, you should focus on spending quality time together rather than choosing expensive gifts to receive fulsome praise. Of course, when you have your back against the wall, you cannot splash out on a Christmas party.
However, it does not insinuate that you should not celebrate at all. Various ways are out there to help you celebrate Christmas without breaking the bank. However, planning is still required. Sort out everything before Christmas so you find it less stressful. Your budget is tight, which is something you do not get to know overnight. As soon as you start noticing the trails, you should figure out what your Christmas budget should look like.
You still need money even though you are not celebrating grand Christmas. Make sure you set aside enough money you need for throwing a party and gifts. However, if your savings fall short of cash, you can take out Christmas loans.
These small loans can help you meet all Christmas-related expenses and emergency expenses, too. They are paid back in full on the due date, so make sure that you will not fall behind on the payment. Otherwise, these loans will cost you hefty interest payments and charges.
Ways to celebrate Christmas when you are on a tight budget
Here are the ways to celebrate Christmas when you are facing money problems:
Share the load
Sharing the cost with your guests is the best idea to have a party on a low budget. You do not need to fork out for all drinks and food yourself. Instead, ask your guests to bring something. It can be a dish, dessert or a bottle of wine.
It is not necessary to invite over lunch or dinner. You can choose an evening slot too. You do not need to serve too much food to your guests if you plan the party to last for a time span between lunch and dinner.
Another method to share the cost is a pool card party. All your guests will be supposed to pool their supermarket loyalty points and use them towards food and drinks.
Decorate with a DIY style
Christmas goes bland without decoration. The decoration plays a crucial role in putting everyone in the festive mood. There is no need to pay shop prices when you can be a bit creative. Pinterest and Instagram are the two most popular social media sites from which you can get ideas on how to use things lying around you to make crafty items.
The decoration does not need to be over the top. Less is more. There are things that you might not want to make on your own. It is not necessary to use all of the decoration items. If you cannot do it yourself, you can buy them from online stores. They will be available at lower prices than physical stores. If you still need money, you can take out loans with no guarantor in the UK. These small loans can help fund the gap in your savings. However, make sure that you will not struggle to fall back on payments.
Drop the big stores
Every penny counts when you are on a budget. It is easy to get caught up in fancy supermarkets during the festive season because you do not want to leave any stone unturned in preparations. At the time of celebration, it is normal to stock up on things. Well, your budget will thank you later if you buy stuff that you need. Perishable items will go off soon, so there is no point in buying them. Stocking up on non-perishable items can help save you money only if they are available at lower prices. During the festive season, goods are overpriced and they are even close to their expiration date.
Some food items are expensive throughout the season, such as turkey. The menu will cost you a good amount of money if you add it in. Therefore, you should have chicken. It is much cheaper than turkey. It is vital to plan the meals so you do not disappoint your guests while saving pennies for the future.
You should ideally start setting aside money for Christmas shopping a few months before. It will keep you from panicking when at the last moment. When you have enough money and you know what you need for the Christmas celebration, December does not feel stressful. However, in case your savings have fallen short of cash, there are always loans to help you.
No need to wear branded clothes
On Christmas Eve, you may want to wear something majestic so all eyes are on you, but on the other hand, you are going to wear that dress for a couple of hours. Of course, it will not be so casual that you can wear it on other days. Once the party is over, the dress will get buried in your wardrobe. Therefore, you should not buy a new dress. Doing so will just waste your money. you should focus on renewing your old dresses.
For instance, if you have a plain black dress, you can have some embroidery done on it. A little bit of sparkling or any sort of work will make your dress look absolutely new. Along with your dress, you should also pay heed to your makeup and hairstyle. It will make you look good even if you are wearing an ordinary dress. Understand the fact that you should not invest a lot of money in clothing for the festive season because they are made for specific occasions. Moreover, they are overpriced during the festive season. They will wreak havoc on your budget. you should make smart decisions when you are on a shoestring budget.
Shop smartly
Christmas celebration is incomplete without shopping. Apart from food and beverages, you need to buy gifts for your loved ones. Shop gifts from an online store because you will get hefty discounts. Focus on building memories rather than offering materialistic things. Voucher codes come in handy to give you additional discounts.
Some shopping sites will offer you coupons or discounts that vary by the total shopping price. The higher the shopping price, the higher the discount vouchers. However, in order to avail yourself of additional discounts, you do not need to buy stuff you do not need.
You can contact our nearby supermarkets if they have run their own schemes. Most supermarkets, especially during the festive season, offer their products on various sorts of schemes like “Buy 1 get 1 free” or “buy 2 get 1 free”. Ask your local storekeeper if they have any such schemes available. You will certainly save a lot of money.
The bottom line
You can celebrate your Christmas with gusto and bonhomie even if you are on a tight budget. However, you will have to start preparations before it comes. Start saving money a couple of months before Christmas so you do not panic at that time. You can rely on loans if your savings fall short of cash.