How To Plan Your Finances For Christmas

Christmas 2020 is set to be a very strange one. It’s still unclear just what we’ll be allowed to do. Recent comments from the government’s medical advisor on COVID suggest that we’ll be able to mix for a few days over the festive period – which might effectively mean that Christmas is on as normal.

But if you’re been in dire financial straits through 2020, then the prospect of spending big on the season might not be an especially tantalising one. Every year, millions of Brits spend more than they can really afford, and end up paying for it with thrift in January and February. Many people consider payday loan lenders to help spread the payments out over a number of months rather than one upfront hefty payment!

If you’d like to get through Christmas this year without racking up a sizeable debt, then you’ll want to follow a few of the following money-saving tips.

Create a Budget

While it might sound like the most obvious thing in the world, too many of us fail to properly budget for their gift-giving. If you’re shopping for gifts for two dozen people, and you don’t set a strict limit on the amount you’re going to be spending on each of them, then overspending is practically guaranteed.

All of this should start with the figure you have available to spend. Base it on the amount you have available, and how much you can realistically set aside each month.

Keep a Record

If you’re buying gifts for the same people year after year, then you might end up inadvertently repeating yourself. If you’re shopping for socks, then this might not be a problem – no-one can seriously claim to have too many pairs of socks. But for everything else, a repeat present might not be a welcome one.

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Keep a record of the gifts you’re giving, year-after-year. You don’t have to be super-organised: just keep a logbook somewhere and scrawl your notes there.

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Brainstorm

Thinking of affordable gifts that don’t cost the earth can be difficult – so set aside some time to wrack your brains. Again, it’s worth writing your ideas down – you might find that doing so helps you to more thoroughly develop them.

Spread the cost

You don’t need to do all your Christmas shopping in the few months leading up to the season. By spending more earlier in the year, you can lighten the load financially when December rolls around.

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Create New Traditions

Many families and friends will find themselves in a similarly disagreeable financial position this year. Your attitude to the practice of gift-giving might have shifted, such that you’re not really focussed on spending big. Talk to your close family, and establish whether you’d like to start a new tradition. A Secret Santa, for example, will allow everyone to get a single good gift rather than a string of mediocre ones.