Coping with the cost of Christmas (cont.)
The 12 ‘Do’s’ of Christmas
- Leave your credit card at home. Only pay cash or a debit card
- Give within your means. Nobody should expect more from you.
- Have a budget and stick to it.
- Do your shopping as early as you can.
- Keep an eye on your whole holiday season spending (food, drink, luxuries, etc), not just the amount of money you spend on gifts.
- Look for bargains throughout the year.
- Buy your decorations and cards in January, for the Christmas to come.
- Narrow down the circle of gift recipients. Many will be in the same boat as you.
- If you can’t afford to buy gifts, try making them instead. The gift of time is as precious a gift as any.
- Take the time to really find out what your recipient needs – often it’s the small things that they’d never buy for themselves that make perfect gifts.
- Remember that Christmas is about sharing the time with your family and friends – not about how much money you spend on gifts.
- See a professional financial advisor if you find you’ve run up debts beyond your means.
No doubt you intend to celebrate Christmas for many years to come, so now is the time to develop good practices that will enable you to enjoy each and every one of them. And remember, if you do find you’ve spent far too much then there’s always Frugal February.
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