With Halloween out of the way, Christmas is just around the corner. That means your house’s preparations should probably be underway – unless you don’t mind a stressful last-minute trolley-dash.
A lot of us put off festive shopping plans until the very last minute. But by being proactive, you can get ahead of the crowd, and help ensure that your Christmas goes off without a hitch.
Your festive plans should stem from a realistic budget. This applies especially in 2023, where inflation is still putting the squeeze on household budgets.
Work out how much you’d like to spend overall, and then break down that figure into separate budgets for gifts, decorations, and food. You can set up a dedicated savings account to support your festive finances.
The gifts you buy should make up a substantial chunk of your overall budget. If you’re buying for dozens of people, then your costs can quickly escalate, especially if you don’t cap spending on a per-person basis.
Make a list of everyone you’re shopping for and try to work out gift ideas in advance for each of them. The internet is a rich source of inspiration, with many small vendors selling unique gifts for reasonable prices. If you’re ordering from a smaller seller, however, then you should think about how much notice you’re giving, and whether the gift will arrive in time. Early ordering will help ensure you aren’t disappointed.
On a similar note, we should make sure we’re taking advantage of online shopping more generally. Online shopping events like Black Friday can help you to cut your Christmas spend overall – especially if you know where the best discounts are to be found. Shop around for the best discounts, make sure that you know what you’re looking for, and that you don’t spend impulsively.
Christmas is all about coming together with friends and family. Unfortunately, that often means spending a little bit of extra cash. If you’ve got your social calendar worked out in advance, however, then you’ll be able to optimise your spending.
If you’re hosting, then work out your festive menu in advance. Work out which items are going to cost the most per head. Goose tends to be more expensive than turkey, but if you aren’t cooking on Christmas Day itself, then the chances are good that your guests will want something a bit different.
To give everyone the best chance of showing up, make sure that you send out the invitations as early as possible. For big gatherings, a paper invitation might be warranted. For smaller, informal parties, a WhatsApp group invite is probably sufficient.