#Christmas2017: How to make the most of Christmas on a shoestring budget

Zianne Leibrandt

Has life taken its toll on your savings, leaving you stressed about Christmas?

Don’t worry!

Below is a list of ways to enjoy December 25, on a shoestring budget:

Time is valuable:

People tend to forget what Christmas is really about.

The free gift of spending time with relatives and friends definitely reaps rewards beyond what any material gift can ever offer.

Rather, spend some irreplaceable quality time with loved ones. No gift will ever replace time spent and memories created with those dear to them.

The ideal budget plan:

Set up a ‘user-friendly’ budget plan for Christmas day which works for you, and stick to it!

Your budget should be simple.

Start as early as possible to get your finances in check so you are financially prepared for Christmas day.

Here are some practical steps that you can take into account when preparing your Christmas budget:

– Determine how much money you have available for Christmas day.
– Indicate what your expenses for Christmas day will include, for example food, gifts or petrol/diesel (if you need to travel).
– Be on the lookout for bargains on the items that you need to purchase.

A final tip in terms of your Christmas budget:
– keep an eye on your expenditures.

Keeping track of what you spend does not mean having less fun.

Remember the best things in life are free, or at least not that expensive.

Affordable Christmas meal:

Get friends and family excited about Christmas lunch or dinner by getting them involved in the process.

Ask Grandma to bring her famous apple pie and tell each household to bring their favourite salad, and you can provide the meat.

This will certainly point you and your loved ones in the right direction when saving money.

Being the host, this year, doesn’t mean that you have to carry on every single expense by yourself.

Now is the time to buy the canned foods and frozen goods that you will need.

Do not wait until the last minute; this is when everything gets expensive.

Do your homework regarding Christmas recipes to determine in advance what and how many ingredients you will need.

Having fun does not need to be expensive:

Fun activities are great for Christmas day, but fun and cheap activities are even better.

Get in touch with Mother Nature and have a garden camp out or what about building a blanket fort in the living room?

You and your loved ones can also explore your city as tourists and do affordable sight-see activities like a picnic or having a braai in the park, or even take a drive through the famous streets that are showing off their Christmas lights and decorations.

DIY gifts are just as nice:

Christmas decorations and gifts do not have to be costly, why would you buy items when you can use and spruce up the things that you already have available.

This is not only a cheaper option but also a fun activity that you can do with your children as well as the elder family members.

There are numerous ways to make the most of your shoestring budget on Christmas.

Give the above tips a try, and you may find that this wonderful time of year can be worth much more without spending a considerable amount of cash, not to mention avoiding the unnecessary stress that goes along with it.