Everyone loves Christmas, but it can also be one of the most expensive times of the year. Most people want Christmas to be a happy and special time and are willing to pay for the little extras that make it so, but they don't want to pay for it for the rest of the year. Even if you have a normal family, Christmas will always cost a little more. However, you can avoid financial trouble by making a simple budget ahead of time.
One of the best things you can do is to start saving early for Christmas costs. Don't wait until mid-December to buy everything, when you'll have to put it all on your credit card. Instead, start buying tree decorations, wrapping paper, Christmas cards, and some gifts a month or two ahead of time. This way, you can pay for them before Christmas, which will take some of the financial pressure off during the two weeks when you really want to focus on your family and loved ones instead of your credit bills and other worries.
Spend as little as possible.
Also, remember that sticking to a budget doesn't mean giving up all the things that make Christmas fun. It means that you sit down ahead of time and figure out how much you want to spend or can spend on each thing. If you have, say, GBP100 to spend on gifts and ten gifts to buy, don't think about gifts that will cost more than GBP10 each. When the bills start coming in in January, a little care and planning can make a big difference in your finances.
Also, sticking to a budget doesn't mean that you have to eat bread and water on Christmas. All you have to do is decide ahead of time how much you can spend on a family meal and then stick to it.
"Make it your own"
You can also remember that Christmas is a time for giving and spending time with the people you care about most. It doesn't have to be all about spending money and shopping. If you are worried about money, you can always follow a few simple tips to save money. For example, you could try making your own decorations and cards. Popcorn strings look great on a tree, and everyone loves getting a hand-made card from a friend or family member. You could also make some gifts or have the older people in your family do a "secret Santa" where each person buys a gift for one other person instead of having to buy a gift for everyone.
