How to have a good Christmas on a budget

Spending money at Christmas can easily spiral out of control and the last thing you want to be doing during the festive season is worrying about your finances. So I’ve come up with some simple tips so you can still have an amazing Christmas but on a budget.

Setting a budget at Christmas is a good idea as it will help you have something to stick to. It’s not about being cheap and a budget Christmas can be just as great as any other Christmas, but the festive season shouldn’t be about spending loads of money. We all have times where money is tight but that doesn’t have to ruin the festive cheer. Some of us just like sticking to a budget too and that’s fine as well. The Christmas period is not worth getting into debt for. So whether you want to cut to or need to cut back on your spending this Christmas here are some ways to still have an amazing Christmas on a budget.

Shop at budget supermarkets

This is by far my favourite money saving tip and features in pretty much every money saving guide I write such as How to Live on a Strict Budget to How to save money every day. There’s a reason I always recommend this, because it actually works and can save you so much money! We buy almost all of our Christmas groceries including alcohol from Aldi. The money we save compared to shopping at any other supermarket is unreal. Plus you seen the delicious festive ranges that budget supermarkets release?! Why would you not shop at them?

There’s loads of ways you can save money on food at Christmas. In fact I’ve wrote a whole post on how to get Christmas food on a budget. I really recommend giving it a read to help you slash the price of that big festive food shop.

Use loyalty/savings cards

We have a Co-Op card that allows you to build up money on any own brand purchases. By the end of the year we’ve usually built up enough to treat ourselves. We pick something like a bottle of gin as a treat and we’ve usually built up enough money on the card to not have to actually pay any cash. Loyalty cards are well worth getting for a number of stores as they can save you money on things like food, drink and presents. Some other stores that I can think of where loyalty cards are available are Tesco, Iceland, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Boots and Superdrug.

Don’t stress about presents

I mentioned this in our 5 things you’re not obliged to do at Christmas post but it’s worth talking about again because you really don’t have to spend lots of money to show family member you love them. No one wants you to spend money on them that you haven’t got. Sometimes it’s better to ask what people would like too. That why you know that you haven’t wasted your money on something that won’t get used.

We all love treating other people, it feels great but no one would expect those treats if you can’t afford them. Presents are the be-all and end-all of Christmas and as families grow there has to be a cut off point somewhere as you can’t be expected to buy for every single person. Don’t worry about presents because they really aren’t what matter.

Save and spend throughout the year

Don’t wait until November/December to start buying everything from food to gifts. Spreading the cost throughout the year helps so much. Save as early as can in the year and start gift shopping early too. If you leave everything until the last minute you’re going to be stuck paying for all Christmas related things as well as your usual bills out of one or two wages which is not helpful at all. I’d honestly suggest making a start in the summer months to really spread the cost out. If you’re really serious about it, Christmas and winter sales can be great for finding bargain gifts. Hit the sales and store stuff away for a year. My only advice about this is don’t just buy any old thing because it’s on sale. Look out for gifts they people will genuinely want.

Things like alcohol generally keep for a really long time. If you’ve got the storage space why not try adding an extra bottle of wine or a pack of beer to your weekly food shop? You can then store it away for the festive season. This just helps to spread the cost out more and prevents that shock of spending a really large amount of money in one go.

Utilize sales 

I’ve already mentioned using the sales to pick up gifts but what about all the other little festive bits? Head to the sales and stock up on things like cards, gift wrap and tags. This way it’s a small cost that you don’t have to worry about next year. I try and bulk buy wrapping paper in the sales and it usually lasts me two or three Christmases before I have to buy some more. Christmas cards are another great thing to pick up in the sale. There’s usually a lot of excess stock left on both boxed cards and single cards when the Christmas period is over. It’s worth getting all your cards in the sale and just storing them away.

Staying in versus going out

Going out for a family meal at Christmas can get expensive, I’m not talking going out for Christmas Day dinner, I’m just talking a little family get together. This is why we prefer to stay in and host our own little party. We stock up on party food which can be picked up super cheap from Aldi, Lidl and Iceland, I usually make my own deserts, we get silly little things like Christmas photo booth packs and blast out the Christmas music. It’s so much fun and way cheaper than going out. I love our at home Christmas parties so much, they’re definitely a lot more fun and relaxed than going out.

Of course, it goes without saying that staying in for Christmas dinner is also way cheaper than going out. If you’re not the worlds best cook don’t worry about it. There’s some amazing pre-made options out there now or you could always enlist the help of someone in your family who does enjoy cooking.

Think about the bills

OK, I’m not here to suck the fun out of Christmas but this is an important point to make. Gas and electricity bills naturally increase in the colder months. Add to that the fact that you’re home more over the Christmas period so the heating is on, the tree lights are on and the TV is playing another Christmas movie and you might be surprised with your bill. Now I am not for one second saying you need to sit in a freezing house with no fairy lights and no TV on. You just need to be smart about it. When it comes to heating your home, having your central heating on a timer is the most economical, purse friendly thing to do.

Back when we first moved in together we fell into the trap of thinking we should set the heating temperature quite low before it would automatically come on. This is a bad idea as the colder your house is, the longer your heating has to be on to warm it up to the temperature you set. When it comes to electricity, it’s just a case of being a little more mindful and using your common sense. Turn the lights off in rooms you aren’t using etc. For more tips on saving money on bills check out my how to reduce your energy bills in winter post post.

Have fun

Lastly, and most importantly. Just enjoy the most wonderful time of the year. As long as you’re not spending beyond your means there’s absolutely nothing to worry about. You can still have an absolutely amazing Christmas on a budget. Don’t fall into debt for the sake of one day! All of these tips are easy to implement and can quite easily become habits as each year passes. They require little to no extra planning, they’ll just come naturally. They’ll allow you to fully enjoy Christmas without financial worries hanging over you.

Do you have any money saving tips for Christmas? Leave them in the comments below.

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