Not just financially but emotionally 2020 has affected a lot of us. From furlough to redundancy unfortunately 2020 hasn’t been the bright year we may have suspected. COVID-19 has completely taken over normality! Sadly it can be difficult to save for events like Christmas when you have been negatively affected financially.
But Christmas should be filled with family time and joy, not a financial burden. At Blossom Lodge we’re offering a few ways to keep Christmas at a low cost this year:
Don’t waste
It’s easy to go a bit over the top during the Christmas period, from food shopping to excessive stocking fillers… we’ve all been guilty for this.
Here at Blossom Lodge we try to waste as little as possible, here are some tips hopefully saving you some money and overall reducing waste:
Try not to go crazy on stocking fillers! It’s easy to get carried away and buy unnecessary stocking fillers thinking they will give someone a laugh but really will they actually use this present? Or will it be another expensive dust gatherer…. rather than an actually appreciated and useful gift.
Reusing old gift bags is a cheaper alternative, rather than buying £20 worth of wrapping paper that could potentially equate to Nana Anne’s present.
Brown paper: it’s cheaper, recyclable and you can even write who it’s for on the paper. Not only saving on the paper but the gift tags too. Maybe only saving you a few coins, but they all add up!
Lastly, being realistic with food is hard at Christmas, don’t we all love a feast! However, do your family of 4 or 5 really need all of that food? Perhaps avoid buying boxing day food and eat the leftovers, after all it’s always nicer the next day!
Handmaking
Here at Blossom lodge we love recycling, creating and crafts and so do your little ones. Something handmade is so much more meaningful. Especially among parents and grandparents. We believe that giving new life to old things is more financially sufficient and they can be kept as keepsakes! Jazz up and old bauble; bake some festive treats… there’s a never ending list!
It’s definitely easy to fall into the habit of buying brand new Christmas decorations every year, but think of the amount of decorations you have shoved in the loft. On the other hand if you desperately need new decorations, why not have a go at making some? It saves money and the decorations will be unique to your family’s home, that can be re-used year after year.
Shopping
This should help with both food shopping and present shopping. Plan it: whether that’s shopping online or entering the chaos of the shopping mall, take 5 minutes at home creating a list of who you’re spending money on and how much. Online especially it’s common to over indulge in the mass amount of products and click after click you’re £100 over your budget!
Using discounted gift cards. How would you like £100 worth of gifts for £80? You can purchase discounted gift cards for hundreds of online/offline retailers.
Before you even begin shopping, start following your favourite retailers on Instagram and Facebook. Many companies offer discounts exclusively to their social media platform followers. A quick search of their recent posts may reveal cost-effective discount codes.
No need for tech
As technology is growing tremendously we know that children want the latest tech at younger ages every year. But there are other alternatives. It’s really not necessary for them to have new iPads and phones galore. It is proven that computers can potentially hinder your child’s development. Choosing less expensive, techy Christmas gifts will unquestionably save you a few pennies!
Give group gifts
When exchanging presents within large groups of people, even small gifts can quickly add up. Try a Secret Santa strategy, or for example going in with co-workers on a gift for your boss. Rather than buying everyone an individual gift, having a maximum spend Secret Santa should really help you save money this Christmas.
We hope you put these tips into practice and that they are helpful. It often seems like Christmas is about money, although it’s really about spending quality time with your loved ones. Which is more important this challenging year.
Your children will remember what you did and who they see at Christmas, not the newest iPad or how many presents Santa delivered.
