the C-word

That’s right – as October starts to draw to a close, you need to start thinking about Christmas.  Some frugalistas make lists and buy throughout the year whenever they spot a big bargain.  This is great, it not only gets the shopping out of the way, but also helps you get items at much cheaper than December prices.  I think this practice is good if you buy for quite a few people, especially if you can buy fairly generic items appropriate for a range of people (Body Shop glitches are fabulous for this, but be careful and don’t buy more than you need or be tempted to spend money on yourself you wouldn’t normally do!).  Keep an eye on sites like MoneySavingExpert.com for big bargains (“Shop but don’t drop” and “Grabbit!” forums are ideal).  I confess I’m not this organised when it comes to Christmas, but hats off to those who are!

Don’t be afraid to buy used and/or homemade.  You need to know your giftee, as only you can judge whether this would be appropriate.  I feel that young children will probably never know if their gift came from a car boot sale or charity shop, so long as it’s clean & working.  Similarly, you can often find great things at car boots that still have the tags (leather gloves, nice scarves, unwanted gadgets, etc.), so don’t be afraid – your receiver need never know!

Last year, I made several hampers of homemade goodies.  People really appreciated the time and effort that went into this, making it as much appreciated but far cheaper than any bought gift.  This can actually work really well for people you DON’T know very well.  I would’ve struggled to get our childminder something she would’ve like (only having known her for a few months), but she seemed to really love the hamper and all its goodies.  You don’t even have to make hard stuff – things like fudge and chocolate truffles are actually really quick & easy.  Even jam can be easy so long as you have the jars.

It’s a bit late for my best Christmas thrifty advice – start saving early.  The very best thing you can do is sit down in January and formulate a Christmas budget.  Then divide that number by 12 and put away that amount of money each month.  This makes Christmas sooo much more manageable AND you have a fund to spend from as you find gifts throughout the year.  At the end, you may even have money left over and that can go in another savings pot! (I do a joint birthdays/Christmas fund to make life even easier)

At the very end of the day, it’s important to know your spending limits and stick to them.  Don’t overextend yourself, your family & budget are more important than any gift.