by Samantha Mdluli
When it comes to the festive season people hate the early creep of it and always go all out and sometimes end up landing up in big financial dilemmas. Yet they fail to comprehend that enjoying the festive season isn’t about early celebrations, it’s about preparation. There are so many ways in which one could do now to reduce financial stress and avoid being skint in January.
Firstly, work out what it is you can actually afford before planning the “perfect Christmas”
Many people tremble when they hear the word “budget” being uttered as it sounds restrictive and end up making the mistake of writing up lists and only afterward consider how they’ll pay for their listed items and that’s a recipe for disaster. Instead, one should calculate their budget and see how much they can afford to spend then spend within range of their budget
Cook at home
Instead of going out and spending your hard-earned cash at high-end restaurants and fast food joints rather opt for a home-cooked meal. By cooking and baking your own treats you can save the money you were going to use to buy food at the store.
Find the cheapest place to buy gifts
The web is usually the place to shop and beats high street places with their prices. Search sites to find the cheapest CD ‘s, books, games, etc. Try using Google shopping as it’s the most consistent at finding the cheapest price and searches for a wide variety of retailers such as Amazon and Tesco
Make a list for everything and make sure to go over it constantly
Shopping on impulse is dangerous so we’re taking the old-fashioned route of making a shopping list and sticking to it. Always be reminded that shops spend a fortune on targeting your spending impulses – a list helps you curb the impulse to buy unnecessary items.
Target End of Bargain sales
Grab everything you see here.
I’m kidding – but do target end of bargain sales be it gift-wrap, plastic Christmas trees, potential gifts as these are normally heavily discounted during January. Look for coupons and use them to your advantage by getting bigger discounts.
Start Saving Early for vacations and always book travel tickets in advance
Start saving for holidays every January. Booking prices and ticket prices tend to hike up during the festive season so to avoid spending extra money on your much-anticipated holiday book your tickets well of into the beginning of the year
When spending this festive always be reminded and remember the reason for the season. Sometimes your presence is better than your present so just enjoy a family meal, raise your glass and focus on a financially good New Year.
