How To Start Budgeting For Christmas
Ok, so its no secret that the Christmas period can be a real drain on our bank account. It’s very easy to underestimate how much you will actually spend over the Christmas period, which leads to last minute panic and disappointment. Planning and budgeting early will not only ensure you have enough cash to cover all the costs, but allow you to actually enjoy the Christmas period!
Below are 3 tips to help make this Christmas a walk in the park!
1. Set your budget
First and foremost you need to work out your budget. Sit down and list all your expenses for the month, and work out how much you can afford to be spending this month. Consider everything from bills, to petrol to the £5 sandwich you grab every day on your lunch break! Having this final figure will allow you to budget correctly and make it a lot easier for you to refrain from overspending when the time comes to do your shopping.
2. List your Christmas expenses
Get out your planner or spreadsheet and list everything that you will need to buy for Christmas. We’re not just talking about the presents here, think about EVERYTHING! Will you have to buy a Christmas tree? Decorations? Food for Christmas day? Activities around Christmas? All of these things need to be considered in advance to avoid last minute panic when you realise you can’t afford to buy the presents you had planned.
Top Tip! Budget a little over what you expect the price of everything to be. This will avoid any disappointment and might just leave you with a little leftover cash to spend on yourself!
3. Create your shopping list
Now you have your Christmas budget, and you’ve worked out how much all the extra bits and bobs are going to cost, you can decide how much you have leftover to spend on the good stuff - presents! While it can be tempting to buy everyone amazing gifts, think about who you really want to/need to buy presents for. Having that little bit extra cash to spend on the people that mean the most to you is a lot better than splitting your budget between 30 crappy presents that will most likely be thrown away. So, write a list of everyone you are wanting to buy for and decide how much you want to spend on them. This will make it a lot easier when hunting for presents especially online as you can enter your maximum spend when browsing. Once you’ve thought of your gift idea, double check it’s in the budget and note it down.
Trust me when i say leaving your Christmas shopping until the last minute is the worst mistake you can make! Avoid the stress and start purchasing all your gifts early December, you’ll feel a lot more relaxed and prepared!
Do you have any tips for budgeting for Christmas? Comment them below, we'd love to hear them!
Be sure to DM me if you have any questions! -@lucyhitchcock_ @sassydigital