Don’t overspend this Christmas

There are festive seasons all year round and not just at Christmas. Although there seem to be more celebrations towards the end of the year with Halloween, Thanksgiving, Bonfire Night (a UK thing), Christmas and New Year. But aside from festive seasons, there are birthdays and anniversaries at least 10 or 20 times a year for every family in the world. But that being said, it doesn’t have to turn into a financial nightmare.

People save all year round to be able to buy Christmas presents for all their families, friends, work colleagues and even their boss. All this, in addition to buying expensive ingredients for their Christmas lunch, Christmas parties, New Year’s Eve parties, a tree, decorations and cards. It all sounds very expensive, doesn’t it? And It is.

But that being said, it still doesn’t have to be a financial burden. It’s only heavy on your pocket if you let it. So if you make the decision to spend only an x amount on buying presents for your circle, it will not only be easy on your pocket but save you from anxiety, which is what a lot of people suffer from at this time of year.

But one mother in the UK decided that she would spend, in total, 26 pounds on gifts for everyone to whom she needed to give, i.e. her children, husband, parents and in-laws. Now 26 pounds doesn’t sound like it would get you much. But those who celebrate the spirit of Christmas insist that it’s not about the food, the drink or giving out gifts. It’s the sentiment that comes with whatever you give no matter how inexpensive it is.

In fact, it reminds me of an episode of ‘Friends’ where two of the characters were busy somewhere on Christmas Eve and by the time they finished, all the shops were closed for Christmas. What did they do? They went to the nearest petrol station and bought drinks and other unusual but cheap items you pick up there. It was all meant to be a joke but it’s not really.

In reality, not everyone can afford to spend everything they have over the Christmas period and then have little to spare for the rest of the year. If you have a circle of friends or relatives, not all of them will be able to spend the kind of money you can.

Or you might be one of those individuals whose friends have money to spend and you might feel awkward giving them something cheap, especially when you know that they might react oddly to receiving it from you. Well, if that’s the case, I strongly urge you to find better friends.

Don’t spend money on expensive gifts even for your children. I’ve seen parents lavishing expensive mini motorbikes, electric scooters, mobile phones and tablets on their small children. If you’re planning to give your child an expensive gift like that this Christmas, I would urge you to stop and think before doing so.

Can you afford it? If you’re planning to use your credit card to pay for all the expensive gifts then stop. The only people who gain from you spending that which you do not have are the credit card companies. Moreover, giving your child an expensive gift sets a precedent for years to come. Anything inexpensive you give them in the future will never be appreciated.

A lot of families with little to spend make a pact with one another. Either they do a secret Santa where each picks a name out of a hat and buys a gift for that person or they decide together that they would not buy anything under 5 pounds for each other. Another option would be for each member of the family to make something for everyone.

You don’t have to be talented. It’s the sentiment that goes with it that’s important. This would go a long way to make it easy on the budget.

Those who celebrate the spirit of the season insist that it’s about praying, giving charity to those in need, feeding the poor, volunteering at homeless shelters and being nice to one another.