We all know that Christmas can be an expensive holiday. Gifts, food, decorations and parties can all mount up in cost.

So how can you enjoy the festive period without stressing yourself out over money? Auto Advance has given us their top 5 tips for a less stressful Christmas.

Plan Ahead

It might sound strange talking about Christmas in September, but planning ahead, listing what you’ll need and getting organised can work wonders. Having some sense of clarity before you hit the shops means you can streamline shopping trips, avoid unnecessary stores, unnecessary crowds and maybe even get the Christmas shopping out of the way early.

Budget

Once you know what you need to buy you can start looking at the cost involved and begin putting a budget together in order to cover the cost of Christmas.

Budgets are supposed to manage spending and to be achievable, this might mean changing some brands you buy on a grocery shop, forgoing the occasional takeaway, or cutting back on the occasional luxury to help save a little bit more each month.

Sticking to a budget is good practice in general, but in the lead-up to a big event like Christmas, it is all the more important.

Buy in advance

As part of your budgeting, you can also spread costs over a few months. Buy specific items in advance, boxes of chocolates, wine, biscuits. These all appear in supermarkets well in advance meaning you can buy them before there’s a rush and start stocking up on what you need for Christmas.

Spreading out the cost and incorporating it into an existing budget can help lessen the strain the festive period can put on your finances. Getting everything done in advance also has the added bonus of avoiding specific gifts being out of stock if they suddenly prove popular.

D.I.Y

Some festive items, like decorations and wrapping paper, are things that some people replace every year. Consider making your own wrapping paper by decorating plain brown parcel paper, or making your own decorations.

These are fantastic activities to do with the kids in the run up to Christmas, especially while they are off school. The homemade paper adds a lovely personal touch to a gift and homemade decorations making a wonderful present for someone in their own right.

Anything that can be done yourself, with a limited cost, not only helps to save money but it means you can personalise your Christmas a bit more.

Try to avoid temptation

The temptation at this time of year is to go a bit overboard, ‘because it’s Christmas’. Avoiding that temptation by focussing on just what you need to buy can stop you increasing the amount you spend.

Instead of buying all new decorations every year, why not go out as a family, buy one each, and add them to the existing decorations you already have. Building up a collection over a number of years that will only continue to grow, this couples nicely with the previous point about making decorations, you could also upcycle any old decorations to make something new.

None of these tips are supposed to limit the enjoyment you have at Christmas, they can help to ease stress by getting you to plan ahead, beat the crowds and have a Christmas that is much more relaxed.

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