» Save Money This Christmas

Take the Financial Stress Out of Christmas

Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to relax in the days leading up to Christmas, rather than feeling more stressed by the hour? It is possible to take much of the the stress out of the festive season if you follow some simple strategies:

Spread It Out

Don’t leave food shopping to the last minute, unless you’re buying fresh produce. Begin to stock up on non-perishables now and you can spread the cost, and the burden of carrying everything as well. Take advantage of the long opening hours of supermarkets by shopping outside the busiest times and you’ll save valuable time by avoiding the crowds at the checkouts.

Take your time rather than hurrying and you’ll be able to check you’re getting bargains instead of just picking up the first thing you see in an effort to get finished as quickly as possible.

Do the same with gifts, picking up things as you see them rather than leaving it till the last minute. There will be late bargains, but if there was something you really wanted to buy you can guarantee it will be sold out.

Use Cash

There’s a real freedom that comes with knowing you have a certain amount of money in your pocket and no more. You can’t impulse buy otherwise you might not be able to get the things you need as well. You’re far less likely to be seduced by offers on things you don’t need, so chances are you’ll spend less overall.

Order If You Can

To make sure you get the fresh produce you want, put in early orders with local suppliers. You know you’ll get what you want, can agree when to collect it, and forget worrying about it. You’re also less likely to impulse buy if you’ve planned out your purchases in advance.

If you can get your order delivered it’s even better. Then there’s no chance you’ll be attracted to that colorful display of some item you really don’t need but just can’t resist.

Make a List and Stick To It

The amount of food that gets wasted at Christmas could feed many starving people. Don’t add to the waste by buying more than you really need. It’s always tempting to buy extra treats, but do you really need all those extra biscuits, chocolates, cheeses AND fruits.

People soon get bored with heavy meals and plentiful fattening snacks in between, and are likely to appreciate not having as much around to nibble on.

Treat alcohol in the same way. You’ll avoid having that almost full bottle of garish liqueur still languishing in the cupboard next summer, and the problems that can arise when people have easy access to more alcohol than is good for them.

Don’t Be Seduced by Premium Products

All sorts of marketing techniques come out of the woodwork at Christmas to persuade you to pay more than you need to for a product. If your standard brand is fine the rest of the year, then why buy a more expensive brand at Christmas? Remember that you’re paying for fancy packaging and decorations as well as the food itself.

Don’t Take the Kids

Supermarkets crowd their checkout areas with items that are magnets for kids: chocolates, stocking filler toys and the like. You might have managed to stay patient in the queue, but if you’re then faced with ‘please mom, can I have one?’ from the kids you may struggle to refuse. And it all adds up.

Get together with a friend or neighbor who has kids, and agree that you’ll each mind the other’s brood so shopping can be done in peace.

And if your partner usually succumbs to ‘2 for 1′ and similar offers leave them behind as well (at least while you’re in the store; you can drag them in to help with loading and carrying).

It’s Christmas, Not a Siege

Remember all the fuss about Y2K? All those worries that computers would stop functioning at the start of 2000? And all those people who started buying in tinned food and bottled water just in case?

That’s how some people seem to treat Christmas each year. The food shops are only shut for a day or two, but they buy in enough to feed an army for a few months. Then they’re straight back in the shops a couple of days later to collect those things they forgot, before they’ve eaten the mountain of food they already bought.

Don’t do it!

Don’t Go Overboard at Mealtimes

There can be a lot of pressure to over eat at Christmas, especially where the cook has been slaving in the kitchen for several hours and you don’t want to upset them. So if you’re in charge of the meals, reduce the amount you cook to sensible proportions, especially if people have been snacking.

Space your meals out as well. There’s nothing worse than eating a late breakfast, a heavy lunch then being encouraged to dive into a substantial buffet tea just 3 or 4 hours later (and surely you’ll be wanting some supper?). Your stomach is likely still trying to come to terms with the masses of food you’ve already eaten; the last thing it wants is more.

Offer light snacks later in the day, and let people help themselves rather than preparing lots of things. That way they won’t feel obliged to eat when they’re not actually hungry, and you won’t have to throw things away.

Don’t Make Lots of Changes From Your Normal Diet

It’s really tempting at Christmas to buy those seasonal products that you don’t normally indulge in. But if you’re like most people you’ll want to stick to foods you like, and that like you. Things you’re not used to might not always agree with you, and that’s literally money down the can!

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