Winter is coming
It may have just turned October and the leaves have not yet fallen on the ground filling our surroundings with those beautiful Autumnal colours whilst we cosy with a hot chocolate and our teddy-bear coats, but now is the best time to prepare for the holidays.
Do you fall into the same trap each year of adding your Christmas shopping for toys, food & gifts onto your credit card? And in return your start the new year filled with dread, debt & high monthly repayments for the following 11 months, only to do it all over again?
You may find your family have started to have the ‘Christmas chat’ on who’s going to host, who’s going where but if you leave everything to that last week in December you’re going to find yourself panic-buying, creating debt, feeling stressed and not look forward to the most magical time of year.
We have created some simple steps to prepare early for Christmas to make it an enjoyable experience for you every year;
Work out a budget – set a budget and stick to it. There are multiple free apps available to type out a budget and categorise spending to keep you on track. Or you can always use a trusty excel spreadsheet too!
Start filling your calendar – note down everything from parties to school events and family gatherings to be as organised as possible. Don’t be afraid to pencil in a date when you’re going to do your Christmas food shop or when the kids break up from school, having a visual planner works wonders.
Decide who is hosting Christmas Day – as soon as you know whether you’re hosting or going to be a guest, you will know more about what budget is required.
Who’s coming – If you are hosting, how many guests will you have? Plan a budget and stick to it. Write a list (and check it twice!). Are there any vegetarians or dietary requirements? And don’t be shy to request guests to bring a dish or a bottle so they contribute too!
Start gift shopping early – there’s no time like the present! A great way to avoid frivolous spending or contributing to a throwaway gift is setting a budget with your friends and family and asking what they actually want. Yes, it’s nice to gift a surprise to a loved one but not when that surprise makes the receiver feel guilt on what it may have cost. Or even worse, something they don’t like so it ends up in a charity shop or the bin! Check out Martin Lewis’ famous message on the ‘ban on unnecessary Christmas gifts’ found on YouTube.
If you do find yourself needing a little further guidance, remember we are here to help! A chat costs nothing and we are more than happy to help you with a budget plan to help you plan this winter.
