Keep your finances healthy and fund your family Christmas with these helpful tips
Christmas is a time for excitement and spending treasured moments with family, but as far as your finances are concerned it can also bring a sense of dread and anxiety. A worrying amount of families plunge themselves into debt over the festive period, simply in the hope of having their “best Christmas yet” – it’s a troubling scenario yet one that is increasingly familiar.
With some careful financial planning, and by increasing the money you have to spend over the Christmas break, you and your family don’t have to spend all of 2021 desperately paying for the extravagant Christmas you didn’t really need. Here we’ll explore how you can keep your finances healthy and fund your family Christmas with these helpful tips.
Sell your old gold
The key to increasing your Christmas budget this year could be stashed away in your old jewellery box, in your attic or stuffed at the back of a drawer. When you sell scrap gold, such as broken jewellery, old coins, scrap pieces and unwanted items, you’ll always get the best price based on the weight of your scrap metals. Even if you have un-hallmarked or damaged items, you can have the purity of your gold checked and still be offered the best price. The money released from your unwanted, scrap gold could be enough to top up your bank account and keep you in the black until your next paycheck. A welcome relief for anyone feeling the pinch this Christmas.
Start your festive food shop – now!
When it comes to Christmas food – don’t wait. Create a Christmas food cupboard and start stocking up on all your favourite festive treats as soon as possible. The same applies to your freezer. A couple of additional items in your trolley each week in the run-up to Christmas will help spread the cost. It also means you can take full advantage of any deals that come along, and you won’t be pressured into purchasing more expensive products because stocks of cheaper favourites are low.
Little savings can make a big difference
In the run-up to Christmas, every little saving can make a difference. So, consider cancelling your gym membership for a month or cutting back on your morning coffee-shop run, any little savings can go straight into your Christmas funds instead.
Spread your shopping out
Much like your food shopping, spreading out the cost of other essentials across the weeks ahead will help save money, and you won’t feel the dread of watching your December paycheck drain away. Whether it’s gifts, Christmas crackers, new lights for the tree or party clothes for the children, small regular purchases will help you keep track of your spending and stop you from falling into debt.
And finally, remember you don’t need the best
Whether it’s a free-range turkey or fully organic sprouts, the best champagne or tableware… it’s easy to fool yourself into thinking you need the very best of everything to make your Christmas special. However, it’s simply not true. Opting for cheap and cheerful versions of your festive essentials will keep your finances healthy and you’ll get more for your money too.
