AD. It’s the most wonderful time of the year, but it’s also the most expensive time of the year. When we think of Christmas being expensive, we usually think of Christmas presents. But there are more costs than just that! Let’s take a look at some of the things that could cost us money over Christmas that may have us tempted to consider quick loans.
Christmas decorations.
Even if you have a Christmas tree in the loft that you bring down every year, chances are, you will still buy a few new things to decorate your home each year. It’s exciting buying Christmas decorations but it can soon add up!
There’s also an increase in people buying home decor products, such as candles, kitchenware and even bedding!
Christmas clothes.
You’ve got to have a Christmas jumper! If you’ve got growing kids, you may need to buy new ones. Christmas pyjamas are also a big hit these days.
Groceries.
We spend more on food over Christmas. The supermarkets are full of chocolate on offer, we eat too many pigs in blankets and treat ourselves to more alcohol than usual. Our food bill can easily double!
Social occasions.
Christmas is a time we tend to get together with our friends and family. We can spend money on meals out, at the pub or even days out with the kids.
Gifts.
Presents are a big part of Christmas! If you’re lucky to have lots of friends and family, then you might not feel very lucky when you think about how much you need to spend on gifts!
Though there are things you can do to reduce this bill such as DIY gifts, checking cashback sites when spending money online, looking for discount codes and taking advantage of things like Amazon Prime days or black Friday.
The good thing about Christmas is that you know when it’s going to be, so you can start planning in advance and buy gifts earlier in the year.
Advent calendars
How expensive are advent calendars these days? When I was younger, I’d have a chocolate one and that’s it. I’ve bought my child a Hey Duggee advent calendar that has books in it. It was £10! You can get all sorts these days, ones with toys in, beauty products, cheese and even wine.
Christmas eve box
On Christmas Eve, I used to get new pyjamas and I could pick a present from under the tree to open. Now, people have Christmas eve boxes for their kids filled with little toys and sweets. It’s almost like a stocking full of gifts for the night before. This can easily come to £50.
Travel
If you have family and friends far away, you might be travelling to see them which can cost fuel, train tickets, flights and hotel costs. It all adds up!
Time off work
For some of us (especially self-employed like me), taking time off work means not getting paid which is an additional cost to factor in.
Gosh, listing it all like that makes you realise how expensive Christmas actually is! The best thing to do is be aware of how much Christmas can cost you and start putting money aside early so it doesn’t cause you stress or mean you have to borrow money.
