She Might Be Loved
4 Ways You Can Manage the Cost of Christmas AD

There are no two ways about it: Christmas is expensive. And this year, in particular, we are all looking for ways to manage those costs so that Christmas can be enjoyed by everybody. Nobody wants to spend December feeling stressed, which is why I have put together some tips on how to make your purse happier this festive season. Here are four ways you can manage the cost of Christmas. Plan your festive food in advance There are some foods you can’t buy until closer to Christmas – trying to find a fresh turkey any sooner than mid-December can prove difficult! – but if there is anything you can buy, prep and freeze in advance then this is a great way to keep costs low in December. Consider moving to pre-prepared frozen offerings like pigs in blankets or roast potatoes – not only does it save you a bit of money, but it will save you time on the day so you can relax with your family.  Try out a new way to use credit It can be tempting to get yourself a quick payday loan when you are planning to go Christmas shopping, but there can be serious problems with payday loans. You may need to borrow more than you actually need to use, which means paying back a fortune with that high-interest rate, and if you use a broker then you will have all kinds of extortionate fees. It is better to work with a direct lender so that you can avoid broker fees and keep the costs of getting credit low. There was a time when getting credit was a slippery slope, but thanks to Polar Credit you can now borrow only exactly what you need, which gives you more control over your finances and how much you would need to repay. Stock up on presents throughout the year One of the biggest reasons that Christmas feels like such a huge expense is because it is all coming out of your account at once. Not only are there extra mouths to feed over Christmas, but you tend to get new and pretty Christmas decorations, and of course buy presents for your nearest and dearest – and you want to make sure that nobody is missing out. A great way to make this more manageable without having to scale back on what you are getting is to make purchases every single month, so that when it gets to December you have a full stock of presents for everybody. January is a great time to kickstart your shopping, because there are so many fantastic sales where you can get things at a discount price. Make as much as you can at home From the mince pies to the ornaments on the tree, and even presents for your loved ones, you can hand make a lot of what is considered to be an essential addition to Christmas. Look up YouTube tutorials or keep an eye out for festive TV shows that give you great tips on how to make your home look stunning by making it all yourself. Looking after the things you make and packaging them up carefully for the next year is always a great way to save too. There’s definitely no need to be buying new decorations and accessories every year! My favourite memories as a child at christmas were having the same decorations year after year, they became special keepsakes to the entire family and thankfully we still have a lot now!   Christmas can be expensive for all of us. How do you manage the costs for your family? Share your tips in the comments below.

This post 4 Ways You Can Manage the Cost of Christmas AD appeared first on She Might Be Loved