Christmas season is not only the busiest but also a month of big purchases. Lalo na maraming sale weekly, we moms, are tempted to visit all those sale events and grab the best buy items.
Especially here in our country, Christmas is celebrated as early as the month of September. November pa lang may Christmas Parties na di ba?
But, Christmas season shouldn’t put us in debt after all the festive celebrations and purchases we had.
Sharing with you some practical tips on how to have a budget-friendly Christmas celebration.
- Make a gift listing – by creating a list of people we will share gifts this season, we can save time, effort and it will save us from duplicate items that can be a cause of over purchasing an item when shopping without a list. Shopping online from local brands can also help in our budget, iwas eat-out and unnecessary purchases.
- Christmas Meal Plan- meal planning is not only beneficial on our family’s weekly menu, it is also a must for our Christmas Menu, by preparing our meal ideas ahead, we can also avoid Christmas rush and prepare ingredients ahead of time.
- Create a Christmas budget- Having an allotted budget for Christmas celebration is a must, having a budget this holiday will also help us plan our priority events for the family, gifts, meal and more. We used to have an open budget for Christmas, at nagulat nalang kami na naubos ang earning namin ng parang bula. That’s why every family should set their allotted budget for celebration. (Like for example, Php 1,000/month savings for Christmas can save us P 12,000 by December)
- DIY gifts – do you have an artistic side? do you love to paint? do you like making handmade crafts? Home made goodies can be a good gift idea for your relatives and friends. Not just budget-friendly but it comes with a personal touch.
- Prepare ahead of time – since we are down to two weeks before Christmas, this tip might be applicable for your next year’s preparation. Being freelancers and small business owners, we do not have bonuses nor 13 month pay. What we usually do is we buy a gift for 1-3 person every month starting January so by December, we are almost complete with our list. I also saw a tip online, wherein, you can purchase a gift card per month so by November you can use all those gift card for gift buying.
If in case, you are broke or you do not have an extra fund to celebrate this holiday season, do not worry and don’t feel bad. Gifts, Grand Meals and Holiday Vacations are not the reason of this season.
Let us not forget that the true reason for the season is the birth of our Savior – Jesus Christ. As Pastor Rick Warren shared, at most Christmas celebration, the person whose birthday we’re supposed to be celebrating is completely ignored. That’s a sad truth.
Being a mom, preparing for Christmas can be a lot of work – decorating our home, cooking and baking, attending parties, wrapping gifts and more that leave us with little time to actually enjoy its real meaning and the real Reason of Christmas.
Let us not forget mommies that the best gift we have this Christmas is not wrapped in festive gift wrappers but was wrapped in cloth on a manger.
Aside from not being in debt because of the holiday demands, may we all have a meaningful Christmas!
Maligayang Pasko mommies!
Like you, I also allot money every month so I don’t have to wait for Christmas bonus just to buy gifts. It also saves me time because as early as October, I can buy gifts and hindi na ko makipagsiksikan sa malls or mamoblema sa mga courier. I agree with gift list and budget para hindi mabutas ang bulsa. ๐
No 13th month pay for me as well and we’re going home to our province for the holiday next week. I tried the 24-payout challenge this year, maliit lang naman since I was just trying it out to see if I can sustain it and to my surprise, I actually made it! So the money I saved will be the amount I’m going to use going home. Napakagastos ng buwan na ‘to talaga kaya dapat lang na budgetin ng maayos ang pera.
We do all these things during Christmas season. This year though we have decided not to have Noche Buena at home because there will only be 4 of us at home, and that includes 2 little boys. So, we’ll be eating out instead. I think it’s gonna come out cheaper than if I cook a whole Noche Buena feast at home.
Last year, I made bracelets for all the ladies in my circle. It was great. I personalized it, it was simple but they all appreciated it so much. They did not expect to receive anything. Usually, moms wrap everything and the gifts are just for kids. haha I love this tipid post. I’m already trying to mentally make a checklist of the possible food we can prepare. =)
These are really good tips. I am in dire need of help in my Christmas planning this year. I am so busy at work, I had no time to prepare. I am normally an organized person, but this year is just so crazy busy.