Simple Tips To Help You Spend Less During The Festive Season.

Are thinking about how to spend less during the festive season? This post is here to help you make that a reality using very simple tips.

December is the most beautiful time of the year for a lot of people and one generic reason is because Christmas is around the corner.

It is super close now. Trees, light and décor have all been dusted and positioned, everyone is bursting with excitement (I really do hope you are) and well, the shopping list is actually getting longer.

Not to worry, the plan is to have a fun filled, organized and stress free holiday , and you can have all this and still spend less during the festive season.

I recently jumped on a number of good quality items that are on sale and the best part is they are still useful after the festive season.

This means, I spend less during the festive season and still re-use these items when the festivity is over.

Being satisfied and happy with my purchase, I had the nudge to look for other items (for festivity and afterward) which can be purchased at rebate prices and also thought about more ways to save more money and spend less during the festive season.

Here are a number of useful tips to guide you:

1. Take Advantage of Promos and Sales Events (Online/Offline).

The inspiration for this post came after the last sales event I attended. Quality items were being sold at very affordable prices and you could even go ahead to bargain for some of the items/ place more orders at the same discounted price as long as you pay immediately.

Take advantage of sales events in your location and be sure to purchase only the items you find useful. To ensure you are getting good buys, have a fair idea of what the items cost originally, scan the items carefully to make sure there are no tears, stick to your pruned shopping list and budget.

Well, if you created a budget using original prices, then you will be having more money to save since you are getting items at a rebate price. Great right?

The festive period is a great time to look out for brands willing to organize these events for their products. You can basically find everything, from furniture, house hold appliances, fashion items, cooking ingredients and beauty products.

Just make sure you are looking out for the digital adverts.

2. Group Catering

For families or friends that plan group camping / cabin experience, a great way to spend less during the festive season is to stick with group catering.

There really is no point cooking and buying ingredients separately (unless it is for health related reason) when funds can be put together and meals can be made jointly.

Cooking together creates even more bond which I think is the essence of the festive season.

Group catering also reduces the amount of items each family has to show up with. If generic needs are being distributed, everyone shows up with what is allocated to them and in the right quantity.

Less load to pack, less expenses and you still have a great time together.

3. Re-use Previously Used Items.

Since minimalism became a thing, people have embraced recycling items and finding ways to use an item for more than one purpose.

This can also be adopted during the festive period. Re-use Christmas trees and decors, special dinning sets should be stored carefully and re-used, empty glass jars and coffee containers can be re-used to store cookies or sweets for guest, wine bottles can used for as flower vases, carefully opened gift wrapping paper can be used to wrap other gifts or as book covers.

You really have to be creative with the items you find at home, and this leads to the next simple tip.

4. Declutter and DIY

Decluttering your house especially your storage area can give room to finding items that you forgot was available, this means you do not have to buy new things (depending on what you find).

It is also an avenue to rid the house of items you do not need, therefore making the house more presentable and clutter free at Christmas. The gently used items you find can be wrapped and donated to thrift stores, orphanages and care homes.

Doing it yourself is another way you can spend less during the festive season. Instead of buying new decor you can only use during the festive season, think about decor settings you can put together to set the right Christmas mood in the house or office space.

Here are some fantastic ideas, you can DIY a Glass Jar Scented Candle Holder or Christmas Tropical Door Wreath.

5. Suggest Group Trips/Dates

During the festive season, families tend to visit each other, visit work colleagues and mutual friends in the same location.

To spend less this festive season, suggest group dates or trips so that everyone can meet at a particular hangout spot.

This way, you save money meant for transportation to individual house and you can use the money to purchase gift items for the family instead.

6. Tweak Your Christmas Tradition.

I read this earlier – We do not have to continue with holiday traditions that leave us broke, overwhelmed and tired.

While holiday traditions are a splendid way to create memories and of course keep tradition in the family, it is also important that it does not leave your finances bleeding or leave you overwhelmed.

Tweak your Christmas traditions if you really cannot afford it, but put in effort to ensure your new activities create bonding time and smiling faces, new experiences and beautiful pictures.

7. Are You Hosting? Jump On A Potluck Party

Will you be hosting this festive season, but you know that your expenses will affect the coming month? why not inform guests that it will be a potluck party.

You can inform guests that you will make the starter and main dish, but they can come along with dessert and other items. This way, you spend less and everyone still gets to have a good time.

Be sure to inform them ahead of time, include dietary options just incase there are people with preferences, make the basics available in good quantity (napkins, utensils, cups etc) and be as cheerful as you can be.

8. Intentionally Track Your Spending.

You really cannot spend less during the festive season (or anytime at all) if you do not track your spending or be intentional about how much goes into a project.

Be intentional about your expenses, stick to a budget and your pruned list so that you can have a good time after the festive season as well.

Share your thoughts

How do you ensure you purchase only what is on your pruned list?

Do you attend sales events?

I will love to read from you.