For the first time since I launched McWhat, I’ve had the time and motivation to get involved in a collaborative project with other bloggers – so my aim this month is to post a different Christmas-inspired post each day; so no doubt you’ll be completely scunnered with me by the 3rd.
The first day of Blogmas I decided I wanted to focus on the super sexy topic of budgeting for the big day, and making sure you’re organised enough not to do what I do and run out of money by the 15th.
I always start getting bits and pieces for people from September, it means that I don’t need to dedicate my last wage to buying solely gifts and can still enjoy myself (in a world post-covid).
According to research by Rakuten Marketing, while more than 40% of households reported a drop in income more than 70% of shoppers said they’d be maintaining the same levels of shopping as in 2019. Three quarters of those surveyed actually intended to increase their spend on immediate families with more people making an effort to shop locally.
1. Sort out your Christmas list
If you have a large family or friend group, it really helps to have a visual to refer to – you can use this to note your planned spending on each person, make notes on gift ideas or just use it purely to make sure that no-one slips through the cracks.
2. Allocate your budget
This could be per person or overall. I always go over the top at Christmas, I just absolutely love the whole Christmas experience. I was worse in past years, but now that I have a note of a maximum amount I want to spend on people I find that I’m more mindful of the purchases I’m making and buy less in the way of ‘filler’ gifts.
3. Do some digging
I’m the worst for trying to sneakily ask for gift suggestions, so maybe you’ll do a better job than I do. This is a great way to find out what type of thing the recipient would like, and is easier if it’s someone you spend a lot of time with.
4. Be savvy
Sure it’s nice to blow cash on the perfect gift for someone, but why spend over the odds? By shopping around you can easily save the odd tenner or so, and by signing up to mailing lists you’ll be kept up to date with any offers and deals. Rakuten’s Road to Recovery report showed that surprisingly, only 35% of shoppers were searching for deals and offers. A great money-saver I’ve found is by signing up to fellow Glasgow gal Chloe’s Deal Club, you can opt for her yearly membership which has the added bonus of personal deal hunts if there’s something in particular you’re hankering to find at a reduced rate.
5. Remember what it’s all about
Your family and friends don’t love you for your gifts, they love you for you. After the year we’ve had, don’t get too caught up in what you have and don’t have – Christmas is a time to appreciate what we have and who we have.
I really hope to see you back here throughout the month and as always let me know your thoughts. Why not bookmark my site or save it to your homescreen, then you can catch up easily each day?