Well, it’s that time of the year again... and Christmas is in the air! But carry the festive spirit a little too far with extravagant gifts, travel, and parties... and Christmas can be quite heavy on the pocket. In good times that’s probably not a great problem, but in these recessionary times it can all add up to a debt laden nightmare.
Active You has some excellent solutions – not least Dissolve Debt Ltd who will provide IVA Advice, informal repayment plans and debt consolidation loans.
But, the question still remains, how do you indulge in the spirit of giving this season without incurring a major financial drain?
All it takes is some creative thinking and intelligent cost-cutting. Here are some ideas from Active You:
Develop a Gift Budget
This is the first and most important step in ensuring that you don’t get carried away with Christmas giving. After all, we’d all like to give our loved ones the very best presents we can but one has to live in the real world and cut one’s cloth accordingly.
So, plan the specifics right at the start. Disciplined spending is the way to go with a realistic gift-giving budget that will guarantee optimal spending along with a stress free time after the winter holidays.
Give Thoughtful, inexpensive Gifts Rather than Pricey Ones
Many inexpensive, thoughtful gifts are better than the high-priced brand-names. These both cost less and, crucially, often mean a lot more to the people you give them to.
Get Free Gift Wrapping From Stores
Most retailers provide this service during the Christmas season, so if you shop from these stores, you need not pay for the wrapping, and are also saved of the pain of wrapping multiple gifts in various shapes and sizes. Professional packing at no extra cost saves more than you think.
Buy Online
Comparison shopping online is a great way to save money. Added to that, you have the convenience of shopping from the comfort of your armchair. Online retailers (e.g., Amazon) offer great prices and discounts not available in bricks and mortar stores. You don’t even need to pay for shipping. And of course, Active You is always there with exciting offers and savings that can slash your Christmas spending by a huge margin.
No Debt for Gift Expenses
Finally, whatever you do, don’t get into debt while buying gifts. It’s easy to whip out your card for expensive gifts, but you may have a hard time after Christmas paying back the money (with interest) every month.
Buying on credit is a poor practice, unless you are a smart user who always pays on time and never runs up interest. However, you’d be in a minority of one!
Spend what is reasonable and appropriate, and give yourself peace of mind for the whole year.
Happy Christmas!
