Christmas on a Budget

I'm not gonna lie…I'm kind of a Grinch when it comes to Christmas…or I have become increasingly more Grinch-like as time has gone on. Christmas is just not as fun when you get older. It just starts to become an expensive holiday that stresses you out and leads to you getting pushed around whenever you actually work up the courage to navigate your way through the mall.

That doesn't change the fact that Christmas does come…every.single.year.

This year I'm on a tight budget…and thus I've even become a little Scrooge-like.

Here are some tips to facing Christmas while on a budget (hopefully this can keep you from becoming a big scary Scrooge/Grinch combo like myself :)

1. Plan Ahead
    The best way to stay away from Christmas stress is to plan ahead. Instead of starting your shopping on December 20th, try buying a few things here and there each paycheque leading up to Christmas. This way you won't need to stress yourself out with a long list and only a little time.

2. Suggest Not Exchanging Gifts with Some People
    Okay, this may sound a little harsh but it's actually something that can save you and someone else a ton of stress. Sometimes exchanging gifts becomes a little bit silly. Really, you're just exchanging money with someone. They buy you a gift card, you buy them a gift card and everyone ends up on the same playing field. Why should both of your stress about getting a gift for someone when in the end you both would probably rather keep your money and save each other some time? I suggested this to my sister last year and we've both been pretty happy with the arrangement. We both have one less person to buy for and one less person to stress over.

3. Try a Secret Santa
    Me and my two best friends usually all buy each other something but the last couple years we've done a Secret Santa. This way we only have the buy for one other person instead of two. It's not always about saving money, sometimes it's about saving yourself stress. Now I can focus all my energy on finding one perfect gift instead of two.

4. Try being more creative than spendy
    There are tons of amazing gifts that you can get for less money that will actually mean more. Try going to a site like etsy to find a personalized and special gift that won't break your bank. You could also make handmade cards instead of buying expensive store-bought cards.

5. Remember what the holiday is really about
    In the end, we tend to forget what Christmas is about and get focused on the consumer aspect of it all. I've been known to go with the mantra "one for you, one for me" when buying Christmas presents. This is an expensive way to Christmas shop because I'm buying things for others and for me along the way. This holiday is about family and selflessness. Focus on those you love, not on yourself and if there's no other gift that you can give, you should give people your time and love. This isn't about material goods. A simple kind gesture or heart-felt note is a beautiful gift that someone in your family will appreciate, especially if they understand your situation.

Don't let your heart grow four sizes too small this year!

From the desk of:

Taylor Brown
Scrooge/Grinch Combo