2024 has been a tough year for all.
Have a look at YEI’s frugal,
but fun Christmas money-saving tips
and no debt hangover is guaranteed!

 

 

Budget, budget, budget!

Draw up a budget and keep track of your spending.  Christmas can cost a fortune – let 2024 be the  year when you write out a shopping list according to your budget and stick to it!

 

Gifts of service to family members
and the broader community

Think of ways in which you can provide a service to family members, friends, neighbours – babysitting,  meals for the freezer, running errands.  The possibilities are endless and by making this personal and meaningful, the blessing of giving through service will multiply.

 

Family “Secret Santa”

This can really help the Christmas budget.  Set your own spending limits and family rules, keep the focus on fun and arrange a family gift exchange.  Put all of the names in a hat, everyone draws a name and buys just one gift for the person whose name they have drawn.   Alternatively have a “children only” rule.

 

Give one or two practical gifts

If you need something for the house that you would be spending money on anyway, then consider giving a practical gift or two to your nearest and dearest.  Perhaps you are in desperate need of new towels?    Christmas stockings  can also be padded with “things” that will be needed next year – soap, shampoo, deodorant, stationery, socks etc.

 

Make your own

Whether it’s Christmas table or tree decorations,  napkins, Christmas crackers, gather the grandchildren around and make your own.  

 

Wrap creatively

Gift wrap and tags cost a fortune.  Consider using recycled magazines, newspapers and old calendars, and jazz it up Christmas style with beautiful ribbon or raffia.  If you are a sewer, use scraps of material as “wrapping paper”.

 

Gift tags

Old Christmas cards from last year make great gift tags.  You could also use leftover matching wrapping paper as a tag – cut a small piece and fold it in half and write “to” and “from” on the inside of the paper, and then selotape it to the wrapped present.    A lovely way to use up scraps of paper that are too small to wrap a gift.

 

Savings plan/Christmas envelope

Start a dedicated Christmas savings plan.  If you put away R500 (or whatever your budget allows) per month into a savings scheme purely for Christmas, you could have R6000 by next December to spend on gifts and festive food.    It may not be easy, but the payoff will definitely be worth it.

 

Another way to save for Christmas

Consider buying a gift card from one or two of the major retailers.  Every month, put an extra R200 into the card, so that by the time Christmas comes, you will have a healthy looking gift card with which to buy presents for family and friends, or buy festive munchies.

 

Smart shopping

Last-minute shopping is normally disastrous.  You either spend too much or can’t find what you want.  Consider shopping online – this will enable you to compare prices and prevent panic buying.  If you are truly thrifty, you may have bought your gifts in the annual sales.

 

Creative gifts

Most people love the idea that you have spent time, energy and effort on making their gift.  Search the internet for novel ideas.  Get the children and grandchildren involved in making home-made goodies.

 

A financial Christmas gift

We all have relatives and friends that could use a little extra moolah.  Consider giving them a financial type gift this year.  How about a gift card to a major food retailer  or a tank full of petrol?  Instead of crackers, give them lottery tickets, wrapped up with some decorative ribbon.

 

Share the festive food load

Ask each person who is invited to the Christmas table to contribute to the menu.  A “bring and share” meal is inevitably more interesting, especially when you have not had to prepare and cook all of the food.

 

Christmas tree

Instead of a Christmas tree this year, how about looking for a branch of  a tree, and spray it silver or gold, and pop it in a vase.  Colour code your Christmas décor, from your tinsel on the branch to your serviettes and crackers.

 

Support your favourite charity with a canny solution

Paint a can whatever colour you like – add a label with the charity’s name on it, and decorate the can with all things Christmassy.  Throughout the year, put all your R1 (or R2 or R5 –whatever you can afford) coins in the can, and next Christmas, donate the contents to your favourite charity.

 

Have a green Christmas

Consider using locally produced food rather than expensive imports.  How about a present of an indigenous plant or a packet of indigenous seeds?   Recycle all those extra bottles, paper, cans, cards etc.

 

Have you been saving up on your loyalty card?

If you have accumulated loyalty points, now would be a great time to use them to buy food, drink and presents.

 

 YEI Directory

There are loads of YEI advertisers who are just waiting to give you a discount on your purchases.  Why not trawl through You’ve Earned It/YEI – the digital community platform for South African 60-plussers and see where you can save some money!
How about sharing YEI with your 55-plus family and friends –
Get them to sign up for the YEI newsletter here,
and you’ll be giving them the gift of a lifetime of savings!

 

And have FUN!

 

If you have other ideas on how one can save at this time of year, please share them for the benefit of other YEI members.