The festive season is without doubt the biggest drain on finances during the year and can very easily spiral out of control, leaving many people with a mountain of debt in the New Year.
At ClearStart we are committed to helping people avoid serious debt problems and with Christmas fast approaching, here are a few handy hints and tips on how to enjoy Christmas on a budget, which hopefully should serve you well both this Christmas and many more to come!
- If you’re cooking for a crowd on Christmas day, write up a list of everything you need and ask everyone to help out. That way you dramatically cut down on the expense of Christmas dinner and all the trimmings.
- When visiting a supermarket for that all important Christmas shop, make sure you prepare a shopping list beforehand and stick to it. Don’t be tempted to purchase those unnecessary luxury items.
- Shop around for presents. Try shopping online. There are some great bargains to be had, very often you can compare prices on line and find some good savings – very often postage and packing is included in the price and you will save on petrol and parking.
- If you exchange gifts with work colleagues, why not suggest a ‘Secret Santa’ with a limit you can all afford? You will all have some great fun unwrapping the presents and not have to spend more than you need to.
- When buying presents, have a budget and stick to it! Don’t get into debt by trying to buy something you cannot afford.
- Don’t be tempted to skip paying your bills in December to give yourself extra cash. Remember you will only have to pay them in January and could also incur some nasty late payment charges.
- Consider joining a savings club for Christmas next year – you can spread the cost of Christmas over 12 months and ensure you and your family have a few less things to worry about at Christmas!
Please remember that if you do find yourself in financial difficulty in January, don’t ignore the problem and hope it will go away. It’s vital that you seek the advice of an impartial debt solutions company such as ClearStart, to help get your finances back on track and avoid having to look into a more severe debt solution such as a Debt Management Plan or an IVA.
Tags: debt, debt management, debt management plan, Debt Problems, debt solutions, finance, iva, savings