How to Invest More and be Debt-Free at Christmas

When I think of the Christmas period there are many things, good and bad that spring to mind. There’s the joy and fun of having family and friends round to enjoy the festivities, but there’s also the stress that comes with so many things to do so little time.
Throughout the year I think that the Christmas weeks can be the most damaging time financially. In order to have a stress free Christmas you need to remember to buy the decorations, presents, food as well as many other bits and bobs.
To try and counteract the cost of Christmas here are a few simple tips to help you enjoy a cheaper Christmas.
Plan Ahead
At the time I’m writing this it’s approaching the end of November and Christmas is only just around the corner, but that doesn’t mean you can leave everything to the last minute. If you want to save money at Christmas, then planning ahead is essential, planning enables you to remain organised so that there will be no need to panic.
In the interest of planning ahead, I always write down what I need to buy for Christmas and what I need to do, and I set myself targets, it’s basically just like writing your own Christmas calendar.
Budget
Christmas time always means that a lot of money will be spent, so it’s important you know what money goes where so that you can effectively budget. A budget, if used correctly can be one of the most important personal finance tools and a Christmas budget is no different.
Write down how much money you think you will need to spend on presents, food and decorations as well as anything else. Then write down how much you think you will be able to spend during the Christmas period without having to struggle.
Creating a Christmas budget is all about being honest, and by creating a budget you should be able to stick to the most important personal finance rule of all ‘never spend more than you can afford’. This way, you may even have money leftover to buy shares!
Presents
To most people presents are probably the most important part of Christmas, but wouldn’t we all like to get our presents cheaper? Not leaving your presents to the last minute is important because if you do then most people buy the product they’re looking for in the first place they see it. However, if you know what specific product you’re looking for then you can use price comparison websites, like MoneySupermarket for example, who will compare the product prices for you at many of the main retailers.
Don’t spend money you don’t have – invest the money you have left!
I know that everyone wants the perfect Christmas for their loved ones but this doesn’t mean that you have to spend money you haven’t got. Buying presents on store or credit cards is a sure fire way to getting yourself in debt and it just isn’t worth it. It could take you months after Christmas to pay the amount you have spent back, and it can also harm your credit record because of the amount of debt you have accumulated. Try to avoid doing this to the best of your ability.
I hope these tips above will help you to enjoy a debt free Christmas. If you’re looking for more tips, check out the guide put together by the Money Advice Service, which is associated with the UK Government.