CHRISTMAS FEVER!!! How To EnJoy Cristmas Without Spending More

So I walked into a store about two weeks ago, and what did I see? Display of Christmas trees, decorations, gift-items, cards and toys. The sales girl was even moving her head to the rhythm of a soft music (Christmas carol, surprisingly) and I was quickly reminded that Christmas was crawling in on us, whether we were prepared or not. I also remembered my long things-to-buy-list or should I say my Christmas budget, and I immediately started catching the season’s fever.

 December or Christmas, as it were, is considered the spending season. That time when individuals and families come under a lot of emotional, psychological and physical pressure. More so for those who have no earlier plans or budget. Yeah, it is that time when some City folks spend their year-long earning/savings just to impress their contemporaries and family in the village or back home.

Christmas can be an incredibly stressful time for families with children because they would want their kids to have what they desire. It can be quite difficult for people to accept that they need to cut back on their expenses at Christmas. For the husband, the head of the family, It’s important that you sit down and talk about it as a family rather than allow yourself  to be psychologically pushed into debt or carry a burden that will last months into 2016.

For me, I have come to understand that enjoying Christmas is not determine by spending more money or buying more stuff. So, unlike me, if you’re feeling the pressure to spend more in order to make yourself, family and friends happy, well, let’s look at other ways for you to take the pressure off and enjoy this Christmas.

       SHOP EARLY AND DON’T GO OVER YOUR BUDGET.

After deciding and you do have to decide first, on what kind of Christmas you want and how you will celebrate it, it is important that you start shopping early. This will save you from being sucked into ‘rush hour’ expenditure. Don’t wait until 24^th December before going to the market or stores. Shop while prices of goods and gift-items are still reasonable and the stores are not flooded with people.

 

 Create a Christmas list and include the amount for the items, total the amount to know if your ‘purse’ can conveniently foot the bill, and do not hesitate to drop from the list items that are not necessary. Go to the market or stores with cash (exact amount) in hand, not with your credit or debit cards, to avoid overspending. This works for me majority of the time, as someone who greatly enjoys and considers list-writing and shopping to be therapeutic, I don’t dare go shopping without a list or with more cash than is needed.

       this is just a sample, so create the columns according to your shopping needs

Christmas is also a season of advertising; on radio, television, bill boards, hand bills/ flyers, etc., but don’t let these adverts make you feel inadequate or entice you to spend more. Choose to ignore the TV commercials, instead, watch your favorite Christmas flicks and listen to Christmas music, read interesting books(read ‘Skipping Christmas’ by John Grisham, I enjoyed it.) and stop collecting the sales flyers.

                  FAMILY-TIME EXPERIENCE

It is often said that “family is everything”, and many have experience this to be true, especially those who have one such as mine. There isn’t a better time to enjoy family than Christmas season. It is a time when joyful, loving and lasting memories are made. Spend a portion of the Christmas money for a holiday experience. Take your kids and love ones out to parks, museums, live shows or concerts, a visit to your village or choice tourist site and you would be surprise to know that they appreciate the outing even more than material gifts. I am yet to receive a material gift that can replace the joy I get from the time spent with love ones.

 

 

Mothers, cook a less expensive but delicious delicacy and have your family or love ones sit on a round table to eat, chat, laugh and enjoy the meal. Play Christmas music and have them sing along and dance.  You simply can’t replace family-time spent with your kids with piles of plastic toys made in China or even Aba.

 

 

 Let go of the pressure to spend all that money or the anxiety of not having enough and allow yourself the pleasure of enjoying what really matters; moments with family and love ones. This way, you will have a resulting low level of stress and a zero debt balance after Christmas.   

People, don’t make this Christmas, a season to spend money you don’t really have in order to buy things you don’t really need to impress people you don’t truly like.

Don’t make this Christmas about money and material things but a memorable celebration of life and family, and not forgetting the real reason for the season; JESUS CHRIST.

              Be inspired!

       -Aitee