As soon as Halloween is over, people start to look forward to Christmas. Okay, there will be some people who never stop thinking about the festive period or who get into the Christmas spirit long before any sane person would say was acceptable but this is definitely the turning point of the year for the festive market. Guy Fawkes Night may delay some people but on the whole, as soon as the door has been closed on the trick or treaters, it is full steam ahead to Christmas.
While it is good to think about festive fun and spending time with friends, family and loved ones, for many people, Christmas can be an expensive time of year. This isn’t what Christmas is about but there are so many demands and expectations around this time of year that it is inevitable that people will spend money that they don’t have spare, or don’t have at all. It is vital that you get a grip on debt before Christmas and that you don’t allow the festive period to put a dampener on your New Year.
Always consider your finances before the festive period
One of the first things you must do before you start looking forward to Christmas is to consider your own finances. There is a great deal to be said for drawing up a budget and knowing how much money you are looking to spend on people. Being clinical may take some of the fun out of the festive period for a lot of people but if you are looking to do Christmas right without placing yourself under too much financial pressure, you need to be prepared.
Work out how much money you have to spare and then determine what you need to buy. This may relate to presents or decorations, socialising, new clothes or makeup but whatever you need to create the best possible festive period, make sure that you take the time to know what you can afford to do. Yes, this isn’t quite in keeping with the festive spirit but it will certainly allow you to have a more enjoyable and solvent New Year if you take these steps.
Some things you may want to consider in the run up to Christmas:
- Presents
- Food
- Socialising
- Cost of office parties and celebrations with friends
- New clothes
- Hair and make-up costs
- Taxis or even hotels around celebrations
You may only think that the cost of presents are a part of Christmas but there are many more things to take on board when it comes to the festive period. Being honest with yourself with respect to your expected spending will help you to stay on top of matters.
Don’t opt for a plastic Christmas
You also need to ask yourself whether credit card spending is suitable for you in the lead up to the festive season. A lot of people fall into the habit of putting their festive spending on plastic. This may allow for a brilliant time at Christmas but come January when the bills roll in, there will be a lot of people feeling stressed. The short term gain of a good festive season isn’t worth a lot of lot of stress and hassle in the longer term.
Again, you should look to be honest with yourself about your spending, your finances and your debt. You should be looking for solutions that will allow you to have a fantastic festive period without placing yourself under more pressure in the months to follow.
It may even be that you decide to be proactive when it comes to finances and controlling your debt. One solution that many people opt for is debt consolidation and you will have a chance to take control of your finances when you take out a guarantor loan. This is a brilliant way to consolidate all of your debts and then focus on a singular payment every month.
When you know that the festive period is a short period and the most important things are family, friends and spending quality time with the people you love, you’ll realise that it becomes a lot easier to plan for the most important things. You should never take out a guarantor loan to pay for Christmas unless you know exactly how it will all be paid for.
It is possible to enjoy Christmas in a comfortable manner but it will take some planning and honesty.