{"id":241,"date":"2022-11-08T11:44:27","date_gmt":"2022-11-08T11:44:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.iva.org\/blog\/?p=241"},"modified":"2024-12-05T11:36:27","modified_gmt":"2024-12-05T11:36:27","slug":"staying-on-track-this-christmas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.iva.org\/blog\/staying-on-track-this-christmas\/","title":{"rendered":"Staying on track this Christmas"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Christmas is only a few weeks away, however, and if you haven\u2019t already you\u2019re about to be BOMBARDED with Christmas ads, social media posts and the never ending pressures of keeping up with the Jones\u2019 (Elf on a shelf, or Christmas Eve boxes anyone??)  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That being said, there is some good groundwork you can do now to ensure you get the most out of the festive period and your budget, and don\u2019t start the new year worrying about how you\u2019ll pay everything off. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At IVAorg we want you to have a brilliant Christmas, but we don\u2019t want it to come at the expense of mounting debt that adds to your problems in January.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Say no to credit <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Setting yourself the mindset that you\u2019re going to avoid putting things on credit is a good idea. Credit essentially means buying things now that you can\u2019t afford to pay for, there\u2019s so much temptation out there with Buy Now Pay Later, but essentially if you can\u2019t pay for it – don\u2019t buy it.<\/strong> Anything that goes on credit will need paying for in the new year, and logically if you don\u2019t have the cash now, then you won\u2019t then! Plus don\u2019t forget as costs continue to escalate it\u2019s possible you\u2019ll need to allocate more money to your usual budget. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One person\u2019s junk is\u2026 <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Another one’s treasure! Pre-loved (a nicer way of saying second hand!) has had a resurgence of late, people are using this as the first choice for presents, toys etc as it’s cheaper, but also much more environmentally friendly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The chances are you have clothing, toys or other things in the house that you don\u2019t use\/wear\/get played with; someone else will cherish them. Depending on what you have in the house you can list your items on sites like Facebook Marketplace, Vinted or Ebay and generate yourself some \u00a3\u00a3 for Christmas! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shop Pre-loved <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Based on the above point, if you\u2019re selling stuff in brilliant condition, others are too. Toys given as duplicates, clothes never worn, toys barely played with (we definitely all have those \ud83e\udd26) you can get some brilliant bargains if you keep your eye out now, and usually for a fraction of the price you\u2019d normally pay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Making a list & checking it twice..<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s impossible to know what you need to budget for, if you don\u2019t know what you\u2019re going to be doing. The temptation to compete with social media can be off the scale at this time of year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you write out the key \u2018non negotiables\u2019 like Father Christmas visit, Christmas market etc., you know what that\u2019s going to cost – and you can make sure you\u2019ve budget for this. Writing everything down helps you stay on track too and not get tempted into \u2018ad hoc\u2019 expensive days out, and a handy tip would be to think back to some of previous years highlights and you\u2019ll probably find that the things you remember doing are the things that cost the least!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A new way of doing things <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We did say we\u2019d try and keep this blog uplifting, but there\u2019s no getting away from how difficult it is economically and financially at the moment. Increasing your debt, and therefore stress, just isn\u2019t worth it for one day. If you have a big family, lots of people to buy for, or can spend a fortune on hosting, now is the time to change things up. Consider whether you do a Secret Santa, only buy for children, or all contribute to Christmas dinner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are all feeling the pinch this year so it\u2019s a great time to think about how we reduce costs, but maximise our enjoyment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you still feel it\u2019s a bit early to get planning for Christmas here\u2019s some stats which might help you change your mind! <\/p>\n\n\n\n