Christmas is the biggest holiday of the year and it brings a great deal of joy to people of all ages. However, it can be a time of financial stress for a lot of people and families. There are lots of ways to save money and still have a very merry Christmas on a budget. Below are a few.
Christmas, that most expensive time of the year
Why Christmas is a financial drain
Christmas is the time of the year when many businesses make a lot of money. Without a good Christmas, some businesses will struggle to make an annual profit. So the pressure is on people to party, eat Christmas food, buy lots of presents, and for many families, travel.
The bills can add up at Christmas time
Even though Christmas is about people, there is that expectation that you will buy presents for family members and friends. If you are hosting, you are expected to provide food, drink and more. Even guests will often be asked to bring something. For many people, all the events, presents and food makes the season a burden.
FoodWe can go a bit overboard on Christmas food at times, but the real problem is that we are told we are meant to eat the most expensive foods. There is nothing wrong with a nice Christmas roast, but these days we are told to have turkey or a Christmas ham. Lamb is also pretty expensive as well these days, so that leaves beef or a classic roast chicken. I know, a roast chicken is what poor families eat for Christmas, but if you don't have a roast often, a good roast is always appreciated.
Fancy Christmas dinners can be expensive
In Australia, a tradition has arisen of seafood for Christmas lunch. Usually, this is cold shellfish, which is delicious, very easy to prepare and of course expensive. So maybe get less seafood, or, often the trick is to buy it early and frozen, which can save you a bit of money.
You can save money by focusing on other foods. After all, roasts are a bit old-fashioned and seafood is a bit boring. Even if you are having a traditional roast, you can add a lot of roast vegetables. Potatoes are okay, but you can roast sweet potato, capsicum, carrots, pumpkin, mushrooms, tomatoes and lots of other vegetables. These are delicious and add a lot of colour to the table. I also like to roast chickpeas as well. Don't forget classic foods like Yorkshire pudding, which if you haven't had it in a while, you have probably forgotten how delicious it is.
One way to save money is to focus on a more relaxed lunch over a formal dinner. The food can be simpler and lighter, and if you have a number of people coming over, then it is easy to ask them to bring a plate. If you are hosting, you will usually end up with a week's worth of leftover food.
Everyone should have a few dishes that they can make that are usually really cheap but very popular. Often someone comes to an event with a vegetable slice that proves to be what everyone talks about. Personally, I often make mini muffins, with sweet (raspberry, shredded coconut and rose water is popular with my friends) or savoury (zucchini, spinach and cheese among other vegetables) options. These cheap and different dishes are what people remember, not the standard but expensive roast or seafood.
When it comes to dessert, I would avoid the traditional Christmas pudding in the hot Australian summer, and instead get a nice Christmas cake. Never buy them from the shop, and instead go to a local church bake sale for a genuine homemade Christmas cake. Now, this can be a bit of a lottery as to the quality of the cake, but when you get a nice one, it is often the best you have ever had. The money will go to charity, which is also good.
PartiesModern families can make Christmas a pretty interesting event, as divorces and blended families can mean you have to work out how to have a meal with each of the important family members in your life without them killing each other (or at least fighting). For some people, they end up with a Christmas Eve lunch, Christmas Eve dinner, Christmas Day lunch, and then dinner, and maybe at least one meal on Boxing Day. Which means a lot of presents and meals to pay for.
If you can, the best combination is a big extended friends and family party for lunch and a small intimate family dinner. The bigger the party, the easier it is to cater, as everyone can bring a plate and you have more food than everyone can eat. It also means you don't have to give everyone a present. Then a lovely dinner with your nearest and dearest means you can afford to indulge in the best things, which, let's face it, is always the people, not the food.
Of course, not everyone has a large place where they can entertain a multitude in their backyard, but luckily, across Australia, there are lots of picnic and barbecue places from mountains to beaches. They are in parks and rainforests, with some beside lakes, and others in a local green space just down the road. If you have a large group, find a great place with shelters, barbecues and a wide open space for kids to run around, get there early to reserve a spot for your group, and have a fun time.
In terms of decorations, homemade is always the best. Most people already have decorations at home, but if you don't or you need to decorate for a party, then getting the kids, and the young at heart, together to make homemade decorations is often the way to go. A classic is collecting pine cones from parks and painting them silver and gold. You can hang these on trees or put them on the table as decorations.
ActivitiesChristmas has changed from the traditional 12 days of Christmas, which is supposed to start December 25 and go to January 6, to the modern lead up that appears in the shops in October with the first Christmas parties happening in November. A great way to share some Christmas cheer, especially if you have kids, is to get involved in various Christmas activities.
With any luck, you find a cool free Christmas concert
There are of course lots of Christmas parades and displays in every city in Australia. Some are on at a particular time, and others are on at night. My favourite is the new trend in Christmas fireworks.
I particular like Christmas fireworks at the beach, as photos will annoy your friends in the northern part of the world
But a popular one for some is the various Christmas lights people put up on their homes. It seems to be getting better every year as more and more people are getting into what is a US tradition fueled by the decreasing costs of lights and displays. For couples, an evening walk around a suburb in the search of Christmas lights is romantic, and driving with your kids can be fun too. There are lists of best light displays, but I prefer to just walking or driving around to see what we can discover.
Some people go all out on their Christmas lights
There is more to Christmas than this. Volunteering is a good option. There are some places that pack presents and food for families in need, and volunteering with these to help put the packages together are a lot of fun for kids and also teaches them about the spirit of Christmas.
Volunteers wrapping presents for the needy
PresentsWhile gift giving has become popular, it is also one of the most commercial aspects of modern Christmas. This tradition is a source of great stress for anyone or any family on a budget. So it is also the area where you are most likely to make savings.
So a lot depends on how many presents you give. The best strategy is to have small gatherings of family to whom you give presents, then the big parties have too many people to give everyone a present (unless you win the lottery, then giving everyone presents is okay), but often Kris Kringles can mean at least all the kids get something.
Sometimes just the sheer number of presents can add up to a lot of expense
Another way to save money is to give presents as a group. Couple presents make sense, especially if one person in the couple is not as close to the rest of the family. But be a little careful about this as people can take offence. Group or family presents are also a good idea. Remember, it can be better to give someone one present of good quality that they want instead of multiple cheaper presents that they don't want. It can also save you money.
If you are giving presents to people, then there are a lot of fairly cheap items that actually pretty good. There are plenty of outdoor games and activities for kids worth looking into. They will get at least one day of fun from them when you force them outside to play with family and friends.
I also find food to be a great present. The trick is to find something unusual and truly local. But think creatively. You can put together mini hampers or gift bags with lots of different things that end up looking amazing. Try a relaxation pack for your female friends that includes a scented candle, bath bomb, chocolates and a small bottle of wine. For guys, maybe exotic herbs and sauces for the barbecue along with a funny apron, and a pair of high quality barbecue tongs, can be a cute little pack. I mean, you know your friends, so you know what they like.
Don't forget the importance of getting in early and ordering online. You will be surprised about the quality or originality of what you can find on sites like eBay, Amazon or Alibaba express. Then there are other websites that specialise in classic items, like watches, jewellery and so on, at a cheaper price. The danger is that you might end up buying a bit too much for yourself and break your own budget.
Don't be shy to buy practical gifts. Air Fryers are popular at the moment, and can be a money saver for some families. Of course, check that they want one, and pool together with a group and buy them a high quality one. Please note, I don't recommend buying your wife or girlfriend one, but I know some mothers who are happy when their son buys them one.
TravelWhile presents are the big obligatory expensive, travel can really break the bank for a lot of people. For the last few years and the foreseeable future, prices on local Australian holidays are going to be expensive at Christmas. But luckily there are lots of ways to save some, or even, a lot of money, on Christmas travel.
The first rule is about timing. It can differ a little between years depending on the day of the week that Christmas falls on. Generally though, the week and days leading up to Christmas are cheaper, as people don't travel for work and not that many people travel for a holiday. Then from Boxing Day on to New Year travel seems to peak, followed by another period for the week after that. As you head into the tail end of the school holidays, things start to get cheaper again. So if you time it right, you will get better deals.
Camping is a great Australian way to have a holiday without spending much money. You will want to have booked your campsite by now, but some larger ones can still have spots available. You might have to travel further afield to find a place that has spots. Though again, going early or late in the season is an option.
There are a lot of wide open campsites for camping across Australia
One of the things about accommodation in Australia, the larger your group, the more you will save. A 2 bedroom suite with a sofa bed in the lounge is often not much more expensive than a hotel room. Then rental stays (you know, AirBnB) are great for much larger groups. The prices rise dramatically at Christmas, but with a large group, you can end up with some savings. Look for country areas over the beach though at Christmas time.
Getting the family together in a cottage in the countryside can be a cheap way to spend Christmas holidays
But let's not forget the great Australian
staycation. I like staycations. Actually, I love staycations if I am spending a staycation with people with the right sort of attitude. Most of the expenses of a trip in Australia are the hotels. Save that money and have adventures with your home as a base. But it means, getting up early every day to do something and spending the whole day out. Don't just pop out for a few hours then rush home. If you flew to another country, you wouldn't do that. Also, spend the money you are saving on hotels, on things instead. It can be tours, tourist attractions and other things that are normally "too expensive" but much cheaper than actual travel.
One hot tip. If your teenage kids are social media aged, they don't have to travel the world, only go somewhere with some good posts for the net. In the 21st century, if your life looks good online, people assume your life is great.
OverallThe best memories from Christma are the people. It is not the presents, decorations or even the food. I wish everyone a very merry Christmas, whether you break the bank or have a lovely budget experience. The best moments are not bought but made with love.