In this blog post, we will discuss effective and practical ways to reduce those spending habits. This will ensure that your Festive cheer is not just memorable but also financially responsible.

We will get into hacks that can help you navigate the Christmas season without going beyond your means or breaking the bank. I hope these tips will help you not to excessively overspend during festive season.

8 hacks to reduce overspend during Christmas

1. Set Your Budget

Planning for budget friendly Christmas does not necessary start in December but 1st of January. Set a realistic budget for your Christmas and save money every month towards your goal. You can create “Christmas Fund” pot so you can easily track your savings. After you have reached your saving goal, you can come up with how much amount you allocate for food, presents and other expenses.

2. Buy a Fake Tree

Get a fake tree instead of real one, real trees can be costly in a long run and also a nightmare to clean and require watering. You can grab a bargain on second hand Christmas tree on places like Facebook market, or Ebay. You can also try to get a tree during “after Christmas sale” or January sale (If you are based in uk).

3. Altenative Gifts

Instead of traditional gift, you could give a gift of your time/volunteer. Offer to look after the kids or do some chores of the person you are gifting. Consider on hand making presents for your loved ones. DIY gifts can be both cost-effective and meaningful. Some of the things you could make is; baking goodies, home made candles, knitted scarves etc

4. Hand Made Cards

Embark on a delightful do-it-yourself project that promises to captivate the entire family. This creative endeavor isn’t just a craft; it’s a brilliant idea for children to immerse themselves in a fun and artistic activity. Get ready to turn ordinary moments into extraordinary memories with this engaging family-friendly project!

5. Make Your Own Decorations

Embrace the festive spirit by carving out time to craft your own Christmas decorations. Dive into a creative session with your children, crafting delightful do-it-yourself ornaments to adorn your tree or enhance the festive ambiance in your home. While these handmade treasures may not rival the perfection of store-bought decorations, they become cherished memories woven with your family’s unique touch. This not only adds a personal flair to your holiday decor but also allows you to savor the joy of creating special moments while saving a bit of money in the process.

6. Secret Santa

The other way to reduce overspending especially if you have a big family is to do secret Santa drawing. You could agree on amount cap on the gift to avoid any complication. By doing Secret Santa will make sure that everyone has a present during Christmas gathering.

7. Track Your Spending

If you have thoughtfully set your budget, it is very important that you follow it thru it by sticking to your budget. Even though it might not be easy to avoid overspending during Festive season but if you are disciplined enough your bank balance will thank you.

8. Buying Secondhand

You can save money by shopping secondhand and also is more sustainable. You can find bargain from shopping on Facebook Market, Vinted, Shprock, Charity shops, etc.

Conclusion…

Overspending on the people you love can be intense but it shouldn’t have to break your bank. Remember what Christmas is really about, spending time with your loved ones.

Hopefully these hacks helps you to reduce overspending during Christmas and ensure a more financially stress free in new year.

If you happen to try these hacks or you have any tips you would like to share let me know in comments below. Have a wonderful Christmas!!

Emma xx

The post How to reduce excessive spending during Christmas appeared first on adventuresofmamma | Family Lifestyle Blog.

7 simple ways to keep your toddler away from your decorated Christmas tree

1. Choose a fake tree!

Pine needles that sheds from the real tree are not just messy and annoying but can also be a risk to your baby/toddler if they manage to eat them. 

2. Let them Touch the Tree

What toddlers wants is to know and explore. The more you tell them No, they want to find out “why they have been told NO” therefore leading to more curiosity. Just let them explore it and after a while they will be bored with the tree and move on to something else.

3. Give them their own tree

Try and give them their own tree. This could be a small tree that they could decorate themselves. You can easily found a mini tree on amazon. It does not have to be expensive. if you are into DIY you can try and make your own Christmas tree.

4. Use Non-Breakable Ornaments

Use kids friendly Christmas ornaments on the lower part of tree, where your little one can reach. You can also try and make your own DIY child friendly ornaments

5. Put a barrier around Christmas tree

You can do this by creating gift fence around your tree. Putting decorated boxes in front of tree or you could put fence around the actual Christmas tree.

6. Decorate Top Of the Tree

Only decorate half top of the tree where you little one can’t reach and finish the rest of tree at a later stage.

7. Add Bell ornaments to you tree

If you are a parent yo a toddler you know silence is not always golden. So decorating your tree with the bells will act as an alarm to alert you that the tree is under attack.

Final thoughts….

Although Toddler years may be stressful at times, they’re also so rewarding in many ways. One thing to remember as you go through this stage is your Toddler is only little for a short time, this will be over before you know it. There is beauty in toddler years, so find ways to enjoy your Christmas tree with your little ones.

I hope these simple tips and tricks will help you keep your decorated family christmas tree intact before Santa visits.

Have a wonderful festive season

Emma xx

The post How to keep your Toddler away from the Christmas Tree appeared first on adventuresofmamma | Family Lifestyle Blog.