Keep to your budget this holiday

Whether it’s grocery shopping or gift hunting, Christmas shopping can be extremely difficult and no fun if you have to work on a tight budget.

Here are a few tips that can make your Christmas shopping a fun and inexpensive experience.

• Set a budget beforehand and make sure you stick to it.
• Make a list of everything you need and want to buy, and be certain to stick to that list. Do not buy unnecessary items.
• Do your Christmas shopping for items that aren’t likely to go rotten a month in advance, if you can. This way, you don’t miss out on specials and you won’t have to rush or stand in long queues.
• Make a list of all the people you would like to buy gifts for and prioritise who you really need to buy for. Send a card to those you feel you don’t have to buy a gift for.
• Instead of buying individual gifts for family members, buy them one gift the whole family can make use of.
• When the season is over, stock up on items for the following year.
• Make sure to keep an eye on good deals or bargains.
• Don’t buy a ton of gift bags – just buy a few metres of wrapping paper. This way, you save per gift you have to wrap. You can even wrap the gifts in-store, as some stores have wrapping stations.