4 Tips to Spend Less on Christmas Holiday

Christmas is in the air. I smell Christmas everywhere – Christmas songs at the shopping malls, Christmas wreath on my neighbour’s office door and Christmas promotion sales on the local newspaper.

I am not sure with you, but for me, I have a strong urge to spend a lot during holiday seasons, especially Christmas and Chinese New Year. Perhaps the happy feeling is somehow connected to the spending feeling.

But, since the past few years, I learned to and managed to control these strong urges.

It’s not easy, but definitely can be done by anyone. Yes, anyone including you. To fight this strong urge to spend unnecessary during the holiday season, you must have a holiday spending list a.ka. budgeting.

I don’t really like to use the word budgeting because it brings a negative feeling of controlling and squeezing your money. The negative feeling will deter our mind from continuing what we plan to do, which is planning for our spending.

4 tips to spend less on Christmas Holiday

Based on my own experience, I hope the spending tips below will help you to manage your holiday spending well and enjoyable.

Here are 4 tips to spend less on Christmas Holiday:

1. Start your holiday spending list early

You should start planning your holiday spending list a few weeks before the holiday arrived.

From my own experience, the nearer to the holiday, the stronger the urge you want to spend.

2. Choose an affordable and meaningful or useful gift

Your spending list must be affordable and enjoyable for you.

Make sure the spending list comprises of the items or gifts which are necessary and important to you or your loved one (Christmas gifts). Do not waste your money to purchase an item which later just sit in the cupboard.

3. Review your spending list

This is related to tips no 1 above. The earlier you start your spending plan, the more time you have to review your spending list.

Try to review your spending list at least once before you do the actual shopping. This is the time you ask yourself whether you really need that new set of cookware, or you really need 4 different pairs of new shoes!

4. Stick to your spending list

The most important part is to stick to your spending list. Else, your spending list is just another piece of plain white paper.

If your spending list budgeted RM100 gift for a family member, do not give yourself excuses to spend RM200. Stick to your own spending list also mean you respect your own self.

Final thought

Have you started your Christmas spending list? If not, it’s time to get a pen and paper and start writing.

Most importantly, I hope my sharing above on 4 tips to spend less on Christmas Holiday is helpful to manage your holiday shopping.

With that, wishing you a joyous Christmas shopping.