Christmas is one of everybodys favourite times of year, but it can also be one of the most expensive. Most people want it to be a special and happy time, and are willing to pay for the little luxuries that make Christmas what it is, but they usually dont want to spend the rest of the year paying for it. While a normal family Christmas will invariably cost a little extra, you can avoid financial hardship by some simple budgeting before hand.
One of the best things you can do is start planning for Christmas expenses early. Dont leave everything to mid December when you have to pay for it all on credit card, start buying tree decorations, wrapping paper, Christmas cards and some gifts a month or two in advance. This way theyll be paid for before Christmas even arrives and take some of the financial pressure off the couple of weeks when you really want to be focused on your family and loved ones and not on your credit bills and other worries.
Limit your spending
Also, bare in mind that budgeting does not mean leaving out all the things that make Christmas special. What it means is sitting down before hand and deciding how much you want to spend, or can...