The festive season is an expensive time, for obvious reasons. Christmas presents, food, drink, decorations and so much more. But there are a few other additional expenses too that you might not have thought about. Don’t be caught off-guard. Being aware of these hidden costs can help you plan and budget better and prevent running out of money or worse- running up debt. Here are a few of the things to watch out for.
Travel
Will you be traveling to see family and friends this Christmas? If you’re going away then you, of course, have things like plane, train and bus tickets to think about. But even if you’re just visiting locally, the cost of fuel can add up. When you’re to and fro to parties and other social gatherings, driving to drop off charity boxes, going Christmas shopping and everything else- your gas usage is likely to be higher than usual
Postage
Most of us send at least a few cards and gifts in the mail each Christmas. And postage isn’t something you give much thought to until you’re actually stood in the Post Office. But it can all add up. Buying postage online can often work out cheaper, so is a good money saving tip for the festive season. This article talks about places where you can buy stamps online so you could check out something like this if you’re looking to save on postage.
Extra Gifts
You think you have gifts for everyone and you’re perfectly prepared. But then the awkward moment happens where a visitor calls round with a gift for you, but you don’t have one for them. Oops! You can prevent this from happening by having a number of simple gifts wrapped and ready to go- things like boxes of chocolates that can be given to anyone. But again, you will need to factor in this cost. Don’t forget about token gifts for people like children’s teachers, neighbors, etc. You could even DIY gifts to save a little bit of money, it could be baking or any other craft.
Hosting Guests
Christmas is the time of year you’ll have the most visitors to your home. It’s wonderful being able to see family and friends that you don’t see too much of at other times of the year. Maybe due to things like work commitments and distance. But when people are calling round to your home, you’ll need to be ‘visitor ready.' Stocked up with food, drinks, and snacks to offer people while they’re over.
Bills
It’s easy to focus on the extras over the festive period, but don’t forget about your regular bills too. Unfortunately, they don’t just disappear because it’s Christmas! Your gas and electricity bills are likely to be high since the weather will have cooled right down and you’ll have more people over at your house. And since the kids are off school and you’re off work, you’re in the house more too running these things up. Make sure your regular bills are paid first before spending on Christmas, that way you won't run into financial issues in the new year.
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