Although Christmas happens at the same time every year, some of us still find ourselves with a deep hole in our pocket after the festive season. That’s why we’ve put together five easy tips and tricks that you can start implementing today to make things a little easier.

1. Start early

Ever heard that saying, if you fail to plan, then you plan to fail? Well, the saying still applies when it comes to Christmas. We all know it’s much easier to spend more when you’re under pressure and rushing around aisle 10 of the department store on Christmas Eve. So, to avoid the last-minute panic we suggest starting off by writing a list of who you need to buy for and allocating a realistic amount that you can afford to spend on each person by referring to your budget. If you don’t have a budget already, take a look at our Money Mentoring service that you have access to for free as a Queensland Country Bank Member.

2. Declutter and replenish the kitty

Need some extra cash to fund that Chrissy budget? Have a look around your home and look at what you can do without. You could begin by doing a house clean where you might find a bunch of clothes, books, furniture, sporting equipment or nick-knacks that you could offload. Facebook marketplace and gumtree are online tools you could consider using to sell your items if you don’t have time to hold a garage sale or attend a local sellers’ market.

3. If you can’t afford it, don’t buy it

If you don’t already have an allocated budget of funds that you can spend on Christmas and your decluttering exercise didn’t generate enough to replenish the kitty, then it’s probably not the right idea to buy items you can’t readily afford. It can be very easy to rely on your credit card or use buy now pay later services, which can later hinder your financial wellbeing.

4. Be thrifty

Now, being thrifty doesn’t have to be boring. We’re not saying you should regift those old socks Uncle Pete gave you in Christmas ’09, but there are other ways you can be smarter about present giving this year.

  • Secret Santa
    • Whoever invented this was definitely a budgeting wizard. If you have a group of relatives or friends that get together each year and give each other gifts this is a great opportunity to simplify gift giving by agreeing to organise a Secret Santa. This can reduce your need to buy ten gifts for ten different people right down to one, yet everyone still gets a present. If you don’t already know what Secret Santa is, you can read more here.
  • Get creative
    • Unleash the inner creative in you by creating your own Christmas cards, wrapping paper or even presents. For DIY presents you could print a photo of you and your gift receiver together and have it framed. For those that already seem to have everything , creating DIY vouchers can be a great option too.
  • Kids only
    • Minimise your shopping list by talking to your friends/ family that have children to see if you can agree on only buying for the kids this year rather than everyone.

5. Plan for next Christmas now

Once you’ve organised yourself for this Christmas, it’s not going to hurt to be prepared early for the next one. Our ideas on how to get ahead are:

Start saving

As a Queensland Country Bank Member you have access to a few options at your fingertips. Our Christmas Club Account is probably one of the best places to start. We’ve designed this account to specifically allow you to save and eliminate the financial stress of Christmas. You can make regular deposits throughout the year and redeem your money through unlimited free withdrawals from November. 

If you need further help with budgeting you can take advantage or our free Money Mentoring service or look into our SmartBudget option.

Money Mentoring offers you access to a qualified budgeting specialist who will work with you to create an easy to follow plan that is individually tailored to you.

SmartBudget is another great option. It removes the budgeting stress by smoothing out your nominated bills for 12 months, which will ultimately help you achieve your financial goals and aspirations faster.

Mark sale dates in your calendar

Get ahead of the retail game by marking sale dates in your calendar throughout the year. Big ones like Boxing Day, Back to School and Black Friday sales are all good places to start. You can take a look at this shopping calendar as a handy tool.