You may think it’s too early, but usually I start in August and September. Let’s talk through how to prepare for Christmas on a minimalist budget.
1. Write a list of who to buy for.
We all have to start somewhere and usually it is an enlist list of people that we keep adding to the list. It might be a time to get creative and think of ways to reduce the list of people you buy for. There are likely to be groups of people such as clubs or friendship groups, where you could arrange a secret Santa so that you are only purchasing for one person within the group rather than 6 for example. Keep the list small to essential people. Remember Christmas is not about the gifts for adults, time is just as important.
2. Ask what they would like.
There are some people that know what they would like for Christmas, so ask them. It saves buying random items that they don’t really want, so that they can have something they truly would enjoy and value. It makes gifts purposeful rather than wasteful. This may not work for everyone, but it’s worth asking.
3. Agree a budget with friends and family.
As I’ve mentioned already, Christmas is not about gifts for adults. So why spend lots of money unnecessarily. Agree a budget with anyone that you are buying for to avoid spending more than necessary and so that gifts feel fair and equal. I’m sure they will be happy with a smaller, reasonable budget too.
4. Buy secondhand where possible.
This will vary depending no the person or type of gift, but there are many items that could be brought secondhand and it wouldn’t effect the giving of the gift. For children, they couldn’t care less about the packaging. It will get ripped in 5 seconds, so does it matter if it’s in a plan cardboard box than the original packaging, probably not. This becomes easier when the children become older, as you can talk about the value and how secondhand can be just as good as new. Manage expectations, and this will help to keep costs down.
5. Keep decorations simple.
Less is more sometimes when it comes to decorating. You can be consistent with decorations each year and keep them simple in order to stop feeling like the house is overwhelmed with Christmas decor. Have key areas covered, such as banisters, tree, and front door and avoid addition items hung from the ceiling and in random places. It will keep things looking minimalist but still Christmassy.
6. Avoid colour schemes.
I know it can be tempting to have a colour scheme for decorations, but this is where you fall into the trap of having to buy new colours each year and then storing what you don’t use during the Christmas period. Keeping to one single colour scheme that you are happy to have each year will keep things simple and easy to manage, as well as avoiding the need for storing different sets of decorations. I tend to go for warm, neutral colours.
7. Shop around and wait for the best prices.
When you know what you need to buy, make sure you search different websites and shops in order to find the best price. If the price is still at full price, wait until some sales start to kick in, as prices will fluctuate in the lead up to Christmas.
8. Start buying in August or September.
In order to be able to take your time and shop around, it is important that you start the Christmas shopping nice and early. It gives you a flavour of what to be looking out for and you can wait until things are at the best price or reduced further. The more time you have the better. I have been known to make my son give me an idea of Christmas presents he wants in July. Time is the key to saving money.
These tips should help you keep to a minimalist budget this Christmas, as well as simplifying the process.
Rachel, Declutter your life X
For more little acts… https://declutteryourlife.co.uk/minimalism/little-acts-of-decluttering/
For more ideas, check out my youtube channel. https://www.youtube.com/c/RachelNoakes
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