5 practical Christmas survival tips that could help you enjoy the festive season

Christmas Day is just around the corner. While you might be looking forward to spending the day with your loved ones, the celebration can come with stress too. Read on to discover five useful tips that could help you relax and enjoy the festivities.

1. Get organised

One of the reasons the festive season can feel overwhelming at times is that you may be juggling lots of different tasks. From preparing food to wrapping gifts, you could have a lot on your plate.

Getting organised before Christmas Day arrives can help you feel more relaxed and able to enjoy spending time with your family.

You might want to make a note of all the things you need to do and set out a time frame for when you’ll complete them. Working through a list could help you keep track of your progress and ensure nothing gets overlooked.

Don’t forget to add social plans to your diary either. You might find that with a work Christmas party, a trip to the pantomime, or a festive catch-up with friends, you’re more busy than usual.

2. Make a list of everyone you want to buy for – and stick to it!

One of your biggest expenses over the festive season is likely to be presents. And it’s not just the cost you might be worried about, but choosing the right gift too.

A report forecasts that Britons will collectively spend £11.25 billion on gifts this year. That’s around £425 for each household – and gift-giving accounts for more than half of the average Christmas budget[1]. So, setting out a plan could be valuable.

Starting with a list of who you want to buy presents for could be just what you need to tackle Christmas shopping. Once you have a list of names, assign a budget for each one and start thinking about what will put a smile on their face on Christmas Day.

While it may be tempting when you’re shopping to pick up a gift for someone else or spend a little more, try to stick to your initial list. It can be easy for gift shopping to add up to more than you expect if you’re not careful.

3. Let the small stuff go

With so many tasks demanding your attention during the festive season, it can be easy to lose sight of what’s most important.

Getting caught up in the small details, like finding the “perfect” gift for someone who seems impossible to buy for or worrying about whether the turkey will be dry, might mean you forget to enjoy the moment and it can feel draining too.

Indeed, a YouGov poll found that more than 4 in 10 Brits expect the big day to be fairly or very stressful[2].

Altering your perspective to focus on the meaning behind Christmas could help you let go of the small stuff. So, focusing on enjoying spending time with the people you love, marking your family’s traditions, or simply finding some time to watch a Christmas TV special could help you enjoy the festive season far more.

4. Start planning early for Christmas 2024

It might seem a little early to start thinking about Christmas 2024 when you’ve yet to pack away the decorations from this year’s festivities. But it could help reduce the stress associated with the holidays and help make the cost part of your regular budget.

Setting up a savings account to drip-feed a little Christmas cash into each month means you’re less likely to face a hefty bill in December.

Don’t stress too much about how much money to set aside for the festive season. Even small, regular deposits may add up to ease the pressure you may feel as the holidays draw closer. It could mean you feel more financially stable when you’re buying gifts for loved ones, or even allow you to indulge in a guilt-free treat for yourself.

If you want to make sure your Christmas spending is taken care of, setting a goal could be useful. Reviewing your spending this year and using it to create a budget might help you set a monthly target to add to the savings account to keep you on track.

Remember, interest rates have started to increase over the last year. Shopping around for an account with a higher rate could provide a welcome boost to your Christmas savings.

5. Spend some holiday downtime getting on top of your finances

The run-up to Christmas may be hectic, with parties to attend and Christmas shopping to complete. But after Christmas Day, you might find that you have some downtime, and it could be the perfect opportunity to get on top of your finances as you head into 2024.

A busy daily life might mean some tasks you’ve been meaning to tick off have fallen by the wayside. Tackling them during the holiday season may mean you start the new year feeling more confident about your finances.

Making a list of financial tasks you want to tick off during the holiday season could help you use your time productively. You might want to:

• Review your old pensions and how you manage them
• Check your spending over 2023 to calculate if your budget will be suitable in 2024
• Assess your will and Lasting Power of Attorney to ensure they still align with your wishes
• Review your financial safety net to ensure it provides you with appropriate cover and peace of mind
• Create an “in case of emergency” document that would help your family deal with your affairs if something happened to you.

When you’re completing financial admin, there may be times when you’re not sure how to proceed or could benefit from professional financial advice. Keep track of questions that come up or topics you’d like to speak to us about and contact us to arrange a meeting.

We’re here to help you take control of your finances and feel confident about your future.

Get in touch

To find out more about how we could help you organise your finances and prepare for 2024, please get in touch.

Email info@aspirafp.co.uk or call us on 01454 632 495.

Please note

The information contained in this article is based on the opinion of Aspira and does not constitute financial advice or a recommendation for any investment or retirement strategy.

You should seek independent financial advice before embarking on any course of action.

The value of your investments (and any income from them) can go down as well as up and you may not get back the full amount you invested. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. Investments should be considered over the longer term and should fit in with your overall attitude to risk and financial circumstances.

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[1]https://www.vouchercodes.co.uk/savings-guides/guides-reports/shopping-for-christmas-report-2023#christmas-retail-spending-forecast-2023

[2]https://yougov.co.uk/topics/entertainment/survey-results/daily/2023/12/01/d0b78/1

 

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