The ‘No Freak Out’ Christmas

‘It can’t be that time of year already!’ we hear you cry. But …dum dum dum… it’s less than three months before Christmas! The good news is that if we start budgeting and planning now, we won’t freak out later.

Get real: Now’s the time to be honest with yourself and make a realistic plan. Think about how much money you can aff ord to put aside until Christmas—if you save $10 a week, by Christmas you’ll have $120. Don’t spend more than you have: that’s the best way to a less-stress Christmas.

Keep it simple: It’s family fun, not all the trimmings, that makes Christmas special. Prioritise what’s important to you, and then allocate money to refl ect this. Christmas dinner, presents and a tree might be most important to you—so use your budget on that and forget the rest.

Re-think the grocery list: The post-dinner cricket match is always more fun if you’re not groaning from too much pud. Write a grocery list for a pleasant family dinner, rather than an all-day food fest. Let others help carry the burden by bringing extras like drinks and dessert.

What would Santa do?: Even Santa only gives one gift to each child. Discuss with your partner how many presents you can afford, or want to buy. Talk to your children about this in a positive way: don’t say you can’t ‘aff ord’ presents, because money worries are adult problems. But explain to them that while getting gifts are fun, Christmas is really about time together celebrating the birth of Jesus.

Get help: If you’re finding it really hard to get enough money for food, or if the thought of Christmas causes you a lot of stress, The Salvation Army is here to help. We can assist with budgeting, food and other needs, so you can have a very happy Christmas.  Contact your local Salvation Army corps (church) or email web_master@nzf.salvationarmy.org