LOTS OF CHEER, LITTLE CASH

BY: Megane Herrick

The cost of living crisis has hit us all hard – even basic necessities such as food and heating are becoming increasingly difficult to pay for. And now it’s Christmas – great. It may be the most wonderful time of the year, but it also tends to be the most expensive. It can be kind of hard to tell kids why Santa might not be so generous and jolly this year (although you could say that he’s had to lay off some elves), but it can be even more difficult to try to explain this to your friends and family members who think that Christmas cheer is 8 or 9 highly overpriced mulled wines at the Christmas Market. Luckily for you we have rounded up some ways to keep the magic of Christmas while keeping your electric turned on.

First things first, try not to go out as much. I know that this is basic, and everyone wants to go out at Christmas time so it can be hard to convince them otherwise, but there are a million different things to do indoors that are far cheaper and create far more memories than sitting in an overpriced and overcrowded bar in the city centre.

Hosting a BYO Christmas Party is always a great idea, whether that is for your friends or your family (it also comes with the added bonus that whatever alcohol is left is basically a Christmas present). A lot of Christmas Parties can get a little bit dull – we all love Mariah Carey but there are only so many times a night you can really appreciate her. Spice it up by making your own mulled wine or eggnog. Better yet - make it a competition of who can bring the best – like a boozy Christmas bake off. You can really make this an activity (rather than a way of not having to spend half a month’s wages on refreshments) by printing out voting cards for the guests and announcing a ‘winner’ at the end of the night – bonus points if you get a mini trophy from Poundland to give them. Speaking of places to shop, Secret Santa is always very common amongst friend groups, but we all know you usually end up spending £10-£15 and getting some tat or clutter for the back of your bedroom cupboard. So why not make that the point? Have a laugh and see who can get the worst present from Poundland or B&M, then take time opening them and having a laugh at the ridiculousness your friends have came up with.

What if your friends or family have kids? Or just aren’t really big drinkers? One of my favourite Christmas activities is something dubbed the ‘ABCD game’. Basically, you put on Youtube or Spotify and take turns picking a song, the catch is that the first person has to pick a song beginning with A, the second person B and so on and so forth. You can go one step further and make the song have to fit a theme (like the riff offs in pitch perfect) such as 80’s classics, cheesy pop or, because of the time of year, Christmas Songs. It’s great fun for all ages, and you can all have a laugh at each other’s song choice because someone ‘really couldn’t think of anything’ beginning with T bar ‘Twinkle Twinkle’. Another great game for all ages is the 3 second rule game, there’s hundreds of apps for it or you can make your own but it’s basically where each player has 3 seconds to name 3 things in a category such as ‘3 things you take camping’, ‘3 water sports’, ‘3 of Santa’s reindeer’. You can give the easier ones to the younger ones and make it more difficult for the adults, or you can ask your 2-year-old nephew to name 3 surgical instruments, no-one is here to judge the fairness of your family game nights. This game doesn’t have to just be for families though, if everyone is adults you can revamp it a bit and name 3 sex positions or 3 cocktails. The world is your oyster.

Food and drinks are obviously a massive part of Christmas (hence why everyone joins the gym in January), but of course this does come with a massive cost. The best idea, however obvious, is making sure to shop around for the best deals online. Make a list, tally it up before you shop and go where it is cheapest, but make sure that you stick to the list. The Christmas food shop is the worst for temptations when you see that tin of biscuits that ‘would be perfect for after’, or the prawn ring that ‘would be great to nibble on while you’re waiting on dinner’. Before you know it, you’ve an extra 10 things in your cart, and the bills gotten significantly higher. Make a list, check it twice, and don’t be naughty. Even on a budget, making Christmas treats is great fun, especially for the little ones if you do it together. Things like truffles or peppermint bark are super easy and super fun to make whilst also being quite cheap, and you can get little plastic bags and make them into a cheap gift, that’s also very cute and heartfelt. Making ‘special’ hot chocolate on Christmas Eve by melting chocolate and using milk (and a dollop of cream) is really tasty. Make a big deal about it only being for Christmas and letting the little ones help make it to create cherished Christmas memories – and you can chuck in some Baileys for the adults.

One thing that always fills your heart with the spirit of Christmas is giving. During a cost of living crisis charity might be the last thing on your mind – hell you might even be sitting thinking that you are the less fortunate one that should be on the receiving end instead. Lots of us won’t be able to necessarily give money donations, but that doesn’t mean we have to give nothing – give your time. Volunteer to help out at organisations such as toys-for-tots, storehouse or a local food kitchen. Giving and loving is the spirit of Christmas, so why wouldn’t you want to help make someone else’s just that little bit more magical? Even if giving doesn’t make your heart grow three sizes, it might just make you feel a little bit more grateful for all the little things you do have.

The main thing is to take your time – try not to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season to the point where you almost miss the whole thing. When you pull your crackers, take the time to go round the table and hear the jokes that are in each person’s. When you’re opening your presents from that one Great Aunt who, bless her, tries her best but always picks the weirdest stuff – open them one buy one and vote who’s is the most outlandish this year. In all the small bits of Christmas, stop, go slow, and take time to appreciate them –you might just realise in the New Year that those were actually the best bits.