It’s tempting to follow the crowd and spend as much money as you can during the holidays. You want to prove that you love your family and that you appreciate the company of your friends, but you shouldn’t go broke to prove your affections. Too many parents empty their accounts to get presents and entertain relatives at their house, which puts them in a very precarious financial position by the time the new year rolls around.
You need to have funds available in case problems pop up, like a frozen pipe bursting in your laundry room or the car needing repairs after sliding on black ice. People who don’t have room in their budget for any of these emergencies can turn to a place like MoneyKey if they need to. The company offers quick loans that can help people get through tough spots when they don’t have other options available.
Their application process is a lot easier to go through than ones offered by traditional financial institutions. So, if you need to money right away, you can apply online and get it as fast as a day later. People who need a little more support during this hectic season can go to the official website to see what online borrowing options are best for them and how they can apply.
Ideally, parents should be responsible with their holiday spending and leave themselves plenty of room in the budget. Expensive gifts, parties and marvelous events aren’t worth the trouble. If you want to save on the ridiculous costs, here are affordable alternatives to the usual pricey occasions.
Instead of A Big Holiday Bash, Do Something Lowkey!
People will expect glamorous cocktail parties and extravagant feasts where tables are draped with food during the holidays. The only problem about hosting these events is that they can burn a hole right through your wallet. Anyone who wants to save money this year should pick a theme that will be fun for your guests and easy on your bank account — try fantastic Christmas party ideas like gingerbread house decorating competitions, holiday cookie exchanges and classic movie marathons.
Instead of Getting a Giant Pile of Presents, Do an Exchange!
People expect their Christmas trees to have piles of neatly wrapped boxes and shining gift bags sitting underneath them. The image is lovely but making this happen costs a lot of money, especially when you have a big family. Shrink down that long shopping list and do a gift-giving activity that everyone will adore.
Suggest to the family that they skip the long list of presents by doing a White Elephant gift exchange — you may recognize the game by other popular names like Yankee Swap or Dirty Santa. Everyone is supposed to buy a single gift within a certain price range, wrap it and put it under the tree. Movie passes, board games and boxes of sweets are options that all ages can get excited about. One at a time, people pick something from under the tree or “steal” a gift that someone else picked until all of the options are unwrapped.
To save even more for the holidays, challenge everyone to spend as little as possible on the gift and to opt for heartfelt and homemade items instead of ones that are store-bought. Some wonderful DIY Christmas presents that anyone in the family will be excited to see when they pull off the wrapping paper are mason jars full of hot cocoa mix or pairs of cozy sweater mittens.
Instead of Going Out for New Year’s Eve, Stay in!
People will go out to concerts and massive celebrations to wait for a cascade of fireworks to go off at midnight. Traveling to these festivities on the busiest night of the year will cost a lot of money for transport, parking, food, drinks and entrance fees. A small event with your family and friends will be a great alternative.
For a cheap New Year’s Eve party you can scrap hefty food costs by asking people to show up after they’ve had dinner and providing a table full of simple snacks to munch on. The dollar store will have plenty of holiday essentials like sparklers and noisemakers on sale. Even better, swap out the sparkling wine for a non-alcoholic choice like apple cider or hot cocoa.
The winter holidays are a time for joyful celebration, where you can be close with your family and make wonderful memories. As a parent, these should be your main priorities instead of hosting huge parties or getting heaps of gifts. Your kids will learn a lot more from the message that kindness, love and happiness don’t have to cost a thing.