Ideas for Christmas on a budget | Tenant news

Christmas often means extra money on presents, food and drink. But how do you manage all of that when the cost of living is rising?

We’ve got some tips for you!

Start with the budget

It’s not as exciting as crafting gifts, but knowing how much money you can spend at Christmas is vital. Download our budget planner to make sure.

Gifts on a budget

Get creative by making your own presents for your loved ones with just a few items from a craft shop or – if you’re handy in the kitchen - the baking aisles in the supermarket.

• Christmas cards - make your own, all you need is a pair of scissors and a pack of paper crafts about £2 from Asda or ‘The Works’. You can also get some free Christmas printables and colour these in for your friends and family
• Make your own wrapping paper - get traditional and use brown paper and ribbon or string for a bow, gold painted stars or potato prints look great (and keep the children busy)
• Bake-off - If you love cooking, why not bake and decorate some cookies or cupcakes and pop these in a pretty box you’ve decorated
• Decorations or wearables - is this the year for a homemade Christmas jumper?
• Christmas baubles - Make some home-made decorations or visit the charity shop for great value pre-loved items
• Furnishings - Make a scarf or a cushion cover, or a table decoration using your sewing kit and old buttons. Again, you’ll find cheap items at charity shops
• Sweets for my sweet - Buy a few boxes or bags of chocolates, mix them up and decorate empty jam or sauce jars, fill them with the sweets and there’s several gifts
• Jewellery  - Use children’s craft beads to make fun necklaces and bracelets for youngsters and grown-ups who are young at heart
• Send a fancy Invite – Invite a friend for lunch or dinner if they live on their own, and make an event of it.