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Excel Child Care

How to keep Christmas low cost this year

Excel Child Care

2020 and 2021 has impacted on us all financially as well as emotionally. So many have been furloughed and that has ended a few months ago, and many have even sadly lost their jobs due to Covid-19. Unfortunately, it can be tough to save for big events like Christmas when you have been hit financially.

Christmas doesn’t have to be a financial burden – The Curiosity Approach has taught us that having fun, being creative and developing skills and independence does not have to cost lots of money at any time of the year!

Here are some of our favourite ways of how to keep Christmas low cost this year:

No new decorations

It can be easy to fall into the glittery track of brand new Christmas decorations, but think about all of the other decorations you’ve got at home. A new set of baubles and a sparkly new set of lights could equate to someone’s gift!

Go handmade

At Excel Child Care Services we love creating and so do your little ones. Why not make your own Christmas cards this year, using paint and your child’s handprints? Or plenty of glitter? We know how much parents love glitter.

Each card will be unique and will certainly be kept by its recipient.

If you desperately need some new decorations, why not make some? It will save you money and the decorations will be keepsakes that can be used year after year.

Excel Child Care

Homemade presents are always a favourite among parents and grandparents, too. As a Curiosity Approach accredited nursery, we believe in giving new life to everyday household objects; jazz up an old, unused photo frame for a family member and put their favourite photo of them and your child inside; have your child make them a Christmas decoration; bake some festive treats… the list goes on!

No need for tech

We know that children seem to be wanting the latest tech at younger ages every year, but there really is no need for them to have iPads and Switches galore.

Opting for no expensive, techy Christmas presents will certainly save you a penny or two!

Secret Santa

One way to hugely cut down on costs is opting to participate in Secret Santa amongst yours and your child’s family and friendship groups.

Rather than having to buy gifts for each individual friend and family member, organise a Secret Santa where everyone has a maximum spend.

Not only will Secret Santa help you save money on presents, you will also save on unnecessary gift wrapping too.

Save on waste

We’re all guilty of going a bit OTT at Christmas… whether that’s ordering too much food or buying too many cheesy stocking fillers because you just couldn’t help yourself.

We try to waste as little as possible at Excel Child Care Services so here are some of our Christmas tips on saving waste and therefore saving money:

  • Opt for brown paper wrapping paper. Not only is it cheaper, it’s recyclable and you can write who the gift is for on the paper itself, which saves you buying throwaway gift tags.
  • Be realistic with your food. Will your family of 3 or 4 really need that much food? If you’re adamant about buying plenty for a Christmas feast, maybe skip out on buying Boxing Day food to make sure you eat the leftovers.
  • Reuse old gift bags. If something needs to go in a gift bag, go on the hunt for the hundreds that will be hidden somewhere in your home rather than nipping to the shop to buy some. It may only save you a few coins, but it all adds up!
  • Don’t go mad on stocking fillers… it’s so easy to get carried away buying tacky stocking fillers because you think they will give someone a laugh, but you should really think about whether they will use the gift or whether you’ve just spent £10 on something that will just gather dust or be discarded of, rather than an actual, meaningful present.

Excel Child Care

We hope you find these tips and tricks useful. Although it often seems like it, Christmas really isn’t about the money; it’s about spending time with your loved ones, which is more important than ever after such a challenging year.

When they’re all grown up, your children will remember what you did and who you saw at Christmas, not how much money you spent or what gifts Santa delivered.

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