Tips for managing Christmas on a student budget
Maisy Saxon
BMus Music
Hi! I’m Maisy, a final-year Music student. In this blog, I'll be sharing how I socialise, decorate my flat and buy presents for family and friends all while on a student budget!
It's the most wonderful time of the year!
Christmas, in my opinion, is one of the most amazing times of the year. With all the delicious food, lively get-togethers, all the presents to buy and give, all the cards to write. It's a busy, yet enjoyable time.
For a student however, it can be a lot. From planning parties and presents with exams and the dreaded deadline week approaching, December can be full on.
There's no hiding that the first term is the most expensive term for a university student. September is freshers', October is Halloween, there's many social nights for the various societies you're a part of throughout the whole term, and at the end of it all, it’s Christmas. It can feel daunting. However, if you break it down and try and plan a little, it becomes less stressful and leaves your mind free to get on with your work and enjoy the festive fun.
The three things you'll need to spend money on for Christmas are: socialising, decorations (especially a first year when you're starting from scratch) and, the most expensive, presents.
Socialising
Having a social life is vital. It helps us forget the stress of work and study and create some amazing memories we’ll cherish forever. When it comes to Christmas time, socialising can be more important than ever.
Just think: deadline week’s upon you, many (including myself) aren't immune to seasonal depression, assessments are coming up, there's so many presents to plan and buy, trying to organise when and how to get home for Christmas - it can be a lot.
One thing during the festive period that everyone wants to do is Christmas markets, which can be expensive but they do not have to be.
Leeds and Manchester Christmas markets are just a train journey away. Though it may be hard, set a budget for how much you will spend. Minus the train ticket, I allocated £20 to spend at the markets and got: a Korean corn dog, a hot chocolate and a mini bottle of moonshine.
In the end also, I had £5 to spare! Make sure you look round the markets first and not just buy the first thing you see that looks cool otherwise, you may go over budget. Furthermore, look for free samples of food and drinks not only so you can try before you buy and try new things with no financial consequences in case you don't like it.
If you don't want to spend the train money even, Huddersfield had its own Christmas markets in early December! With live festive performances and many stalls. It's an amazing option.
Christmas flat parties are another amazing way to stay social and save money. Have your friends dress up in awful Christmas jumpers, put on some oh so cheesy Christmas song and play some classic Christmas games like charades. Get in the festive mood without having to spend hardly anything at all.
Decorations
Decorating your flat with your flat mates is another way to get into the Christmas spirit. This can feel expensive but, if you look in the right places, is very affordable.
Firstly, ask a family member if anyone has any spare decorations you could have. Luckily, my grandparents gave a 6 foot fake tree to have, however, if that's not an option, Home Bargains were selling 6ft trees for£10! At most places, a tree that size is at least £25.
Make sure you shop around before making your final purchases, make sure you're getting value for money. The majority of our decorations this year were from pound land who were selling boxes of 100 tree decorations for £5.
My flat got 2 boxes of 100 tree decorations, a table runner, window stickers, an inflatable Santa and an inflatable Rudolph. Sounds expensive but, split between only 4 of us, It came to £6.30 each! To decorate an entire lounge and kitchen, that's cheap but still looks amazing.
Presents
Finally, one of the most, if not the most, expensive parts of Christmas, the presents. Again, this is all about budgeting.
First write a list of how many people you need to get presents for, for me that was 21 people! Then I think of who the closest people to you are: Parents, Carers, Siblings and Partners are personally who I'd gravitate towards. For those closest to me, I set a budget of £30 each. For close friends and family I set a budget of £15, and everyone else, £10. That may not seem like a lot, however, if you know where to look, you can get some thoughtful and amazing presents for even those who you're spending £10 on.
When shopping in person, one great place to look is TKMaxx. With cheaper prices than other retailers, it's a great place to get amazing presents. My 14-year-old cousins recently got makeup and for an eyeshadow pallet, that was meant to be £6.99, I got it for £3.99. It might not seem like a big saving but, for us students, every penny counts. B&M sells some tremendous presents for small prices. Large boxes of shortbread for £4, a set of 8 different coffees for £5, a whole hot chocolate set including mugs, hot chocolate powder and marshmallows for £5. You can get some incredible presents if you know where to look.
When shopping online, it can be easier to look around for places where to find the same item for less, however, there are also other ways to get prices to drop on gifts you want. When shopping on sites such as Ebay, Etsy and sometimes, even Amazon, if you have an item in your basket for a day or two, the company selling the product may send you a discount code to encourage you to buy the item, This discount may only be 10% the majority of the time but, as I stated earlier, every penny counts.
Another way to lower the amount of money you spend on presents is to cut the amount you buy for, this may be tricky but, with friend groups especially, secret Santa is an amazing way to do this. Not only is it an festive way to have fun with friends but, instead of buying for a whole friend group, you only need to buy for one.
If, however, you still want to get all your friends a little something to show you care, items like chocolate coins a or hot chocolate bombs are on average £1. Packs of cards from places, such as Card Factory, can be from as little as £2 and have some very cute designs on them.
Christmas can be a very expensive time but when you think of all the memories you'll make and the laughter you'll have with friends and family, it all becomes worth it.
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