Slash your Christmas budget

In Summary

DON’T BREAK THE BANK. Christmas is not the time to go above and beyond budget. Here are money-saving tips for the festive season, writes Gillian Nantume.

Are you one of those parents who are anxiously looking forward to Christmas? You probably dread the children’s excitement as the days draw near. Even the sounds of the season’s songs get you jittery.

Well, you are not the only one counting every shilling this year. As we go into the election period, people’s minds are more on stocking dry foods than on spending on frivolous things for Christmas.

Be that as it may, though, you cannot deny your children the chance to enjoy this season.

Go for the big discounts and promotions
Towards the end of each year, supermarkets are trying to get rid of the year’s stock that is still healthy but has spent a long time on the shelf.

Great discounts are given and there is no need to feel ashamed about buying these low priced goods. If you visit big supermarkets such as Nakumatt and Shoprite malls, you will notice that the items that are on promotion are placed in separate aisles. Downtown shopping arcades are not any different as Christmas-themed decorations go for as low as Shs 5,000 and above.

Gift hampers and shopping vouchers
Radio stations are now catching the fever by offering free gift hampers to lucky listeners. As you drive in to work or are seated in a taxi, flip though the radio stations on the dial; you might be the lucky one to call-in live.For some stations, all you have to do is send an SMS with the name and phone number of the person you would love to spend Christmas with.

The lucky person will get a gift hamper with items worth Shs50,000-100,000. Alternatively, they might even win a shopping trip to the major supermarkets in town.

Set a budget and stick to it
We normally have a vague figure on our minds of what we want to spend. The only problem is sticking to that figure.
First, steer clear of very expensive shops. Whatever is sold up-town can be found, for less, in the shopping malls around the taxi parks.

If the budget indicates that you have to buy six new dresses for your children, do not be blackmailed into sneaking in two more dresses for your cousins’ children.

Stay away from impulse buying
Impulsive expenditure has been the death of many a budget. The malls are decorated in Christmas colours that look good but do not be tempted to buy what you do not need.

“This year I do not intend to go shopping with my family, especially the children,” says Abel Musisi, a businessman.
“I have four young boys and last year I went with them to Uchumi for Christmas shopping. My youngest son wanted a toddlers’ bike, which, in my opinion, he would outgrow before the end of the year. He threw a tantrum and rolled on the floor. To avoid embarrassment, I bought it.”

True to his assumption, Musisi’s son broke the bike within three weeks. The moral of the story is that children do not look at price tags, and do not care.

In the grip of the Christmas spirit, you may be tempted to buy that extra flat screen TV screen you have always admired, because the price has been slashed by 10 per cent. But do you really need it?

As you try to cut your Christmas spending budget this year, look out for more discount offers that can tide you through to next Christmas. These include wrapping paper, decorations, and other good buys that do not expire.

When buying gifts…
The greatest gift that you can give someone is your presence and attention.
Last Christmas, Mary Abwoki, a mother of four, hoped to give her best friend a chess set.
“I had been planning for it since October and when I walked around supermarkets, a set cost Shs50,000. However, because many things kept coming up that I needed to pay for, I failed to save the money needed.”
Without a gift for her friend, she risked jeopardising the friendship, until it occurred to her to invite him over for Christmas dinner and a bottle of wine.