By Oyinlola Pelumi Adewale

A lot of people look forward to Christmas because it is the time of the year for merriment, and a time for families to come together.

Children go to parks to have fun and take pictures with Santa clause popularly called Father Christmas by Nigerian kids. It is also a time for sharing food and gifts to people.  The fun part of this festive period is that Christmas lights and trees would light up shops, houses and churches to give people the feeling of Christmas.

Shops with speakers would be blasting Christmas songs while children will have fun by playing with fireworks and blessing the atmosphere with the sounds of bangers.

The season is characterized by spending money on different things. People shop for foodstuffs, gifts and drinks to celebrate the Christmas season. Some people are travelling to their villages or to other parts of the country just to spend Christmas.

This is why it is important for Nigerians to spend Christmas on a budget because January is the month for school fees and house rent for some people.

Having to spend Christmas on a budget is not an easy one because there are a couple of things people would love to buy; places they would want to explore and so on. The beauty of celebrating Christmas on a budget is that you can still enjoy Christmas with the little you have.

There are several ways to spend your Christmas on a budget and you will still feel the ‘heat’ of Christmas. There are so many fun, high spirited and inexpensive ways to celebrate the day while also thinking and planning other ways that would assist your financial status. For Christmas to still feel like Christmas but on a low budget, you just have to touch some aspect and cut off extra expenses.

During this period, people are most likely set to go on a shopping spree considering how much they have saved throughout the year and also the fact that they want to have a detty December. Shopping should not be a trivial thing for someone looking to survive the remaining days of the year, and next year, most especially January which is considered the longest month of the year. Even with its 31 days, it still feels like a thousand to many people.

For you to still enjoy this day, you need to learn how to be a little creative and also think outside the box. The truth is you don’t have to spend the whole of your savings to have an extravagant Christmas or pepper people on Instagram.

There are plenty of ways to cut back on expenses this season and for this to happen, you have to be willing to try new things and also be ready to explore a new kind of Christmas you are not used to. To achieve this, writing down the amount you have actually saved should be the first on your list before moving on to classifying other things to their budget category.

Saturday Sun spoke to Jennifer Awirigwe, a personal finance expert, and she listed ten possible ways a person can celebrate Christmas on a budget and still have enough to live with the next year.

One: Ignore some of your favourite vendors on social media and their many December Promos. Keep your eyes on the target.

Two: For the things you actually need, get them now that different businesses are doing sales.

Three: Don’t wait until the last minute to book your travel tickets. You also need to check different services providers for affordable rates.

Four: It’s not all Christmas parties you are invited to that you must attend. Stay in your house and send whoever is celebrating a gift instead. In Nigeria today, going out has become expensive.

Five: There are some invitations you have to honour, but where is it written that you must buy new clothes and shoes for each of these occasion? Who are you trying to impress?

Six: If you are travelling to your village, buy and travel with the important things you will need. Some village market people rip off returnees. They create an instant price hike of their goods and services.

Seven: How much do you need to get by in a month? Arrange that amount and leave it where you won’t have access to it until January. The 13th month salary and Christmas bonus is your January welfare package. It is not only for Detty December.

Eight: Have a budget for how much you will spend in the village or wherever you are going to celebrate Christmas. When you spend all your money there, pack your clothes and come back to your base.

Nine: You did great in 2021. This Christmas, you need to rest, relax and spoil yourself for a year well spent. You are planning a vacation? Enjoy as long as it’s in your budget. Don’t overspend because you want to celebrate Christmas.

Ten: Always remember January is three months in one. Don’t finish your December income in a few days celebrating the Yuletide season. Be prudent while you are enjoying the celebration.