Christmas is coming, and if you haven't already started shopping for gifts and food, you will soon. However, with the economy the way it is this year, I suspect that many people will be doing their best to do Christmas on a budget, rather than go all out this year. Fortunately, there are some strategies you can use to have a fabulous Christmas without having to eat into your savings. Read on to find out what they are. 


Minimize gift-giving 


You can make Christmas easy to fund this year by finding ways to cut down on gift-giving. One option is to run a Secret Santa for each group of adults, meaning you will only need to buy a single gift from a single wish list and you will be done. 


Another savvy way of minimizing the cost of gift giving this year is to limit the kids to four presents that include: 


Something they want 
Something they need 
Something to wear 
Something to read 


Indeed, as very small children can be overwhelmed with gifts at Christmas, doing things this way will not only save you money but space and allow them to enjoy each gift they do get fully. 


Make your Xmas dinner from scratch 


If you want to reduce the cost of Christmas this year, then skipping all the pre-prepped items in the supermarket and making everything from scratch can save you a fortune. Of course, if you are not a keen cook, you’ll need to do a little research on how to prepare your turkey and the best way to get crispy roast potatoes. Although you might even find that cooking Xmas dinner in this way not only saves you money but becomes a new tradition. 


Earn some extra money



Another smart way to fund this year's Xmas festivities without having to dip into your savings is to find ways to earn a bit of extra money. There are plenty of options that will help you do this as well including opening a drop shipping store and selling digital products online. 


You may even wish to consider investing including trading in indices. This is because Indices

trading incurs relatively low costs, and means you don't need to own any stock, just predict the direction of the index's movement to make money. Although, as will all types of investing, educating yourself on the risks involved is vital before you begin. 


Cover your shopping costs by selling items you no longer need 


One of the best ways to fund a great Christmas without having to eat into your savings is to offset the cost of your Xmas shopping by selling items in your home you no longer use or need. Indeed, this is a double bonus because it means you will be decluttering your home to be ready for the next influx of gifts as well as earning extra money. 


In particular pay attention to toys that your little one has lost interest in or has grown out of as other parents looking to save money around this time of year by buying preloved will be happy to snap them up for their own children.