Hosting guests on a budget this Christmas

Christmas 2020 was one that most of us would probably rather forget. Many of us were forced to cancel our plans to see loved ones over the festive period thanks to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. This year, I’m hoping that we can make up for that. It would be so lovely if we could have family over to stay in the way we usually would and just enjoy spending quality time together. If Covid has taught us anything, it’s to embrace the small things and appreciate spending time with our loved ones. But the impact of the pandemic is still being felt my many households. Family finances took a huge hit and the expense of Christmas can be a real worry. But having your loved ones to stay doesn’t need to be costly if you just plan ahead a little.

Put a little aside regularly

If you’re a regular reader here then you’ll probably know that both myself and my husband were made redundant at the same time back in 2008 in the run up to our eldest son’s second Christmas. I was pregnant with our daughter and life was pretty tough. That Christmas was mostly a pound shop Christmas and pretty much all of our living expenses ended up on credit cards. Thankfully our son was too little to know any different but I vowed that I never again wanted to struggle to put food on our family’s table and never to get into debt just to survive. We built ourselves back up but all these years later it still haunts me.

These days I always put money aside every month ready for Christmas. I have a separate bank account where I just transfer money each month as soon as I get paid. It means that Christmas is all paid for without the last minute panic about where we’re going to get the money from. It’s really worth doing this, even if you can only spare a little each month, it does quickly add up. You could try the 1p savings challenge to get you started.

As well as putting money aside, from late October onwards I start to pick up bits of Christmas food and drink each week with my weekly food shopping. This helps to spread the cost and means that it’s not one big hit on the bank balance just before Christmas.

Don’t go overboard for guests

As much as it’s really tempting to go all out and spend a fortune on creating the perfect space for your loved ones to stay with you over Christmas, this really isn’t necessary! All they will want is to spend quality time with you and have somewhere comfy and warm to rest their heads. If you’re lucky enough to have a spare room then the chances are that you’ve already got everything you need. But if you’re creating the space from scratch then it doesn’t need to cost a fortune. Divan beds are great for spare rooms, particularly if you get them with drawers as they provide a little extra storage. If you have the space, then a small double bed could be ideal as it gives you space to have a couple staying (so long as they’re happy to snuggle up) and doesn’t take up the space of a full sized double bed.

Once you’ve got the sleeping arrangements sorted, then just a small set of drawers or a small wardrobe will be enough to make the space comfortable. You can use places like Facebook Marketplace to find some great bargains for bedroom furniture which is ideal when you’re buying items that will only be used occasionally.

Get everyone to chip in

Whilst I’m not suggesting that you ask your guests to pay for the privilege of having a meal with you, I do think it’s reasonable to split the work a little, particularly if you’re on a budget. For example, if you’re hosting Christmas Day, then you could ask your guests to bring a bottle or a dessert over. The chances are that they’ll want to contribute anyway and it brings down the cost for you.

Enjoy some frugal festive activities

Christmas activities can be expensive, but there are plenty of frugal things you can do to keep the costs down. Check out what’s going on in your local area. Social media is a great place to do this. For example, in our small town there is a free treasure hunt for all ages on New Year’s Day. Alternatively, you could get the board games out, do some crafting, or even get the kids involved in baking some Christmas treats.

Christmas 2021 should be about spending quality time with the people we love, not spending a fortune on gifts and food that will soon be forgotten.

*This is a collaborative post.