How to cut holiday costs? Thrift it, minimize it, plan for it | 24CA News
This story thought got here from viewers members, such as you, who obtained in contact with us. Email us your methods for reducing prices this vacation season. We are listening: ask@cbc.ca.
It’s probably the most great time of the yr — or no less than probably the most costly.
This yr you may be feeling the pinch a little bit bit extra, with inflation affecting costs for presents, meals and nearly every thing wanted for the vacations.
Pricing in your whole vacation commitments might appear to be a frightening activity, however as a few of you informed us, there are methods to keep away from breaking the financial institution.
The present of thrift
Raquel Wassan, a fifth-year piano pupil at Dalhousie University in Halifax and a piano instructor, says she saves lots of of {dollars} by thrifting, particularly on the subject of piano books.
“It cut costs in an unbelievable way for me and I’ve been able to just give more gifts to people this holiday season,” mentioned Wassan.
WATCH | How thrifting helps this pupil keep on price range:
Dalhousie pupil and music instructor, Raquel Wasson, takes us by way of her technique for maintaining the vacation season cheap.
Wassan says the trick is to get gadgets which are simpler to completely clear. So she typically sticks with books and bypasses, as an illustration, the shoe part.
What makes Wassan’s thriftmas presents particularly distinct is how she wraps them. She appears for distinctive thrifted material so as to add a private contact to her presents.
“My friends always get excited because it’s something unique that I’ve wrapped their gift with, and it’s something that they can keep forever and use again and again.”
Personal finance knowledgeable Rubina Ahmed-Haq says she agrees thrifting is a superb means to avoid wasting cash and provides a extra private present. If you do not have entry to a close-by thrift retailer, Ahmed-Haq says you possibly can nonetheless partake within the second-hand financial savings on-line.
“There is a robust online community that’s always trying to get rid of stuff that they have used, like gently used items, especially when it comes to our kids …We use the toys for a very short amount of time, and they’re often in perfect condition.”
However, she cautions individuals to not get carried away by low costs.
“Always keep in mind that even though you’re thrifting, you still should only be buying the things that you need. Just because they’re so deeply discounted doesn’t mean you should be buying more.”
An inexpensive feast
Karen Crouse, a retiree from Chester Grant, N.S., typically plans the vacation feast for her household. She says she opts for a potluck to scale back the monetary pressure.
“We normally share the meal. I do the protein and my adult children bring the sides or a dessert,” mentioned Crouse.
She says a joint dinner can be a wise resolution for leftovers too.
“Leftovers are divided and sent home for the next day’s lunch. I find that instead of three families each buying a ham or turkey, we buy one. There is less waste and plenty of leftovers … and let’s face it, no one wants to eat the same thing for a week straight.”
Not solely does a potluck enable her to save cash, it squeezes out further time that she will spend along with her household.
“It allows more time for us to spend together and play with the children, instead of one person being tied to the kitchen all day,” she mentioned.
Neil Gregory, from Fort Erie, Ont., mentioned the easiest way to save cash for his household is by planning forward, purchasing nicely prematurely and shopping for meals on sale.
“One of the things that we do and we have done for years, is we vacuum pack all of the meat that we buy, so we can buy stuff for the holidays very early … we keep our eyes open for sales,” he mentioned.
Gregory additionally says having gardeners within the household will help lower your vegetable invoice down across the holidays.
“We try to grow a lot on our own … and save them for the holiday season.”
“Most of our money-saving efforts require some degree of advance planning and a fair amount of time.”
Less is extra
While some are selecting less-expensive presents, others are choosing fewer.
Donna Anjo’s household in Maple Ridge, B.C., modified how they provide presents just a few years in the past, which put quite a bit much less pressure on their budgets. Instead of presents for everybody, every particular person comes with one present for use in a sport.
Last yr, they performed White Elephant, generally often known as Yankee Swap or Dirty Santa. It’s a celebration sport the place everyone places one wrapped present within the pot and every particular person attracts a quantity. Based on the quantity they draw, members take turns selecting a present from the pot or stealing a present another person has already opened.
WATCH | How Canadians are making the vacations work amid rising prices:
Inflation and the rising price of residing will have an effect on the vacation season — and a few consumers in Calgary are altering their habits whereas on the lookout for presents. The CBC’s Tom Ross studies.
“Everyone was laughing and I just thought that seemed and felt more fun and rewarding than just opening up a gift,” Anjo mentioned. “My mother, especially, was having so much fun stealing stuff from somebody else.”
Choosing to forego presents is each financially-conscious, and permits people to keep away from pointless purchases.
“We end up in the holidays with a lot of stuff that we don’t need or want,” mentioned Ahmed-Haq.
“Gift-giving isn’t the focus, but getting together is the focus,” she mentioned. “I think a lot of people will feel really relieved if somebody just brings that up.”
