This year has been tough on everyone's pockets and with Christmas being just around the corner, you might be wondering how you're going to fund the most wonderful time of the year.
In RTÉ Player's new series, Thriftmas Tips, Sarah Adekola is sharing her tips for being thrifty this Christmas.
Here, she shares her top tips for staying thrifty throughout the festive season.
1. Set a budget
I know we all hate the word budget. So, let’s rephrase it as money management because truly that’s what it is. Going out at Christmas is always great craic. It’s very easy to overspend on nights out, so it’s always best to set a spending limit.
One of the easiest ways to prevent excessive spending is to bring your spending money in cash or place your going-out money somewhere separate like a Revolut card. So you don't tap away all your savings by the end of the night.
2. Wardrobe
We all want to look fabulous for Christmas and here’s one of the best ways to do that on a budget. Build a Christmas capsule wardrobe. Instead of buying brand-new items for every event. Reuse old items and buy a small number of new items that go with everything and have a good cost per wear.
Cost per wear is where you analyse the lifetime wear of a particular item of clothing. Take the cost of the item and divide it by how often you will wear it.
Pro-tip: check some online clothing rental sites for some nice dresses and suits that you know you’ll only wear once. Don’t forget to borrow some items for your siblings as this is a good way to cut costs. Sharing is caring!
3. Think ahead about transport
Transport on nights out can be quite expensive so why not see if you can get a lift with friends, family, or housemates – just don't forget to return the favour if you can.
And always make sure to check out public transport beforehand. Transport for Ireland will have all the information you need on extended hours in the evening.
4. Have some big nights-in too
Going out at Christmas is fun but having a night with your friends is even better.
Check out some fun night-in ideas online such as Christmas theme dinners, games nights and so much more. It’s a great way to cut costs and still have some banter.
Watch every episode of Thriftmas Tips on RTÉ Player now.
