We’re all excited for the holiday season, but it’s not that cheap. There’s a lot to prepare for and expenses to get paid. However, it doesn’t always have to be that way. Know about the savvy Christmas tips you can do this year to prepare for the holidays without breaking the bank.
The Filipino Way of Christmas Celebrations
In the Philippines, Christmas Day is one of the year’s highlights events of the year. Preparations for Christmas typically begin from the beginning of the ‘ber’ month (which is September). One of the things to notice on how we prepare for Christmas is having Christmas lanterns, Christmas trees, the image of the holy family (belens), and filled with dazzling lights which adorn the homes and structures around the country. This is one of the signs that Filipinos have begun to anticipate the greatest time of year in the country.
Many folks remain up all night counting down until Christmas (December 25). Christians are diligent to hear mass in church on Christmas evening to hear the final ‘simbang gabi,’ or Christmas Eve mass. Afterwards, this is followed by a Noche Buena, where all of the people gather ‘round for a midnight feast. In addition, the Noche Buena is a large open home party where family, friends, and neighbors come to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. Most houses would have numerous meals on the table, including lechon (roasted pig), ham, fruit salad, rice cakes (bibingka and puto bumbong are traditional Christmas snacks), and other desserts, steaming rice, and a variety of drinks.
Read Also: Traditional Filipino Food Recipes for Christmas Eve
Overall, Christmas in the Philippines is synonymous with lights, music, feasts, and spending time with family and friends. According to this, it may be pricey for each family member to celebrate this season of giving because it entails a lot of customs to be followed for the family to feel the Christmas tingling, we should feel.
A Savvy Christmas: The Best of Affordable Christmas Preparation Tips
1. Plan a Christmas Budget
Cheap Christmas gifts are helpful, but they are not the sole solution when it comes to doing Christmas on a budget. How to accomplish Christmas on a budget is all about the big picture. One savvy tip for Christmas is to budget your resources to save a little money on Christmas gifts and decorations. on your Christmas tree, at Christmas dinner, and so on. As a result, all of this adds up to extra Christmas savings.
One of the benefits of budgeting is that it is easy to get caught up during the budget process in ensuring that money is allocated for important spending in preparation for Christmas; by doing so, you will be led on what is more needed and prevent unnecessary expenses which might lead in falling short due to a lack of resources. Certainly, one of the resources that you would include in budgeting your spending would be your Christmas bonus. You would not want to spend it all on Christmas preparations, but you should also enjoy it as you worked hard for it all year.
Read Also: 7 Budgeting Guides for the Millennial Investor
2. Look out for Early Christmas Deals
The 2022 Christmas sales event is a wonderful opportunity to get a holiday gift at an all-time low price, allowing you to cross someone off your holiday shopping list while saving money. In the US, Christmas sales often begin immediately following the impending Black Friday discounts event, with promotions beginning the day after Cyber Monday on November 29. Christmas deals will be available until Christmas Eve for last-minute customers, and after Christmas sales will begin on December 26.
While in the Philippines, one of the early Christmas deals to look-out for is the 11.11 (which is an annual event every November 11). This event began in 1993 at Nanjing University in China as a singles celebration, and who better to capitalize on such a well-meaning event than the region’s largest and most successful e-commerce giant, Alibaba.
In 2009, they apparently utilized the celebration of singledom as an excuse to promote “self-gifting.” By offering discounts and promotions on that particular day. What began with Aliexpress quickly extended to incorporate other online retail platforms like Shopee. Surprisingly, even small internet firms are offering bargains and promotions on 11.11. What began as a one-day shopping event grew into a 20-day festival.
Other Southeast Asian countries have been pumping up Singles Day for several years. This shopping culture had been introduced in the Philippines and it became successful which translate to black friday sales in the United States of America (USA).
3. Cooking Instead of Buying Food
We all intuitively understand the advantages of cooking at home. You may use healthier ingredients, portion control, prevent food allergies, and save money as compared to ordering restaurant delivery or using a meal kit service.
Furthermore, It makes no difference what you serve if everyone is disgruntled and disappointed or hurrying to go to a party afterward. A happy supper is made from joyful sharing. Preparing the noche buena instead of having them delivered may take up much of your time which is why it is suggested to try to involve everyone in the food preparations to generate more interaction and fun in your family. Even toddlers can assist in the washing of vegetables or the cutting of cheese. Working in a group will ensure a good time; just remember to disregard the mess and be more accepting of things not being done your way. In the end, you’ll all enjoy the labor of love on the table and may even stay a little longer sitting around and chatting to each other, rather than reaching for the phone or TV.
4. Craft Your Own Decorations
In preparation for Christmas, doing holiday projects with the family does more than just brighten up your home. It gets you in the holiday spirit and emphasizes one of the main reasons we celebrate Christmas: to spend time together. It’s also an excellent method to save money on Christmas decorations. And, contrary to popular belief, even the least talented person on the globe can assemble these DIY Christmas decorations.
Nowadays, there are a lot of do-it-yourself video tutorials on YouTube on how to create your own Christmas decorations. There are numerous ornaments available that you can make. These can be enjoyable not only for you, but also for your family. You have many of the necessary items on hand, so there is no need to buy supplies.
5. Communicate with Your Loved Ones
If your budget is particularly tight, the last savvy tip for Christmas preparation is to speak with your loved ones so you don’t feel pressured by what they expect. Stressing about the holidays isn’t fun, and it might lead to resentment of your wealthier family and friends.
Talk to your loved ones about skipping the gift exchange or limiting your spending. You don’t have to explain everything to them – just enough so they comprehend. Besides, Christmas is all about spending time with our family and making them feel loved as we show our appreciation to them through gifts.
As Filipinos, our Christmas customs exemplifies how much we cherish our family, as we celebrate it together even if a family member is physically apart. As an OFW, one of the nicest gifts we can give our families back home is a safe haven to live in that we can also return to whenever we visit the Philippines in celebration of the holiday season. Bria Homes, matter of fact, offers affordable house and lot for every Filipino, bringing the family together and providing an atmosphere of feast and celebration for its occupants. Invest with us and get in touch with one of our customer service representatives today.
