Student Life | Issue 40

If you are struggling with setting
specific limits then simply create a
rough outline of how much you would
like to spend on each person’s gifts.
If you’re worried about going over
your limit, then either go back to
your initial planning stage and try to
make some small cuts or add a sort
of financial cushion to the end of your
list which could be used to cover costs
for any extras (whether it’s a gift for
the dog or some new Christmas décor
for the house).
Another tip would be to start planning
and buying anything Christmas
related as early as possible to prevent
it from getting too chaotic later on,
but if you only start thinking about
Christmas once it gets to December
like me, then there’s still hope! You
may have had a look at the many
online sales that have been going on
recently as part of Black Friday and
Cyber Monday, especially since stores
have been shut during the lockdown,
but if you’re still missing some
Christmas gifts for others, you should
take advantage of the offers and
discounts that most stores should
continue having over the next week.
It’s not a surprise that this year might
be one of the roughest Christmases
because of the economic downturn
as well as the devastating effects of
COVID on the health of many of our
loved ones, so equally it’s no surprise
that we might not be so well prepared
for Christmas this year. But if you
want to ensure a decent budget for
next year then it’s never too early
to start saving, so perhaps start a
specific savings account dedicated
to next year’s Christmas shop?
Nowadays it’s something that can be
done in as little as ten minutes on
most online banking apps – but make
sure to research which options are
best for you.
70 70 •• MARCH ISSUE 2019 40 •• STUDENT LIFE LIFE