It does not seem to matter how deep the economy is in the doldrums, we always manage to find cash to splash at Christmas. It's the one time of year we feel that we deserve a celebration, no matter how bad things might be. When money is tight, it is probably more important to put a good deal of thought into the Christmas gifts you will be buying, especially if you have children to consider.
A poorly conceived gift is a waste and it is never a good feeling to know you got it wrong or that your money would have been better spent on something else. So, if this year you're feeling the financial pinch and your credit has been crunched you might consider investing a little of your time in making a list of Christmas gifts for the people you have to buy for.
Think about the recipient carefully. Think about what would make a difference and what would put a smile on their face as they tear off the wrapping paper? Christmas gifts don't have to be expensive and showy to give someone pleasure in receiving them.
The other important factor is price. Work out what you can afford in total and then apportion out across your present list, obviously allocating in order of importance. It is important to stick to this so, as depressing as it might be to be thinking about Christmas eve earlier than usual, this is an exercise best done sooner than later.
If this year's experience is different to previous years when you've had plenty of money to spend on Christmas, you can consider cutting down on your list, too. There is nothing wrong with trimming people or revising the value you usually spend on them. The odd thing is that although we all say its the thought that counts and you don't give to receive, people do feel how we think we shouldn't, so have the conversation with the people concerned. If they are usually on your list they are obviously close enough to you for you to initiate the discussion of either not buying presents or scaling down the amount spent.