🎄How to Save Smarter This Christmas

Last week, we talked about how to budget your 13th month pay wisely. This time, let’s talk about how to not overspend this holiday season.

Christmas spending gets out of hand faster than most people admit. It’s not necessarily because we’re irresponsible, but it’s because December comes with pressure, energy, and a dozen little expenses that pretend to be harmless until your money disappears. 

This year, the goal isn’t to be stingy but to be intentional. A holiday you enjoy and survive financially.

In today’s edition, we’ll go over:

• Tips on Saving Smart This Christmas

• Cheap and Practical Gift Ideas

TLDR;

The Bottom Line

• Set a holiday budget and run everything through one payment method.

• Track every peso so you understand your spending patterns.

• Be strategic: a few meaningful gifts beat twenty forgettable ones.

• Useful gifts win. Skip the clutter and give things people can actually use.

• If you’re broke, thoughtful homemade or skill-based gifts are still real gifts.

The content

How to Save Smarter this Christmas

1. Set a Budget and Charge Everything to One Payment Method

Decide how much you’re willing to spend for the holidays (gifts, food, reunions, everything). Then stick to it by using only one payment method. One card or one e-wallet keeps you honest.

When spending is scattered across multiple cards, you lose track and underestimate how much you're actually spending. One channel gives you a real-time picture of where you stand. When the balance hits your limit, you stop.

2. Track Everything You Spend

Write every purchase down. Notes app, spreadsheet, whatever is easiest. The goal is awareness.

You’ll see who you overspend on, which hangouts drain your budget, and what habits show up every December. Tracking isn’t just measuring expenses but also learning your spending tendencies so you can budget smarter next year.

3. Create a Gift List (and Be Strategic)

Gift-giving goes wrong not because of generosity, but because of lack of planning.

List down every person who actually matters to you this year. Then ask yourself: Do I want to give one meaningful gift to five important people,
or twenty cheap things to people I don’t even talk to in March?

Focus your budget where it counts. Impact > quantity.

4. Favor Useful Gifts Over “Cute but Useless”

People genuinely appreciate things that fit into their lives (essentials, food, self-care).

Actionable Tips for You

🎁 Don’t know where to Start? Here are Practical Gift Ideas 

1. A Skill Gift You Make Yourself

If you can bake, draw, write, design, sew, crochet, brew coffee, etc., turn it into a gift. Not a good cook but you have one great recipe? Cook it in batches and portion it as gifts to your friends. 

2. No Time? Buy Food in Bulk and Portion It Out

Cookies, brownies, granola, caramel popcorn (whatever is easiest for you). Repack them into small jars with labels. Food is always a good gift because it never becomes clutter in someone else’s home. 

3. DIY Care Package

Buy essentials in bulk (soap, sanitizer, wet wipes, cotton pads) and combine them into small kits. Add chocolates and a short note if you want to make it warmer.

4. A Thoughtful Secondhand Find

A good book from a surplus shop, a vintage mug, a scarf, a photo frame carry character. I like going to Japan surplus stores for these kinds of gifts. 

Runner-up gift idea: Personal Coupons

Some find it cringe, I find it cute and meaningful. It could be anything you want:

• a homemade dinner

• help organizing their room

• a morning coffee date

• an afternoon movie date

And there are so many templates on Canva, so you don’t have a hassle of designing one yourself.

Final Thoughts

Enjoy the season, but don’t lose yourself in it. A Christmas that feels good now and feels responsible later is totally possible. You just have to decide where your money goes before the season decides for you.

Stuff Worth Sharing

The Link Lowdown

• How to Budget Your 13th Month Pay — in case you missed last week’s topic.