Today we caught up with Student blogger Aysha Bateman, who gives her 3 top tips for a festive and frugal holiday. If you find you are lacking in the pounds department don’t let that stop you from having a magical Christmas!
It’s tough being a student and hard times have hit a lot of people this year. Christmas is approaching quickly and you might be worried that you can’t afford to spoil the people you love (including yourself).
If you find you are lacking in the pounds department don’t let that stop you from having a magical Christmas.
Here are 3 top tips for a festive and frugal holiday.
1. Presents
There’s nothing that says you love someone more than a handmade gift. The best way to do this is to personalise a basic product, this could be painting a plain wooden box and gifting it as a jewellery box. Or writing their name in diamanté around the boarder of cheap mirror.
I find adhesive jewels, alphabet stickers and poster paints to be my best friends here, and they shouldn’t cost more than £1 each from a craft store. Reuse, repurpose, recycle when it comes to wrapping presents. Use old Christmas cards as tags and use string rather than ribbon to give your presents an edge.
2. Decorations
Simplicity is key. Keep it clean and crisp for a classy Christmas. Tidy all your clutter away and you can make a boring space into a winter wonderland. The best way to do this is to select a few spots in your living/dining area to dedicate your decorations and create some statement pieces.
If you already have a tree that’s a great starting point. If not, go for a mini tree (preferably pre-decorated) and place it on a raised surface like a bookcase or side table. To vamp it up try putting cotton wool balls underneath as snow, glitter is also a great addition to this.
3. Food
Really and truly we’re all here for the food; its the main event. Don’t be afraid to make everything from scratch, it will work out much cheaper. This also provides an opportunity to try something new with your friends and family. Even if it goes horribly wrong you would have had so much fun.
The best money saving tips are making your own pigs in blankets you’ll get twice as much as you would in a pre-made pack. Stuffing is also just breadcrumbs, egg and herbs and there’s some easy and tasty recipes online.