2023-12-20 00:30:00
Gifts, sumptuous meals, family outings: Christmas is conducive to spending, especially in these difficult times when everything seems to cost more. Here are five expert tips for saving during the holidays.
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Recycle gifts
Quebecers are attached to gifts, but it is possible to give them to save a lot of money by drawing on what you already have.
“It’s time to use credit card points or frequent flyer points. We can also use the gift certificates that we ourselves received and which are in a drawer to buy gifts,” advises Maryse Côté-Hamel, professor of consumer sciences at Laval University.
Opt for second-hand gifts
For young children and even older ones, classified ads sites and second-hand item stores remain a way to spend less. “For a two-year-old child, there is no difference, it’s something new that happens in his life,” believes Mary-Lee Boyer Sanders, budget consultant for 12 years at the Cooperative Association of family economy (ACEF) of Valleyfield.
Use your talents
“We can make a virtual gift like a collage of photos, a video that we have made. We can also do something by hand,” illustrates Maryse Côté-Hamel.
The specialist adds that cooked meals can be a way of showing our loved ones that we care regarding them. She also suggests giving gifts of time, either by offering an outing with the person or by offering to volunteer for a cause that is close to their heart.
“If the person is short of time, we can also help them by repairing something at home or looking following their children,” she adds.
Ditch the turkey and the log
When the price of turkey has increased by 5% compared to last year and that of carrots by 12.8%, why not cook something else?
“People are much more open than before to eating something else and this is particularly interesting in times of economic inflation,” believes Maryse Côté-Hamel.
For dessert, she mentions that replacing a $50 store-bought log with a homemade cake or a plate of cookies remains an option.
Plan activities
Focusing on outdoor activities like sliding and hiking is a good way to save money, but you need to have a plan B if the weather is not good. “This is where we will turn to cinema or other more expensive indoor activities. We might find promotions if we plan them in advance,” warns the professor.
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