5 THINGS TO DO IF YOU CAN'T AFFORD CHRISTMAS

During Christmas time, I seem to spend an absolute fortune. Christmas parties, festive days out, copious amounts of hot chocolate & of course, presents. Come January a lot of us are pretty damn broke. Some of us are lucky enough to be able to buy our loved ones amazing presents, but there are also some of us who can't. We sometimes forget that Christmas time is about sharing & giving & in this post I hope to remind you that giving doesn't always have to be materialistic things or expensive. Here are 5 things to do if you can't afford Christmas.

Give your time - Time is a precious thing in this day & age, but it is also free. Offer your services (sounds weird lol) whether it be to babysit your cousin so your auntie and uncle can have a date night OR to watch the dogs whilst your Nan can go and get her hair done. Whatever it is, offer your time. It could really help someone.

Make something that money can buy - A photo album full of memories with my loved ones would mean more to me than a pair of shoes, I think most people would agree? Make something that money can't buy. You could even create a short family video & put it on Youtube. Collect all the clips throughout the year and then stick them all together. You can film on your mobile phone and use free editing software. Where there's a will there's a way.

Write a letter or a card - I always forget to express to my family how much I care and love them. Everyone is just so busy nowadays that we forget to pick up the phone to our grannies or visit our cousins cousin cousin - you know how it is. Write a letter or a card to someone and tell them how thankful you are for them. Cover the letter or card in glitter, apply a red lippie and seal it with a kiss.

Bake a gift - This won't be for everyone because some of us just don't have the patience for baking (yup, I'm referring to myself here. I always bake and it always go wrong). But baking gooey chocolate chip cookies or a nutty banana bread would be a lovely gift & would feed a lot of family members if you made a big batch. Who doesn't look sweet treats?

Recycle unused things - Every year I seem to accumulate tons of stuff that I just don't use. Random gadgets, unworn shoes, photo frames & beauty bits and bobs. I guess we feel slightly embarrassed and cheap if we pass on unused gifts, but why? If we don't use something, give it to someone who will. Have a rummage through your stuff and see what gems you can find.

I hope this post helps some of you, it even opened my eyes on other ways to give this Christmas. Its the thought that counts!