Whether you’re ready for it or not, the yuletide season is now in full swing. Merchandisers persistently and persuasively remind us how much we really need to buy their products or services if we want to enjoy the holidays. Christmas is, after all, the major shopping period for the year.

It’s easy to get caught up in the wave of consumerism that engulfs us during at this time. With so many demands on your spending dollar during this month, you may feel overwhelmed by the pressures to spend, and frustrated if you don’t have enough money to satisfy all your desires.

You could develop a Scrooge complex and just hide away from the frenzy until early next year, but there are more sociable ways to cope with the seasonal shopping stresses. Here is a Christmas spending recipe which should help you to survive the holidays with your budget and sanity intact.

Make a detailed list
When making a Christmas dish, it’s customary to consult a recipe which provides the various ingredients required for the meal. Unless you are an experienced chef, you will probably waste time or make errors without the guidance of written instructions for preparation and cooking.

Similarly, you need to be organised in planning for your Christmas spending. Write down all the different items you want to purchase – things you need for the home and articles you desire for personal use — and identify all the people whom you wish to reward with presents this year.

While listing your intended gift recipients, indicate the type of present you think they would like. You don’t want spend your hard-earned money buying items that may be unappreciated. Also jot down possible stores or locations where you might be able to purchase the things on your list.

Adjust your ingredients
While examining a recipe, you might realise that a particular ingredient is not readily available locally or that it is priced way above your means. You can opt to substitute lower-cost components or reduce the portion size of your end product, so that you can stick to your desired budget.

You also need to keep your overall budget in mind when making your Christmas spending recipe. Although it’s rewarding to splurge on yourself or act like Santa Claus, remember that you have other obligations for your money. If you can’t afford it, you need to find less expensive alternatives.

For example, if you wanted to buy a new living room set but your pocket can’t support it, you could make slipcovers or get attractive cushions to spruce up the old one. However, if you can’t spring for a desirable gift, don’t buy a cheap, thoughtless token just to say you gave something.

Keep focused on the task
If you’re creating a Christmas menu with several courses, you have to keep focused while you’re preparing the dishes. If you get distracted you could easily ruin your meal, as an extra ten minutes in the oven could mean the difference between a culinary masterpiece and a gastronomic mess.

When you’re executing your Christmas spending recipe, you also have to pay keen attention to details. Call around to check which stores sell the items on your list, to minimise the time wasted in transit. Also opt for locations that may provide everything you need in one place.

Without a steely resolve to stick to your list, you may get carried away by the enchanting window displays which lure you to come in and buy. If you carry just enough funds to purchase your must-have items, you should be able to avoid the temptation to spend unnecessarily.

Use your creativity
When your budget is really tight, you may not have any extra funds at all to create a hearty Christmas meal. In true Jamaican style, that’s when you need to ‘tun yuh han’ and mek fashion.’ You have to use your innovation to turn simple ingredients into tasty and attractive dishes.

If you’re struggling to make ends meet and there is no spare cash to spend on Christmas revelry, then you also need to lean on your creativity. Get the kids involved in designing hand-made holiday ornaments and use nature’s bounty, embossed with a little spray paint, to decorate your home.

Being cash-strapped doesn’t have to prevent you from showing appreciation to your loved ones. Offer gift certificates for personal services such as manicures or closet organisation; if you have culinary talents you can give baked goodies or cook dishes for your friends’ holiday dinners.

Whatever your budget, don’t buy into the holiday hype and believe that you have to go overboard with your spending to have fun during the season. If you’re surrounded by family and friends, you can create the loving fellowship which may be all you need to have a truly memorable experience.

Copyright © 2013 Cherryl Hanson Simpson. No reproduction without written consent.

Originally published in The Daily Observer, December 12, 2013

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Cherryl is a money coach and business mentor, and founder of Financially S.M.A.R.T. Services. See more of her work at www.entrepreneursinjamaica.com and www.financiallysmart.org. Contact Cherryl