Festive Survival

Christmas is the most expensive time of year- it’s a fact and there is no escaping it. Not that you could since most shops have been stocking the tinsel in tandem with the likes of Easter eggs and Halloween masks. Usually in moth pocket circumstances such as this I’d try to re-create an item out of sticky back plastic and an old toilet roll tube, but I won’t. One, because it’s unrealistic and two because Christmas isn’t about being a miser. No matter how we spend the first eleven months of the year, the festive season is all about giving, and I think embracing it is the first hurdle to your survival.

Are we feeling all glowy and warm inside like a syrupy gingerbread beverage (made at home with locally sourced ingredients and not purchased from an overpriced coffee shop)? Good, then we are ready to begin. Number one on the list: plan ahead. Buying gifts is a necessity; write down the names of your closest friends/family and their ideal present. You’ll be surprised how much time this will cut out of the humming and hawing stage of the shopping process. Now, go online. With an idea of the type of items you want to get you’ll be able to check prices, compare websites and maybe even save some cash from combined postage. Don’t worry with the reliability of the Royal Mail being called into question of late, you’ll find professional courier services operating for most major online retailers. Cutting out the high street trawl also reduces stress, leaving you to enjoy the unfamiliar sound of the letterbox opening as the shopping arrives.

With the main spending out of the way we briefly head back to Blue Peter mode. Little items such as cards, gift wrap and labels can add up to drain the funds so instead why not make your own? Brown paper can be purchased cheaply in large rolls and white card bought in bulk at the supermarket, invest in a glue stick and cutting out shapes from magazines and junk mail create a bespoke collection of Christmas stationery. If your attempts end up looking quite hilarious send to members of your family who’d appreciate the effort and failing that you could always say you bought it at a primary school craft fair. With these small adjustments you might not find much by way of loose change but entering into the fun is all part of the countdown to the event.

It would be lovely to share presents with everyone like an end-sequence-Ebenezer, and with the sparkly spirit of the season it could just be possible, keep a hold of some mistletoe wherever you go and ensure your neighbours, colleagues, classmates and passers-by (should you be inclined), all receive a memorable Christmas gift from you.

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This article was published in Scotcampus (Dec 09)
www.scotcampus.com/december09