2019 has almost come to an end and the usual hustle bustle of the holiday season has begun. For Guyanese, this means getting away from work early to do Christmas shopping or to take a few drinks to celebrate the season.
It is the end of the year after all and people want to celebrate life and what they have achieved and to also spend time doing so with their family and friends.
It is also quite normal that people engage in compulsive shopping around this time, especially when salary increases and bonuses are expected. Whether it’s splurging on ourselves or family and friends, we usually end up overspending because of all of the adrenaline and excitement that Christmas brings without sparing a thought for the need to budget for the New Year.
And it is true that it’s hard to go against impulse and adrenaline, especially when we have extra cash to spare and when sales are happening all the time and where the parties seem endless. Yet, after the season is over, we find that we are stressed out because we have run out of “fuel,” both literally and figuratively. Since this is something that happens year after year, maybe it’s time to find new ways of managing the holidays in a less stressful, more cost effective way.
Here are some of those ways:
Start Christmas shopping earlier: Don’t wait for the busy Christmas season to see you doing your shopping. You should have been saving along the way and you can start by buying the essentials or basics without having a headache when December comes around.
Reuse and recycle: You may want your home to look good but that doesn’t mean that everything needs to be brand new. Make use of things which you haven’t used in a while. After all, curtains just need a good wash and some sunshine. :)
Don’t buy excessive gifts: Unless you have young children, don’t feel obligated to buy everyone a gift. You don’t need to throw away money on buying something for everyone (that they might not even like). You can share the gift of love and generosity by inviting people home to your house for a Christmas feast! And it’s not a true Guyanese Christmas without sharing pepperpot, garlic pork and black cake!
Save some of the bonus cash: Since you’ve received a Christmas bonus or salary increase, you should be thinking about saving for the New Year. You can spend wisely without breaking the bank and fall into the category of the people who don’t break into the New Year being “broke.”
Alicia Roopnaraine is a Psychologist at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation’s Psychiatric Department. You can send questions or comments to her at aliciaroopnaraine@gmail.com
