Christmas can get stressful and there's really no need! It's a time of celebration and it's important to come out the other side of it all without feeling exhausted and fed up.

How to relax during the holidays

Talk

Here's what gets me about many people who get stressed out over Christmas - they're taking on all of the responsibility without talking to the people surrounding them about the support they require. It's fab when people just step in and help but let's face it, if they've never done it before they're not going to do it now. Ask for help, there's nothing to be ashamed of. Ask your partner to clean the house, ask your mother to prepare a starter and ask your friend to help you put up those fairy lights. 

Pre-prepare

Preparation is key! In the few short weeks running up to Christmas make or do as much as you can in small chunks. Bake some cookies and shove them in the freezer, iron your tablecloth, dry clean your fancy dress and even make your stuffing and freeze it in advance.

Sleep and rest

Make sure you're getting enough sleep. If you're not used to a lack of sleep, the great festive sleep robber might just make you feel like death warmed up. If you have guests, early starts might be on the cards but that doesn't mean naps or half an hour in the bath is struck off the list altogether. Take that bubble bath from Great-Aunt June up the stairs and relax, honestly give yourself permission to rest, there's no point trying to be a hero.

The great outdoors

Get out of the house! Christmas can see you kept inside for days on end and you start to develop cabin fever but make sure you don't fall into that trap. Even small 10 minute walks around neighbour will breathe fresh life into your lungs but a good, bracing Boxing Day walk will revitalise you in no time.

Clean up

About 2-3 weeks before Christmas I give Thrifty Towers a big ol' top to toe clean so as Christmas approaches a quick and regular dust, vacuum and mop will do.

Once Christmas is upon us make sure you and everyone in your home is staying on top of the cleaning and tidying. I know it doesn't seem like the most relaxing thing to do but staying in control of a tidy home keeps stress filled days of cleaning at bay. It really is as simple as wiping down a table or surface as you're walking past and making sure the wrapping paper goes out to the bin.

Looking forward

I always book something to look forward to for the lull between Christmas and New Year's Eve. Be it an afternoon trip to the cinema (find out how to get free cinema tickets) with my best friend, a cheap pub lunch with Mr Thrifty or a manicure.

This is day 11 of 12 Thrifty Days of Christmas

Day 1- Who, Where When?

Day 2 - How to set a Christmas budget

Day 3 - How to manage your family's Christmas gift expectations

Day 4 - 36 homemade gifts you'll be proud to give

Day 5 - How to make extra cash for Christmas

Day 6 - 20 homemade food gifts for Christmas

Day 7 - Should you ditch Christmas traditions to save money?
Day 8 - 34 Free Christmas Printables
Day 9 - How to throw a budget friendly Christmas party
Day 10 - Thrifty Christmas Dinner

Image: Jppi

TTFN,

P.S. Check out my first post of the day - a gift guide!

This page and all pages on this site contain links to outside sources including paid affiliates. A Thrifty Mrs is not responsible for the content of any third party website. Click here for my disclosure policy.

Small Business Saturday Christmas Gift Guide

It's Small Business Saturday here in the UK so I thought I'd concentrate the second of my gift guides on items from small businesses from across the world. All of these items come in at under £30 with the majority £15 or under!

1. Mean Girls Pencils £5.03 // 2. Hedgehog Pin Cushion £4 // 3. Letterpress Blocks £4 each // 4. Sod Off Notebook £16 // 5. Laser Cut Chevron Coasters (set of 4) £15 // 6. Teapot Rosette Brooch £2.50

7. Glittery Heart Brooch £6.50 // 8. Choc Chip Muffin Tea Towel £11 // 9. 'I pugging love you' mirror £3.50 // 10. Padded cosmetics case £12 // 11. Dinosaur Brooch £6.60

12. Tassel Key Ring £4 // 13. Sterling Silver Necklace £19.99 // 14. Highland Cow Tweed Cushion £30 // 15. House Mouse Teatowel £7 // 16. Tartan iPad2 Cover £10 // 17. Dog collar £10

Small and independent businesses make and sell some beautiful, beautiful items and are truly worth of your support, especially over this festive period. Please do share your favourite small businesses below and a small snippet of what they sell - you might just help someone out.

You can check out my first gift guide here, it's a selection of gifts which will help out those who are struggling financially.

TTFN,

P.S. Check back later today for the 11th day of my 12 Thrifty Days of Christmas!

This page and all pages on this site contain links to outside sources including paid affiliates. A Thrifty Mrs is not responsible for the content of any third party website. Click here for my disclosure policy.

Christmas and food, Christmas and fooooooo-oood - they go together like...err Richard and Judy (SING WITH ME)...blah..blah..blah...you can't have one without other!

Those Christmas advertisements and TV foodie shows can really whip you up into thinking that THAT main meal on December 25th must be fit only for God above us or perhaps the Queen if you're feeling a little less festive. And as much as I love me a bit of Nigella I think we have to stop and ask ourselves if it isn't a bit silly to spend £150 on a meal at home for 4 people. In the words of my husband 'bitches be cray.'

Thrifty Christmas Dinner

Here's my view on that meal. Eat something you like, if you don't like turkey don't buy a turkey. Still fancy a bird though? Do a chicken, you're probably more familiar with cooking it and you're less likely to turn it into a dry piece of sandpaper. 

Now, if you do like turkey but a whole bird is rather large for your needs, opt for a turkey crown (I've heard good things about Lidl's offering) or even a couple of rolled breasts which will feed a good number of people. The price of a decent whole bird is through the roof once December rolls round, so if you only want it for one meal then why spend a fortune on what essentially becomes a waste product to you? 

If you are committed to a large joint or bird it's important to make sure you're equipped to turn the leftovers into meals you can use. There's no point planning to use up the leftovers if you don't have the necessary ingredients to do so. Will it ever really happen? I'll be covering a few nice leftover meals as we get a little closer to Christmas, so keep your eyes peeled and your shopping lists at hand. Plus if you're definitely up for making the most of leftovers and there's only a couple of pounds (money wise) between one bird and a larger bird, opt for the larger and really go to town on using that meat wisely.

Step away from pre-packaged and do it yourself. Pre-chopped veg and ready made options might save time but they'll cost you extra money - I for one would rather peel a few spuds than buy ready prepared roast potatoes.

And when it comes to buying your shopping make sure you're checking and comparing prices. This is something we always do but it's a great time of the year to get into the habit if it isn't something you already do. I use MySupermarket mostly because they're great at flagging both their own deals but also the current deals the supermarkets are running - and now that they include Aldi I find I'm able to save even more money. Also talk to local butchers and greengrocers and have a walk through your local market. Once you get chatting to these guys they tend to offer a good deal or throw in some extras - if you're buying a tonne weight of streaky bacon, when you come to buy your sausages you might just find you have a few extras thrown in. 

Thrifty Christmas Food Tips

- Unless there's a great reduction in store, pre-packaged cheese tends to be more expensive so opt to buy from the deli section of the supermarket or a specialist shop.

- Buy your bird with the giblets inside and make your own gravy. It's so much nicer than powdered or pre-made options. I've actually bought a turkey crown and asked the butcher if I could buy some giblets to go with it only to have some, that other customers didn't want, bagged up and given to me for free.

- Value range mince meat (I like the one from Morrisons) is super cheap and with a splash of booze and a bit of grated orange peel it tastes as good as the more expensive mince meat. Making your own is wonderful but the price of the ingredients (for anything containing dried fruits) is vast.

- I once spoke to someone who works at Sainsbury's HQ who told me their Basics range smoked salmon trimmings are just cuttings either from their Taste a Difference range or their mid level range and if you take a glance at the codes on the front of the package you can soon work out which is which.

- If you are brave enough to wait, you can get some amazing deals in supermarkets late on Christmas Eve. I wouldn't recommend making this your only option but there really are some deals to be had! We've snatched up beef joints, hams and huge birds all under £2 at about 2.30-3pm on Christmas Eve. We couldn't eat them all but our freezer was glad to befriend them.

Please share your tips below and help someone out this Christmas.

This is the 10th post in my 12 Thrifty Days of Christmas series.

This is the 10th post in my series 12 Thrifty Days of Christmas

Day 1- Who, Where When?

Day 2 - How to set a Christmas budget

Day 3 - How to manage your family's Christmas gift expectations

Day 4 - 36 homemade gifts you'll be proud to give

Day 5 - How to make extra cash for Christmas

Day 6 - 20 homemade food gifts for Christmas

Day 7 - Should you ditch Christmas traditions to save money?
Day 8 - 34 Free Christmas Printables
Day 9 - How to throw a budget friendly Christmas party

Image: SDRandCo

TTFN,

P.S. Check out my post on 39p Christmas crackers.

This page and all pages on this site contain links to outside sources including paid affiliates. A Thrifty Mrs is not responsible for the content of any third party website. Click here for my disclosure policy.

Gifts that will make a difference to those who are living on a tight budget

My gift guides are a-startin' and will roll out over the next week or so, hold on to your hats! First up, here are eight gifts which will make a real difference to life of someone who is struggling financially - they won't set you back too much cash either.

Gifts that will make a difference

1. Slow Cooker

My friend gave this £10 slow cooker a rave review and for £10 it's a real bargain. If you read my (vaguely pornographic) post Slow Cooker Love, earlier in the year you'll know how great I think they are and for someone on a low budget they can make a warming meal with cheap cuts of meat without spending a fortune on energy.

a.)  £10 // b.) £22.95 // c.) £12 // d.) £12 // e.) £29.99

2. Hot water bottle

So useful they should come free at birth!

You can pick up a hot water bottle almost anywhere these days and over the Christmas period you'll find some lovely specimens in the gift aisles. They instantly warm feet, beds and hands.

f.) £6.39 // g.) Choice of 8 £3.99 // h.) £7.00 // i.) £6.00

3. Netflix, Lovefilm etc.

Now this might seem a bit of an odd one but if you're on a low income you might find socialising or entertainment is near on impossible so getting to catch some films or TV shows might just add a bit of light to a life or give them an excuse to invite someone round. A subscription to a service such as Netflix or Lovefilm is a really thoughtful way to help someone.

4. Flannel Sheets

Adding flannel sheets (we have these ones) to a bed will make it significantly warmer and not to mention cosier. Keeping the bed toasty and warm can help reduce energy bills and who doesn't love new sheets?

5. Gardening equipment

If you think they might be the type to eventually dabble with gardening why not buy them a stash of seeds, a gardening book and some cheap but good quality tools. You can also score some nice pots from cheap shops such B&M, Home Bargains and Wilko, so even someone with a tiny outdoor space can grow herbs or tomatoes.

You can pick up seeds on the cheap in places such as Aldi, bargain stores or even eBay.

6. Bike lights

Many people who are struggling are now opting to use a bike as their main method of transport and many aren't as well equipped as they should ideally be. A good set of bike lights could make a real difference. Mr Thrifty cycles daily and has found Decathlon lights to be really good quality for their price points.

7. Slippers

A good quality pair of slippers are often the kind of investment one won't make for oneself but it will save a small fortune in the long run. Without slippers I can really struggle to get warm but once I have my feet cosied up inside a good pair of slippers I can turn the thermostat down a few notches and make some utility savings. These are my current favourites.

8. Spices

When you're on a very limited budget it is very easy to eat the same meals over and over again which can be endlessly boring and depressing. A gift of a selection of spices could very well open up the number of meals a family or individual can cook.

j.) £13.99 // k.) £8.00 // l.) £23.95 // m.) £29.95 // n.) £22.95

What gifts would you give to someone struggling financially?

TTFN,

P.S. Check back later for day 10 of 12 Thrifty Days of Christmas!

This page and all pages on this site contain links to outside sources including paid affiliates. A Thrifty Mrs is not responsible for the content of any third party website. Click here for my disclosure policy.

Christmas is the season of celebration and it often feels like once it gets to about the 10th December every night is party night. As much as I love attending parties, I adore to throw a good party right here at Thrifty Towers....on a tight budget, of course.

I've hunted high and low and managed to find the best free Christmas printables. Printing out these beautiful free printables will cost only a fraction of store bought tags, cards and decorations, plus many of them can be customised!