Christmas Budgeting Plan: Celebrate for Under £100

Parties, presents and plenty of delicious treats - there’s nothing quite like the festive season. Unfortunately, all this fun can make a huge dent in your student bank account and leave you with a bigger new years’ hangover than expected. Instead of seeing in 2026 eating a tin of beans, planning out your Christmas budget can help you enjoy wintertime fun without overspending.

Low-cost festive gifting

Seeing the faces of your friends and family light up is priceless… Well, not quite. Gifts can be one of the biggest costs leading up to Christmas. After all, no one wants to be accused of being a Scrooge. Luckily, there are ways to treat your loved ones without creeping into your overdraft.

Set a per person budget

Write down the people you want to buy for and allocate an amount for each of them. After you’ve totted up the total, you might want to take a second look as to whether allocating this amount to gifting is doable or not. From here, you can adjust each person’s totals, or even cross them off the list altogether (sorry, little bro) to fit your budget.

Make (and stick) to a list

After you’ve got the final list, write down items and their cost next to each person. This will help you stick to the budget and avoid getting over excited by festive deals. It also gives you the opportunity to think deeply about what your loved one really wants and get creative with gifts that’ll make them feel special.

Run secret santas

For groups of friends or coworkers, secret santas are a great option for low-cost gifting, particularly if you set a cost limit. Instead of spreading the budget between several people, you can focus it all on one special present. It also saves you thinking about different gifts for everyone, minimising stress and maximising fun.

Buy second hand

Second hand doesn’t mean tatty. In fact, you can pick up some special, almost new gifts via Vinted, eBay, Facebook Marketplace or charity shops. If you’re thinking of treating your loved one to a handbag, jewellery, knick-knacks, books or toys, it’s worth heading to these online or real-life stores to see if you can grab a bargain.

Go homemade

You might not have a huge budget, but you can make up for it with your time. If you love crafts, baking or creating art, then it’s a great opportunity to get creative too. This might be even more important if you find the festive season stressful and need some mindful practices to keep you relaxed.

Enjoy a yuletide feast for less

As one of the best parts of Christmas, it’s easy to find any excuse to have another turkey dinner. The cost can soon add up though, even if you’re cooking them all yourself. Here are a few ways to enjoy your festive feasting without breaking the bank.

Tackle it as a team

If you’re planning a group dinner, then splitting up the bill (as well as the cooking) means you can all enjoy a delicious meal for less. Either buy items separately or use an app like Monzo to spread the cost equally between everyone. Agreeing a set budget in advance might also mean you can add in some extra treats.

Choose low-cost swaps

Certain items go up in price around Christmas. Switch out turkey for chicken, beef or a veggie roast option. Swap Christmas pudding (who liked it anyway) with a chocolate cheesecake, ice cream sundae or crumble. Trade pre-made sides for homemade pigs in blankets, cauliflower cheese and roast potatoes.

Try something new

If you’re not a big fan of the traditional Christmas dinner then why not make an alternative special meal? Curries, pasta feasts, pick-and-mix platters are all great options for a festive dinner with a difference. Not eating the typical ‘seasonal’ dishes also means you won’t be paying extra for ingredients, too.

Plan ahead

Once you’ve decided on what you want to eat, write a shopping list and stick to it. This will help you keep costs low and stop getting overexcited by special offers or extra treats. Using self scanners when you shop can also stop you from overspending and avoid getting an unwanted surprise at the checkout.

Make the freezer your friend

A lot of Christmas dinner elements can be made ahead and frozen. Buying vegetables ahead of time and freezing them means you can avoid festive price hikes. You can also make sides weeks or months in advance and put them on ice, saving you money, time and stress when cooking your yuletide feast.

Plot out your social spend

It’s easier to control your spending when you’re planning budgets for gifts or food in advance. But one or two Christmas cocktails and you could soon be blowing the budget at festive events. It’s likely your calendar will be filled up way ahead of December, so set a spending limit for this month and divide it between all your socials. That way you can enjoy yourself without a costly hangover.

Ways to boost your Christmas budget

If your budget isn’t quite stretching far enough or you want to splash out on extra treats, then taking on some part-time seasonal work is a good option. If your university has a long Christmas holiday, then this is a great way to make extra cash without having to commit to a long-term job. Shop assistants, waiting staff and bartenders will all be in demand, so get your CV ready!

To make your budget go further, also make sure you take advantage of any shopping discounts. From a Unidays card or local student offers, keep an eye out for deals that can help you enjoy Christmas for less.