Christmas activities on a budget

We all know that Christmas is an expensive time of year with buying presents and stuffing our faces with festive food. Christmas can also be a very social time of year - which equally doesn't help the health of your bank account. So here are some ideas of activities you could do with the people around you this Christmas without spending too much money...

Christmas Markets

Most cities up and down the country have their own kind of Christmas market. Many have stalls with pretty things to see and buy from local makers and sellers. When I go I grab a cup of mulled wine and wander through, I much prefer to take it all in, making it a cheap festive day out.

Carol singing

This might not be to everyone's taste but I love nothing more than to stand with a group of people and sing Christmas songs. I think it's because I reminisce on my days in my primary school choir. Many churches hold carol services or you can attend one in your local community, where anyone and everyone is invited to attend.

Invite round loved ones for a cosy evening in

Christmas time for me is about catching up with family and friends, so why not invite them round for a cosy night in. You could put on your favourite film and just chill out or you could even spend an evening playing board games.

Festive garden centres

I love spending time at my local garden centre regardless what the time of year is, but at Christmas they go to town with decorations and festiveness. I like to walk through and just look at their Christmas plants, lights and gift ideas and then maybe before I leave I'll stop at the café for a hot chocolate.

Go on a walk or drive to look at Christmas lights

Every town has that one street where they go OTT with Christmas lights. Since we were young, my family would go out on Christmas Eve to look at the decorations. Sometimes we'd walk, other times we'd drive but it gave us time to just stop and take in the world around us before the mental day we had planned for Christmas Day.