Community-Tested Christmas Hacks

Hello, my name's Santasha Nabananga Bamblet. I'm a proud or

Let's get into it.

She's on the Money, She's on the Money.

Hello, and welcome to She's on the Money the podcast. It helps you unwrap more Christmas cheer without wrapping up more debt. That's pretty good. Yeah, you did real well. That was a very good intro to turn. Out of ten? What else you got? So Christmas is coming fast and today we're playing Secret Santa for your savings with hacks for making your dollar stretch further for the big day. It's a good idea. It's good. A dear, I'm back and with me is Victoria Divine our financial elf on

I love your intros. Thank you they are very good turn out of ten. Thank You're witty, very funny. I like the idea that I'm an elf on a shelf.

You look like an elf on a shelf. You know what I mean? Explain it? But it's because I am so sure, do you know what? Maybe that's what it is.

Whenever we meet the community in real life, one of the things that they often say is you're much.

Smaller than I thought you would be. Just a small, little baby. Yeah, And I'm like, yeah, since I'm like five to one, what were you expecting so cute? You could pat me on the head? Yeah, I could dormit to do that because I will cut you.

That's a bit condescending, but you like, hypothetically, it's completely possible.

It's possible. It's possible.

I also have been doing a lot of like Christmas planning as well, Like I don't know about you, I feel like you're rogue, like your last minute get some stuff together.

Oh yeah.

I have been putting together Christmas hacks and putting together like Christmas lists.

I have the best gifts.

Under one hundred dollars list I think I've ever put together, and I did a call one for your male partner, because I feel like having a female partner probably be easier to buy for, and also you have always thoughtful things to say.

But like men, what do you buy men? Sure?

Beck they like golf? I know nothing, but do you know what I mean? So I put together basically a whole heap of like Christmas shopping lists and present ideas and hopefully like they're a bit inspiring but also just really fun to put together.

Back because I love gift giving. That's really sweet. I want to check this out.

I'm going to send them to you and hopefully you comment and give me some good engagement.

Thanks. Oh yeah, you know me. I'll be on there. I always comment on your videos, and I really appreciate it. I see it's because it's funny to be honest. But then I'm all, sorry, that's funny. It makes me look so cool that a blue ticker is commenting. Oh I pose. Okay, well I'll keep that up. Thank you so much. Okay,

It actually feels that way, like I feel like so many people this year are financially stressed.

Well, actually, do you happen to know how big of a deal these spending pressures are for Ussies? Of course I do. I am stat scale and I feel like it's come prepared. I feel like Christmas is amazing. Like I love Christmas, I love festive tea, I love having people over. I just love entertaining. Like I'm an entertaining girly.

I'm probably going to do a video on like my things that you would have to have in your home to always entertain. Yes, I think this is a flex. When you're out at the bar and you kind of want to go do something and I'm like, oh, I just come over to mine, and then that person has a drink, like they have a game that you can play, like they have a little snack, and You're like, how are you so prepared?

Oh my god, I know I really am.

I mean at all times that's a good Christmas present too, putting together like a little like entertainer's pack.

True.

Anyway, Christmas obviously adds up significantly, and recent stats show that around thirty seven percent of Australians feel financially stressed over holiday expenses, and nearly one in five of us are relying on credit cards, will buy now, pay later services to make it through. I think it's easy to get swept off in the holiday magic and feel like you need to be spending big to make it extra special. But that often leads to like a post Christmas financial hangover.

It's a thing totally. I'm kind of shocked that it's only thirty seven percent, to be honest, but I mean that's people who admit that they're financially well. That's true. That's true. That's true. Some people, you know a little bit more, they're not ready to talk about money, and that's why we'd be waiting. We're just here. That's of course, we're all about finding ways to avoid that.

No, we don't want a financial hangover. We don't want that because I feel like it's like anxiety. Yes, it's not just having the hangover, you get the anxiety about the money you've spent.

One out of ten can't recommend totally. And I feel like the best way to find these hacks is to get them from the community. They tried the text prepare, Yes, exactly. It's like calling your mum when you've got a stain on your shirt. She just knows, you know, she just knows. She just knows, and you know who knows she's on the money community. Yes, exactly, right, So we did turn to the she's in the Money community to get their favorite Christmas hacks. Are you ready for our community tested hats?

But before we get into our community tested hacks, I thought, you know what, we love Santa and we love talking about Santa. And I just thought that because Christmas is so magic and we are going to be talking about Santa a lot, maybe this isn't an episode for little ears, but but if it is, that's up to you totally. So, Beck, I'm going to share one from the community, and I think it's a really good one to start with, and it also got a whole heap of love on the post in our community.

Just casual reminder.

This all happens in our Facebook group, so if you're not there, you're missing out. So our friend Tara said, just a reminder that it is possible and perfectly reasonable to agree with people to just opt out of the over consumption festivities and not do gifts.

Yes, I completely agree. I have a friend of mine who celebrates Yule, which I believe is like the rising of the sun. Or maybe I'm so sorry for anyone's seeing to this who does celebrate or knows about it. I'm completely butchering that definitions, but that also sounds fun. It is really cool, and it's just like it's less about the gifts, it's less about the amount that you're spending. And I just kind of like that idea. I like it as well.

And I think that if you're going to do this, start that conversation early, because if you're starting the conversation early, someone else is not like, oh shit, but beck, I ready bought your press.

Since yeah, it would be nice to be that organized.

But I think it's really important to start that conversation early. But then also like, how do you bring that up back? Yeah, if last year you did presents, what if they like presents. I know, so you need to frame it properly. So frame it as a way to like focus on time together instead of just the presence.

So how about we make this holiday more about like spending time together than spending money. Yeah, so that could be cute or like talk about the benefits. I think that often, and I've said this before, like we are a group of women. We're not that confrontational.

I don't think like I'm never going to be like we're not doing gifts this year, Like that's just not me. Yeah, but like explain the benefits, so like emphasize you know, it's going to take a heap of stress off both of us, and like we're going to be able to focus on what matters. If skipping gifts is going to feel a little bit stressful, you could consider maybe like

Don't have a photo of it and you have to draw it? Whoa or like cozy DIY gifts, Like, yeah, what about like we do a candle making sesh together and go down to Kmart and we buy the candle making pack that I know is like twenty bucks that's ten dollars each, and then we can have a cozy afternoon at home where all of the drinks have been bought at the supermarket and nothing's overpriced. I feel like you're a crafty girl, so yeah, I love a craft all the Kmart stuff at the moment. Complete side note,

We're not just going to be like, by the way, there can no presents and you go, oh, I really like giving presents, because to be honest, i'd be disappointed.

Yeah, because I might go.

Oh, beck, like I totally say that you don't have to get me one, but like I'm a gift give bar, like I cannot wait, yeah.

To get presents.

So it's never too early obviously, to talk about next year's plans and then yeah, I think that you can then get a head start on shopping for the people that you will be buying gifts for, and then you kind of know who you don't have to include in that, which is obviously going to really help the budget.

And if you're really struggling to get your family over the line, Rachel told us I'm making my mum a Christmas tree skirt for Christmas. We're doing a soft introduction of making our family Christmas presents.

I like, but also not everyone always has time. And I think I've shared on the podcast before that my husband's side of the family we do secondhand, handmade or homemade ye as a rule, so like it has to be secondhand or you have to make it or someone else could have made it. But you can't buy basically commercial gifts, yes, which I think is really fun because if you're not that crafty and you're like, well, I can't make a tree skirt, what.

Even is a tree skirt? Like, you're not in as big of a pickle, right, Totally what I do with my family just really quickly because we also don't do gifts. You know, it's like my three brothers, my mum, and that's it for the Christmas. And I think it's really cute and crazy. But I go to Kmart and I get those like really small novelty gifts. You know, there's like squish binana and I pair it with like a

And I kind of love that. But I also love what you were saying about, Rachel, because I feel like it gives your family the chance to warm up to the idea that you don't need to do really big presence and you're kind of like planting the seed with this epic sounding tree skirt, which is maybe beyond my capabilities. So please send pictures because maybe I could. Yeah please, I don't know, very impressive.

Do you know what tree skirt is? In my mind? It's that thing that goes around like the bottom of the tree.

It is.

I was just testing you because because it never in my life if I bought or needed. Yeah, but it would be cool to have, you know, so one of those maybe we need to make tree skirts this year? Yeah, right, what's next? Okay, So we've got lots of community members just doing gifts for kids this year, which is Yeah, it's really smart and it's cute, isn't it. So with this good reminder from Helen who says only buy for kids, most adults have the means to buy what they want

I tend to agree it's fair. But I really love gift giving and it was a lot of fun. I am that creepy store cars. So, as I've said to you before, if I die and you're in each of my phone, wipe it. I don't need anyone to say that. But I have so many notes on my phone of like ideas for presents, like and things that I think people would like, even if I'm like, maybe not even planning on getting you a Christmas present, but I alreadyapily things that you would like.

Like I have a list of things that Zara would like. She doesn't know that that's cute, Like I could read it up. I know what you're into. That's really cute. I know that's really cute.

Well that means that if I am going to get you a present, I can be like, oh, it's meaningful at least, and you feel heard and thought of, And I think, to.

Me, that's the most important part about Christmas.

Like if you know you had mentioned I'm really getting into puzzles at the moment or something, and then I bought your puzzle, you can be like, wow, she really listened. It wasn't actually the cost of the present. It was the thought that counts right anyway.

Good.

I love to keep us from going like overboard, and I've seen it catching on. So Nancy said, we have a four gift rule. Something you want, something you need, something to wear, and something.

To read too.

And I am actually implementing that for Harvey. So that's what he's like. Christmas things will be.

I don't know what to do about Sanda Sacks though.

Hmmm, I'm making him miss Santa Sack. At the moment, I feel like there's so many very things, Like I remember when I was a kid, someone would be like, oh, Santa brought me a PlayStation, and.

In the back of my mind, I'm like, oh, Santa brought me a.

Toothbrush and novelty band aids and a lot of like strawberries and cream lollies.

Yeah.

Like, and that's how Santa worked in our house, like all of the big presence or like, oh like thing things. Mum was always like, you know, now I'm an adult, She's like, I wasn't letting Santa take credit for the good presence.

She's like those very expensive like and you only got one.

I wasn't letting Sanda run with a credit like he got you novelty, fun things that you needed, but like, what do you do?

Yeah, that's so true. I know that one really baffles me because I'm like, I want the magic to be there, but I also want to be like, if you're going to school in like a kid who has way more money in their family, kudos to them, but they might receive something that's way more than you can ever get your child, and then your child just thinks, hey, Santa hates me. That's okay, you know what I mean? That makes me really Yeah, It's like I kind of want to tell life.

I think we should all just agree, like Santa doesn't bring big presents, end a story like, yeah, I think across the board. I don't care if your public school private Santa, he doesn't get the good stuff.

Yeah, mom and dad get the good stuff.

Like I remember one of my favorite things was Santa always brought us you know, those novelty band aids that you didn't get ham Yeah, like we were never allowed though, So Mum would be like no. And my little sister Alex, if you're listening, hi, she would ask for a band aid all the time. Like she would always be like, oh my finger.

Mum would be like, like Alex was like obsessed with getting a band aid. So the idea that Santa gave us novelty band aids, they didn't go in the medicine cupboard. They went like in our room. We had our own stash wild. But like that was one of my favorite Christmas presents. Yeah, I get that she's so easily pleased.

And while I'm starting to think about this, Harvey's in daycare. So I've got one from Kate. Kate said, top tip you don't have to buy for educators, swim teachers, coaches, et cetera. I know we'd all love to, but with the cost of living as it, they are absolutely fine without another personalized water bottle, box of chocolates or pop plant with a thanks for helping me grow tag.

That's fair and honestly, just like a little bit that's.

So hard is plenty so funny because I've been thinking about, like, what do you get educators for? Can you guys slide into my dams? If you are an educator, if you're.

A teacher, if you're a swim teacher, what have you been gifted that actually was nice? Like what do you want?

Like, do you actually want boxes of chocolates? Because like, if that's what you want, I'm a get you box of chocolates. But I can almost guarantee you don't want another plant that has a tag that says thanks for helping me grow.

Yeah, true, I imagine, like and obviously I'm not any one of those things, but like, just a nice message or a card that is really really half fell and says thank you so much, genuinely f one hundred percent.

On the teacher train, some might think that's controversial, but we had ex teacher just chime in and say, as an ex teacher, we would love to not receive so many gifts or if any, which I think is really funny. And another teacher, Lauren said, as a tea, I love a handmade card from my students. Oh that's cute, but like it's the thought that counts.

Right, Yeah, yeah, definitely, Well that's really sweet. Okay, So this next one is straying from the teacher train, but it's definitely from a She's on the money girly. She says, I plan on having a cheap Christmas this year. As such, my husband and I will be gifting ourselves another seven thousand dollars less debt than we started with at the beginning of this year. That's so cool. Yeah, that's really

I use a dedicated Christmas list app every year that tracks all my gifts and spending and keeps me inside my budget. It also tells me what I got previous years, so I don't double up. I start shopping at the media toy sales and put things away throughout the year. I set price alerts in Google on items I have on my list, so I get notified if the price drops.

Genius and so cool, I know.

And do you know what it's so annoying because like I just don't have the self, Like, what's that word I'm looking for?

Control?

Yeah.

If I got a toy fee, yeah, same, I already gave it to you, I know, same. What do you mean you put it away? No, I'm not if I'm buying it with the intention of giving that for Christmas, even if it's two days before Christmas, I'm like, can I give you your present? Can I give you? I'm really excited? Yeah right right, yeah.

But she ended with something really lovely to think about too, especially as I guess your kids are getting a little bit older. She said, Also mom and dad get big ticket items as I'm conscious that Santa doesn't always have the same budget and kids talk about what they get. Wow, I know that incredible, so funny because as I said, we should all just join together and.

Agree Santa doesn't get the good presence. Yes, a cute novelty years, we're.

Gonna call Santa up and be like, hey, Santa, you're on toothbrushes.

You're on toothbrushes this year, socks, toothbrushes, the little things fruit, you know.

Like, did you do Santa stockings growing up?

Yes, we didn't got fruit lockily. We got Corinthians, Oh my gosh. Yeah, we'd always see them because they're so gigantic. They'd be like shoved down inside. You can see, you can see the shade, Yes, you can see, and you know exactly. We always got an Orbit tennis for some reason. I know that wasn't in the stocking, but I think Corinthians and Orbit tennis. What else in your stocking? Can you remember? I remember got a Dumbati soap and.

Yet little things like that. Yeah yeah, yeah we got stuff like that as well. And Mum got sneaky. She used to put like our book list items in there.

I want a coincidence that you needed those like screw up crayons. Sanda must have known. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you know what I feel.

Rum Now I'm thinking, I'm not sure I'm that impressed you. Also, Harvey, watch out, because I'm gonna call Center up and Santa will be getting your coloring markers and anything that hypothetically your teacher needed school stuff.

My best friend's dad, we gave him something from around the house that he just like, I guess it was kind of just in the background. I feel like you can do that for kids, because he didn't know. He opened up this lovely jug that was like a vase. He was like, this is beautiful, thank you. Put it back where it was, And you can do that with your kids. I imagine if you just get little toys that it's actually.

Half our idea because like Harvey, at Christmas time will be ten months old, and so like ten month old doesn't need anything too dramatic, So we're just going to wrap up a whole eve of toys that he already But tip from my mom, make sure if you're buying wrapping paper for kids, it's the foil wrapping paper, not just the paper wrapping paper, because.

Apparently they love it.

Yeah, so we'll be wrapping Harvey's presence in foil like present paper this year.

Yeah, and I think that that's really fun. Yeah, I agree. I think that's part.

Have you seen that TikTok, which was the one where like they all go to Grandma's house for Christmas and throughout the year the kids have been stealing stuff from Grandma, and like they all go around the room and they're like, oh, here, back, here's your present. She repensent and she kind of looks at.

It like, wow, I have one of these already, and then the next present is literally like one of her own books, and like it's all of our own stuff. Anyway, I just thought that was really funny. I think it's beautiful because it's like the joy of actually opening a gift is probably more exciting usually the gif you disappointed.

Honestly, if someone gave me like ten gifts and that was actually all just stuff stolen from me, I'd be a bit But also like helps you.

Sit back and realize, like, oh god, I really appreciate this book that I forgot to read. So maybe it's a win win. Okay, so if you're not doing Christmas gifts this year, but still want a little bit of Christmas cheer, Taylor says for adults, we do a ten to fifteen dollars TIMU limit, very specific insurance. Everyone who wants to participate purchases something from tim It's absolutely hilarious.

I didn't think that, but you were talking about that.

That's right, It's one of our highlights of the day and everyone has a belly laugh. I think that would be fee I love that. That's like your squishy banana. I love those little noveltives.

That's a great There are so many different creative ways to make Christmas, I guess.

Both fun and affordable. And we've got plenty more tips where those came from.

So stick around because up next we're diving into some clever budgeting hacks our community swears by. If you're ready to keep your Christmas spending under control without cutting out the holidays here, you won't want to miar sports coming up next. All right, Beck, let's jump straight back in because I'm excited to talk more about Christmas.

Let's do it.

I am loving these creative ways to save on holiday costs. I guess so many of you are hacking your Woolies points as well and saving them up for Christmas, which I think is really smart. And a few of you said, don't forget that you can also use them at big W and b wus as well.

Yes, very true.

Big W actually has the largest line of books.

Oh yeah, like they're the biggest stockists of books outside bookstores in Australia. That's really good to know.

You could buy, shees all the money they're hypothetically I love a big W, I know I do, and no where.

To be lie. I also love a BWS but that's okay, Hey, no judgment here, so okay. Next up we have Jade. I like how Jade budgets. She says, I estimate how much I'm going to spend on Christmas, divide it by fifty two, and every week put the amount into the savings accounts. When toys or gifts come up on sale or clearance about the year that I know I'm going to be purchasing, I'll buy it and cover the expense from the Christmas account. See that's so smart.

And also if you're sitting there going v that doesn't help me because they don't have a Christmas account set one up now. Like, I know it's not going to work right now because we're planning for Christmas, but the second Christmas is over, you can start that process so that.

Next to you doesn't have to be stressed exactly.

Like I know it feels stressful right now, but what can we do so that future us doesn't have to do this again?

So true, I think it's.

Really hard as well, because like who's thinking about Christmas in like February or March, So like, just do it now and start setting it up and just maybe do a direct debit so that this time next year it's like you're faking chrisco. Yeah, babe, we have Chris go at home. Yeah, like you've done your own Christmas budgeting.

Exactly, future you, well, thank you. Now. This one is from Jessicah.

It's not Jessica Richie, but this one I think is her and it sounds a lot like her.

Ready.

My Christmas savings account is simply an account for roundups and to transfer small savings from buy on sale and save the difference challenges we do some months and I keep any cash from Facebook marketplace sales for Christmas activities, magic moments, and special treats that fall outside the normal budget to make as much magic as possible. And we spend December hand making gifts for friends and family when

But it's really cool. We're all doing our best, right. I agree. I love the sound of this, Jessica. So Leah is taking advantage of Christmas clubs, saying I have beating back the Christmas Club. This is the first time I'm hearing about it.

Really, this is something that I remember it being massive when I was little, when I said, Chris God like.

I can see the logo in my head, but I can't fully remember what it is.

Like these boxes that would come at Christmas time, kind of like Marley Spoon, but for Christmas, and you would select them at the start of the year and start paying them off throughout the year, so like a couple of bucks every week and then the week of Christmas, your Chrisco order would arrive. It could be like if

Oh I love labor.

I remember going into Target with my mum to pay off bits of layby, I know, and it was really exciting.

All because you like see the item and by the time you get there you used to like trot up to the back of yore. It was like the Layby window and then your mom would be like, oh, I'm going to put X down and you'd be like, oh, so we don't get it today, and Mom's like, no, no, no, we're just making a payment. I'd be like, damn, I know, but it's such a good way to do it. It's smart. Yeah, it's really really smart.

But tell me more about Lea's Christmas clubs.

Okay, so Leah says, I have an IgA and Maya Christmas Club account. I love the Maya account. They have a lot of forty percent off sales on at the moment and maybe even year round. This is my first year with an IgA Christmas account. Looking forward to getting the Christmas food and some left over to put a couple of food hampers together for friends. That's so nice, that's so cool. I did not even know there was a thing. I'm going to look this.

Up, I think, look it up and do some research. But also we know from TikTok yes that supermarket prices often go like one week on sale, one week not on sale, one week on sale, one week not on sale. And I can almost guarantee you that these smart choice word people have decided that the week of Christmas, there are probably not going to be that many sales on all of the foods that we want for Christmas.

But you could probably pre purchase.

A lot of things, like if you're going to get a Christmas ham, pick it up when it's on sale and chuck it in the fridge and leave it there until you need it for Christmas.

Because those things keep. I mean, probably don't buy the brocolini because that will wild.

But like, can you make your Christmas list or the grocery shopping list for Christmas early and then maybe take it every time you're going shopping so that ideally you'd get everything on sale, like the cranberry jam that doesn't even go in the fridge, you know.

Like you could put that in the cupboard.

Yeah, collecting things you neither gravy nor worries, Like, is there like pav Mex.

Do you buying?

I don't know, Like, are there things you can purchase and put to the side while they're on sale?

Yes? Yes, yes, exactly, especially Boxing day. Oh my god's good.

I have another one though, that one was from me. Oh yeah, please a free tip. You go charge the next one, thank you. Anna has a free one, she says, I like to do opinion surveys and focus groups throughout the year to get vouchers which then pay for all of.

The food and presents at Christmas. That's good idea. And then Linda, she said.

She uses the Snooper app for extra cash. I've never heard of it either. She does an odd task while she's out shopping. This is her spending money for her niece and nephew. And also, don't forget to use shop back money.

Yes, oh my god, I love shopping.

Literally, now is the time to check your accounts and cash out any of the cash so that you can use it for Christmas.

Yeah, so true. I always forget it there, but I have like eighty bucks in there that's going to take the pressure off. Oh my god, I love it. Okay, So next time we have Sarah, Sarah is spreading the cost and says, grab bits and pieces for the Christmas table, slash a banquet in the lead up. Lots of things are non perishable or freezer friendly, and it helps spread the cost out. I wish that I'd seen your list of things that you were bringing to the table before

I'm just talking about picking stuff up on sale, but like spreading the cost out throughout, you know, the month lead up to Christmas.

Exactly smart.

And here's some money saving hacks that also save the planet, which of course we love. At Cheese on the Money, Betty says, fabric wrapping used every year since birth for our two grandchildren. They're the only two gifts that we purchase. Isn't that cute? Like you could a spotlight and like pick out some cute Christmas fabric and use that as wrapping every year. Oh my god, that's really cute.

That is really cute. That is really cute.

And here's a really clever one from Emmy. Emmy said, I bought one of those small potted real Christmas trees from Bunnings.

For thirty bucks four years ago, and each Christmas we bring it inside for the month of December and then give it a huge water and keep it in our courtyard for the rest of the year. Oh my god, Emmy, please tell me how you keep those alive, because I do the same killer everything every year. My Christmas tree dies.

I know, but Emmy's done it five Christmas is now.

Oh my god, that is really clever. I like that a lot. I just kill a lot of things. So I don't know if that's the best tip for me, totally. I love that for you, Yes, I love that. Okay, So I'm all here for this next one, Nicole says, dare I suggest but the classic regift, as long as it's not half used, why not regift to someone else who it suits. Why what if it is half used, why not still half to go? Yeah, that's so true.

So yeah to me, Matt though, that's thirteen presents for sixty five bucks. That's a pretty serious money win.

So true. I don't hay figure out so quickly. I wrote it down earlier. Oh I see that makes sense. But also I.

Feel like Audi's underrated, like their cho like their biscuits. Do you know what you could do? Buy their biscuits, put it in a nice little basket yeap bam. Also, if anybody needs a good Audi wine recommendation. La Mule Rose Okay, iconic, it's very very good.

La Mule Love Mule. It's got a donkey on it. That makes sense. Okay. The next one, I absolutely love this genius one from Zoe. She says, check your health fun to see what extras you can claim. Oh okay, I'm with AHM, and you can claim Cancer Council UV products under health improvements. Needless to say, the kids will be getting swimming togs this year. That's so. That's so clever.

Sunscreen that's something also Sanda used to buy us.

Oh my god, I've been avoiding buying it for so long because I'm like, oh, I just kind of thought it right now, but I think I will buy it, just try and see if I can claim it. I love that. That's really clever. Thank you so much, though. What else have you got? Okay, you've got another one. X one comes from Brie, who says, also lots of health funds have rewards slash perks programs. I bought a lot of gift cards discounted by my ones year.

I love that and I feel like that's really smart. Last year I actually got a gift card from my niece and nephew. They did a joint gift card. You like, handwritten we all love like a little voucher. But the voucher was that I could babysit them for one day.

Ah. That's very cute. That's a very good deal, isn't It's some work for you. I don't know. I need to probably take that up with my sister in law, but I feel that they think that is a very good gift. That is so so hypothetically, if you want a gift, anybody a voucher for Christmas, just DIY make at home. Yeah. I feel like it served a lot of people. Oh my god, I wish I had that confidence to give someone a gift, just like a handridden note me saying, even me out with me present my present.

I do feel like it was driven by my sister in law, but I'm not mad because I do love my niece and nephew and I still haven't cashed that in properly.

There you go. You could regift that one. Actually, I know it's neighbus I could. So I got this for my niece and nephew. Yes, you can have them for a day. Perfect. It's only God. They'd love that, they would love that. And you know who else is also about the experience. Yes, Susan from our community.

She said, I have my eighty year old mum, adult children and partners with me for Christmas this year, so I'm taking them on a wine tour.

On Boxing day. Boo gee. But also like genius. Yeah, it's all that quality time, isn't it exactly? And then one from Rachel. Rachel said, you can buy these silicon molds from Bunnings.

They're designed for resin, but you can buy a five dollar bag of plaster and make as many gifts as you want for twenty two bucks. You can then give them as paint your own. Yoh, you could paint them yourself and add paint into the plaster and you could get like a cute pink heart or.

Something that's a fantastic idea. You can make personalized ball balls with that.

I su maybe I've been separations this year too, because, as I said, I feel like I've gone boomer.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I love that. It's really clever. So a lot of community members are saving money by baking gifts, propagating their own plants. Fiona is doing acts of service, which is a great one, giving your time instead of money, like my niece and nephew did. They have really hooked me up bick totally. They've given you your own time back to spend with them exactly. And as a mom, this one is probably the best gift that you can get. Belle says, I look after my nephew so my bro

Reverse engineering so I can see my baby Harvey giving basically everyone in the family. You get to babysit me voucher for Christmas this year. And also Hazel says she reminded me that she makes flaky sea salt in cute jars with rosemary from our garden.

I like that. Ye. Do you know what I did last year?

I posted my rosemary salt recipe, which is like rosemary, there's some garlic and stuff in it.

It's so good.

My family already asking me, like, oh, we're getting more rosemary salts.

Thank God. That's a great idea.

It's in the Facebook community, but I'll make sure that I repost it because it was really cheap, Like you don't need to.

Like buy the flaky salt, Like that's not what I'm about. Because flaky salt, Beck, it's expensive. It's expensive. You just need literal salt because you end up putting it in a food process or anything. Rude and also sorry, it's beautiful flaky salt, but it hurts your fingers when you got to crush it up my hands.

Oh no, you put it in the food processor. Do you break up your flaky salt when you eat it?

Is that what everyone does? I don't think so. I love the chunks of so oh. I see, that's probably why they're flaky, because that's how people eat it anyway.

God.

Now. The next one comes from Rebecca great name. Rebecca says she makes cookie jars with dry ingredients and instructions to bake them. That's oh my gosh.

I've seen that online before where you get like the beautiful Mason jars, fill it with the flour in like layers.

It's like one of those sand jars.

Yeah.

Tag, Oh, she's a smart girl. That's so clever. This next one comes from Memory. She says she's taking up crocheting and everyone is getting bucket hats this year. That's actually really cute.

To another one, she says, beach towels and her go to as they're always on sale somewhere.

That's true genius.

And Danny is making homemade kits like ice cream decorating kids, oh, hamper hambers or sauces and spices.

Yeah, I love that. I love that. And then Peter chimed in and said, I'm actually going to create a Christmas cookbook for all the adults in the family. Great that love. That sounds like a lot of work, but good for you is.

But like maybe you could go get like, you know, your uncle's favorite recipe, your aunt's put it all together and then you have a family cookbook.

Oh my god, that is so so really cute. Yeah, I love it. Ah. And then recipes don't get lost. Yeah much of that with my friends here. That's actually so smart, like a book of all your favorite recipes

Honestly, it's about connection. It's about warmth, it's about those cozys that you were talking about before. It's about being there for one another. So maybe this Christmas is not going to be.

As big or as flashy as previous.

Ones, or as flashy as you kind of hoped. I know that so many of us kind of like go on, but I really want it to.

Be x y Z.

You know what, That's perfectly okay. What is mattering the most is that we are here. We get to be together, and we get to find joy in the small things, and to me, that's what makes this season truly special.

Totally agree. I do want to anowoge. There are some people that probably don't have the people around them for Christmas, and it can be really sad. But just know that we are here, your community, We are hundred we are your friends. But I think it's a perfect place to leave it. If you want to see the fullest of shoes in the money communities Christmas hacks, head over to our Facebook group. We've got some great Christmas hacks to share. I love that. So if you're on your own on Christmas.