Written by Tess Ezzy
Every year I tell myself I’m going to “keep it simple” for Christmas. And every year, I somehow end up with a half-broken budget, a pile of random gifts that made sense at the time, and a faint sense of regret wrapped in leftover paper.
This year, I’m trying something different. Not a Pinterest-level “DIY Christmas” that involves power tools or sequins, but a slower, cheaper, kinder kind of season. The kind that still feels special without sending your bank account into a coma.
So here’s what I’ve learned: not from any influencer gift guide, but from being chronically overambitious, mildly broke, and determined to make it all mean something anyway.
Op Shop Like it’s Hot
Thrifting gets a bad rap when it’s framed as a money-saving move, but really, it’s a treasure hunt. You have to go in expecting nothing and open to everything. That’s where the magic lives.
I’ve found the best gifts by accident, last year my friend got a vintage teacup that looked like it belonged in someone’s childhood, a gorgeous small watercolour painting that was signed “Love Mum 1962,” a book with a stranger’s notes in the margins.
Thrifted gifts come with stories built in. They feel like gifts from the world, not just the shops.
Secret Santa, but Make It Sentimental
Secret Santa doesn’t have to mean novelty socks and regret. A few years ago, my friends and I made a rule: gifts had to be either thrifted or handmade. Suddenly, the exchange went from awkward to genuinely joyful.
Someone brought a second-hand puzzle and taped a note that said, “A metaphor for all of us.” Someone else made a Spotify playlist called Festive Feelings and Emotional Damage. I stitched a bookmark that said, “You’re hard to put down.”
It was chaotic, funny, and full of meaning. And it didn’t cost much more than a coffee.
DIY, but Make It Manageable
There’s a thin line between making things and crying in a pile of craft supplies. I’ve crossed it more than once and really and truly thought #DIWHY?
The key is small projects. The kind you can do with a podcast playing and no pressure to make it Instagram-perfect. Felt ornaments. Dried orange garlands. I once made lavender sachets out of an old pillowcase and my auntie cried when I gave them to her. It reminded me that the value isn’t in the craft, it’s in the thought.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday, But Slower
I’m not here to shame anyone who shops the sales. I will absolutely be lurking with a wishlist of art supplies and candles. But I’ve started making myself pause before I click “add to cart.”
Do I actually need this, or am I chasing a feeling? Could I find it second-hand? Could I make something similar? Could I just… not?
It’s amazing how much money (and mental space) you save by waiting 24 hours before buying. Usually, the buying urge fades. If it doesn’t, maybe it’s a really good tell that it is in fact, something you truly need.
The “Good Enough” Tree
Some of my favourite Christmas decorations are the weird, imperfect ones. The felt star I sewed drunk. The garland that has one random bead because I ran out of string. The paper snowflake my kid made that looks like a bat.
A “good enough” tree, much like a “good enough” life, is warmer than a perfect one. You stop worrying about the aesthetic and start noticing the memories instead.
The Real Hack
The real budget hack isn’t financial. It’s emotional.
It’s remembering that the things that make the season good — laughter, food, warmth, light — aren’t things you can buy in a rush. They happen when you slow down. When you make something small with your hands. When you give something because it’s true, not because it was 40% off.
This year, I’m aiming for presence, not presents. The rest can stay in my inbox.
Charlie blog is a SSAF funded initiative.
