One tip to make Christmas easier?

CHOICE has been busy this silly season. From helping consumers with online shopping tips to avoiding Christmas scams, we’re steamrolling through the festivities and crushing anything dodgy that gets in our way.

However, there are still a few weeks left to go and we’d sure like to hear your best tip on how you make Christmas time easier. From surviving the big day to your best shopping tips, share your advice below and we’ll be sure your name goes on the ‘nice’ list.

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:smiley: Do all your shopping after boxing day.

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Firstly, slow down. Christmas is not about how much you spend or about how many gifts you give.

Think about what will make them happy. Presents don’t need to be expensive. There don’t need to be many. Your kids don’t have to have the same things as, or better than all the other kids no matter what they say.

Help your kids to appreciate the presents they receive. Teach them to be present connoisseur. Only allow your kids to open one or at a maximum two presents a day. Spread the joy of gifts over days. Have them play with/use/savour those presents. This way each gift will be valued, and none overlooked.

Most importantly, spend time and play with your kids along with their new toys.

In turn appreciate what you are given. This will make the giver happy.

Invite people who have no-one to be with into your home.

After all, Christmas is not about stuff. It is about people.

So stop rushing around, slow down, and take it easy.

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@Fred that’s smart thinking.

@meltam Great ideas. Welcoming someone into your home, an ideal way to celebrate the day.

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I try & buy what I can when the sales are on during the year. Saves the last minute rush !!

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That’s good thinking :ok_hand:

Yes Robyn, I do the same. You can take your time looking around, maybe then get a sale, and also have more time to put a lot of thought into a gift.

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Here’s another tip: watch out for fake parcel delivery scams. Incidents of tricking people into thinking they are receiving a package are on the rise. The scammers may threaten to charge a ‘holding fee’ or will require you to download a malicious program.

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Brendan thank you for the warning, it really is true that forewarned is forearmed. If anyone else has heard of any Christmas type scams, I think that it would be really helpful to spread the word.

The more knowledge the public have about these scammers, the less likely they will succeed.

Cheers Natalie :slight_smile:

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We always have Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve.
We can light the candles - flame the pudding etc.
Then on Christmas Day we can go to the other partner’s family and/or eat the leftovers for Christmas lunch.

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This is similar to the traditional European way of doing it.

Here are @JemmaCastle’s Christmas refund tips in case you need to make a return.

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Don’t do pressies…what a ‘waste of time’, to say nothing of a ‘waste of money’, hassles, shopping, crowds, parking, traffic!
Make birthday’s special (celebrate their birthday - not someone else) - you can give them more time and buy what they want/need.
Due to the weather we will be having a ham sandwich on the beach, then the evening meal we’ll celebrate in air conditioning, and flop into bed when we’re tired.
(The little g/ kids get a present or money - they can choose a gift or get the money).
Keep it simple and stress free…its meant to be a fun family time.

You might want to consider doing some Christmas shopping earlier than normal this year:

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I won’t be needing to do a lot of Xmas shopping this year.
I’ve got a large supply made up of all the gifts I couldn’t give due to the many and sudden lockdowns in Melbourne. :laughing:

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Hope they are not 2021 calendars.

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