Enjoying Christmas even when you are broke

DECEMBER 25, 2014 BY UGODRE OBI-CHUKWU 

   

 

 

Ugodre Obi-Chukwu

The house was full with people dancing, chatting, eating, drinking and enjoying the day as the sound of Feliz Navidad blazed through the speakers. The smell of fried chicken and spices filled the air as the cook worked tirelessly to cater to everyone’s needs. Kids where outside doing what they know how to do best, having fun! The boys were playing football, girls riding bicycles, roller skates whilst some swam in the family swimming pool. Bayo and his friends discussed everything from stocks, to politics and major deals that were struck that year and what lies ahead for the coming year.

This was one hell of a party and the sort Bayo lives for but just as he watched his son dribble past a few boys and positioned his body to slot the ball through the gaping net, Bayo heard a loud bang that brought him back into reality. He has had these sort of parties so often in the last five years he forgot this time he was dreaming. His last child had come into the room to wake him up for breakfast when she casually slammed the door awakening him from a deep sleep that somehow lasted late into the Chirstmas morning.

He was caught between giving his lovely daughter a warm embrace or going back to sleep as the thought of spending Christmas broke was not one he ever imagined would happen to him. For the first time in years he was spending Christmas broke. His office did not pay him 13th Month salary and he also did not receive a bonus this year, the first time it is happening in 10 years.

Spending Christmas broke shouldn’t be as excruciating as Bayo’s experience. I have been in his shoes a few times and in most cases, my best Christmas coincided with when I was actually broke. Here are a few ideas you can adopt when you are broke this Xmas.

Visit people

A lot of people are in the mood to celebrate and share love with friends and family. If there is any time during the year where people entertain guests without an invitation card then that period is the Yuletide season. If you are broke and don’t have money to cook and share drinks, then the easiest way out is to visit a few of your closest friends. They also need not know that you are broke as the joy and fun of seeing you will be more important to them.

Watch movies

If you are the type who would rather spend the season alone, then one way to get your mind off your financial travails will be to just get the best movies you can watch. It’s perhaps the best time to watch some of your favourite all time classics.

Play music

Being broke doesn’t mean you can’t still have fun. A good way to enjoy a temporal respite from the difficulty of financial trouble is doing something that can get you distracted. Everyone loves to play music, so listening to loud music and dancing should bring back memories of the good times.

Cook at home

We all know being broke is relative, as one person’s broke state could be another’s financial windfall. With this in mind, I am assuming that some people might be broke but still have food to eat. So, why not use this as an opportunity to eat at home with your family. These are perhaps the best times to bond with family and who else to give you all the inspiration you need to bounce back.

Go to a free event

There are loads of activities lined up for the holiday that are free and fun to attend. These activities do not require that you spend money and is also a good alternative during down times. It could be a church activity, estate carnivals, sponsored events etc. While you may still need to spend some cash, it is not mandatory that you do.

Go out with friends

Apart from visiting friends, what you can also do is have friends take you out. This is a season of joy and people will be willing to spread the love so there is a huge possibility that you will find someone who will be glad to take you out without you having to spend a dime. Heck, people even do this when they are not broke so it’s really no big deal in my opinion.

How are you spending your Christmas? Send me an email ugodre@nairametrics.com or tweet at me @ugodre. You can visit my blog www.nairametrics.com for more investing and personal finance tips.

 source:PUNCH.