Family money · Christmas
Aussie Christmas on a Budget
2026 Edition: how to have a merry summer Christmas for less, from gifts and lunch to holidays, without the January debt hangover
- One Christmas numberA single budget for the whole season, split across gifts, food, decorations and travel
- Gifts and kids, sortedKris Kringle rules, ready-to-use family scripts and the "want, need, wear, read" rule
- A summer lunch for 10A sample menu, seafood buying tips and a bring-a-plate plan that works
- No January hangoverBuy-now-pay-later, Boxing Day sales and starting the new year in the black
What's inside
Ten short chapters in the order you'll need them, from setting the budget in November to the Boxing Day sales. Every chapter ends with a Money saved box so you can tally your savings as you go.
- Your Christmas numberWork out what you can afford and split it, with a worksheet in the text
- Gifts for lessTrimming the list, Kris Kringle, homemade gifts and Black Friday without the impulse buys
- A kids' Christmas they'll loveManaging expectations, the $300-toy question and stockings on a cap
- The summer Christmas lunchBring-a-plate done well, prawns and ham timing, BBQ menus and leftovers
- Decorations and the houseNative flowers, op-shop finds, DIY with the kids and lights without the power bill
- Hosting and familySplitting costs fairly, plus scripts for the awkward conversations
- Holidays and the summer breakRoad trips, camping, booking timing and free school-holiday activities
- Avoiding the January hangoverBuy-now-pay-later, credit cards, Boxing Day discipline and returns
- Your 6-week Christmas countdownA week-by-week checklist from mid-November to Boxing Day
- Next stepsYour free worksheet, companion titles and where to get free money help
Free with the book
Printable Christmas budget worksheet
Two A4 pages to stick on the fridge: your Christmas number, category budgets, a weekly check-in, a gift list with caps and a spending tracker.
Get the free worksheetA generous Christmas, without the debt
Christmas in Australia means prawns, pavlova, backyard cricket and, for a lot of us, a scary credit card bill in January. Most budget-Christmas books are American or British, full of snow, roasts and Thanksgiving. This one is written for an Australian summer.
It's a friendly, practical plan for the parent who organises Christmas and wants it to feel generous without starting the year in debt. No guilt, no going without, just one number, a plan for every category and money-saving ideas that don't feel cheap.
- A worked example and a simple budget worksheet
- Price guides in Australian dollars, shown as ranges
- Ready-to-use scripts for suggesting a Kris Kringle or cutting back
- A 6-week countdown checklist
- Free, confidential help details for anyone feeling the pinch
Written in Aussie spelling for Australian families. General information only, not financial advice.
