This is the first time that Rwandans celebrating Christmas post covid-19 pandemic and the excitement can be felt everywhere. About 80% of Rwandans are Christians, giving an impression that they annually celebrate christmas. Well known customs during the festive season include decorating our homes with Christmas trees, exchanging gifts with friends and family, sharing meals with our loved ones, attending church and traveling to different places. However, Christmas is and can be a budget-cracker when people want to make memorable moments. When not cautious about your expenditure during the Christmas time, you are likely to meet financial hardships as the following year begins. Having a budget on how to spend your income during the festive season can help you fight off financial messes and keep you on track with your bills As an individual, you would want to pay attention to how you spend your income during the holiday season in view of the fact that there is still what to spend on after the holiday is over. Notably, students have been given a short holiday break to relish christmas time with family and relatives but, the break ends on January 9, alerting parents that schools will be resuming soon enough after the holiday season. Therefore, parents should not overspend during Christmas to avoid financial difficulties when taking their children back to school. Precious Ida Kitaka, Headteacher at Precious Stones Foundation told The New Times that parents tend to request for a grace period, regarding the payment of school fees for their children. “We all get hyped up by the festive season and realise it when the festive time is over. It's not just the parents, everyone should mind their spending in the course of the festive season” she adds. Emelyne Iradukunda (not her real name ) had a difficult time keeping her bills on track during Christmas last year, as a result of uncareful spending with her children and says that it came out of the need to make her family happy and have fun throughout the pandemic. Keep it basic, simple and memorable Generally , while going out to restaurants for food and sharing lunch with family and friends can be costly, you can save money and make the meals at your home, invite family and friends to celebrate christmas in a simple, basic and fulfilling way. Make a list of all the meals you would like to have on your dining table ahead of christmas and what it takes to prepare them. Sharing a happy meal with your family and friends is the best. It will help you save the money that would have been spent on lunches and dinners. Ruth Kairere, mother of seven, always makes Christmas time fun and worth enjoying on a budget and keeps it simple, magical and worth remembering for her children and the rest of her family. “With such a vast family, I do not want to go out with my family to have meals and end up paying a lot of money when I can prepare the meals at my home”. She says that she finds it less costly celebrating Christmas at home with her family and the rest of her friends than going out to fancy restaurants to spend that much money because to her, Christmas time is for socializing and enjoying magical moments of being together with the people you love. “I invite my family, relatives and friends and we prepare meals together, play different games and exchange gifts, making it more entertaining for all who are present”, says Ruth. Also , you can come up with your own way of decorating your house based on what is your favorite color to make it look good and christmas-y. Christmas decorations do not have to get you worked up, wondering about the best way to ensure a christmas- giving vibe at your home. Therefore,Christmas time should be less of a materialistic occasion but rather a time to have fun with your loved ones and more to that is that, making a budget for Christmas will enable you to keep track of your bills and reduce unnecessary expenses.
