Will this be the Easter you don't overspend?

By Sylvia Juuko

Easter is around the corner but the euphoria that usually surrounds such festivities at this time of the year is not evident.

Ideally, every holiday, particularly scheduled ones such as Easter, should be preceded by planning.

Planning allows us the luxury to balance tradition with spending pressures associated with a holiday season, without incurring any debt.

Even with a tight budget, you can celebrate the day within reason.

Since we know that Easter happens every year, there is no excuse to act like the holiday has caught you by surprise.

To avoid stress that comes with organising such festivities, it is advisable to accommodate the anticipated extra expenses in your spending plan.

This should apply to all occasions that have fixed dates throughout the year. You should have known by now the mode this year’s celebration will take, given your current state of finances. Your finances should dictate whether you will have an elaborate or low-key affair.

With that in mind, you can be able to save money during this Easter season, as long as you do not compromise on the quality.

There are several opportunities for offers and unbelievable deals dished out by the retail outlets and other service providers.

However, it’s advisable to take precaution, especially if you are buying consumables. Make sure you make purchases from outlets that can allow you to return the items in the unfortunate event that they are faulty.

More so, be on the lookout for con artists. These unscrupulous people usually target festive or holiday season to con unsuspecting customers. These con artists work on the assumption that a lot of companies or retail outlets offer packages related to the holiday season. In an attempt to get good offers, you may inadvertently fall prey to their scams and lose your hard earned money.

Traditionally, if you send or exchange gifts, try and be creative this time by either opting to bake some pastries or choosing handmade giftsthat reflect thoughtfulness on your part.

If you are having challenges with your finances, manage your household’s expectations by alerting them early on that you are going to keep the celebrations low-key.

However, if you have some money to spare, gift vouchers from established retail outlets are a useful option if you can’t decide what gift to pick.

Pooling resources with friends and family to celebrate Easter is another initiative that has worked for anyone who wants to minimise costs.

You can either buy in bulk/ wholesale and divide the items or share the costs for the meals with the people you plan to celebrate with.

This comes in handy because you spend only on your menu item, but manage to create a feast when you converge as a family.

On the other hand, if you planned and budgeted for this holiday, you have room to consider the different options to celebrate Easter. You can choose to travel either inland or abroad.

This is on the assumption that you planned for the costs to the desired destination and made prior bookings to benefit from discounts.

Traveling to your desired destination is a much needed boost for a hectic start to the year.

Ultimately, it’s important not to ignore the essence of Easter holiday, which is to celebrate the resurrection of Christ. If you are able to congregate as a family in the village home or in the urban areas, this holiday provides an opportunity to celebrate, reflect and galvanise the importance of family.

The writer works with Bank of Uganda