The FamilyCare Christmas appeal Gift Trees are an opportunity for you to have easy access, to donate and support the community for Christmas, through FamilyCare. Please visit one of the local businesses listed below who are hosting our trees and collect a tag, with the age of a child, and use it to help purchase a gift and then return to place it under the tree. The presents do not need to be wrapped and don’t necessarily have to be matched to a tag. Gift vouchers are also very welcome (especially for teenagers). Gifts will be collected for distribution to families on 19 December.
FamilyCare offers Family Services, Carer and Disability Support Services to families and young people in the Goulburn Region and is now also the regional lead for the Goulburn Flood Recovery Case Management Service covering City of Greater Shepparton, Moira, Murrindindi, Mitchell and Strathbogie local government areas. All gifts donated will be sorted and then delivered to the families FamilyCare are currently supporting, to help provide them with a brighter Christmas.
If you require support because you are flood affected please call the Flood Recovery Hotline – 1800 560 760
Christmas is the biggest spending time of the year and there’s often pressure to spend more than we can afford. Start preparing now to take a little bit of the pressure off.
BUDGETING
- Start now by putting aside a little bit of money each week. Make a savings account that is set aside just for Christmas.
- If you start putting away $25 per week in September, October and November, you will have $325 saved by December 1st. Your Christmas gifts are paid for! What a relief!
- Download a Budget template here
GIFTS
- Set a realistic dollar amount for gifts for each child and family member. There will always be other families who spend more or less than yours – and that is ok
- Buy practical gifts – for example, if your children need clothes, bedding or school bags, then they might love some of these as Christmas presents – especially if they are in the theme of their favourite superhero.
- Buy gifts that will keep the kids active and entertained through the summer holidays – such as board games, craft activities, books, and sports equipment. This way you don’t need to spend money on Christmas presents PLUS more money on school holiday activities.
FOOD
- Start purchasing a few non-perishable food items each week and storing them away for Christmas – this way you are spreading the Christmas food costs out over a number of months. You can do this with soft drinks too. Make sure the kids don’t find your stash and raid it!
AVOID AFTERPAY
- Be careful with Buy Now Pay Later – whilst it might help you out in a pinch today, it will also create a bigger pinch in the following weeks!
- AVOID IT IF YOU CAN!
BACK TO SCHOOL
- Don’t forget that Christmas and “Back to school” is a financial double whammy! The better you prepare for Christmas, the easier it is to survive the new school year.
Ask for help!
- Sometimes the numbers just don’t add up and Christmas feels overwhelming. If you want to make a plan but don’t know where to start or just can’t see how to make it work, ask your case worker for help as early as possible.
