Giving Doesn’t Need to Stop When the Budget is Tight

Coming in the run up to Christmas, the Autumn Budget may bring an extra layer of anxiety about the future for some and for small business owners, there will be repercussions. Rachel Reeves has confirmed that Minimum Wage for workers over the age of 21 will rise to £12.71 in April 2026, a 50p increase on the current figure. Those aged 18-20 will get 85p per hour extra, going up to £10.85 per hour. The rate for under 18s and apprentices will be going up by 45p to £8 per hour.

By May 1st, employers paying the Real Living Wage will have to increase staff pay to £13.45 per hour for outside London (an 85p rise) and £14.80 per hour for those in London (a 95p rise). *

These changes may mean that employing staff full time, or even at all, might no longer be an affordable option for small business owners. Equally, employees might need to take a part-time role over a full time one in order to stay in a sector that they love. 

While we can’t change the circumstances unravelling around us, we do have a choice in how we respond to them. So, in the midst of a time of uncertainty, when fear and anxiety are often not far from the surface, we’re going take a look at how we can still approach Christmas with excitement.

Firstly, we need to acknowledge the difficulties many of us, especially those who own small businesses, are facing and adjust our budgets and outgoings accordingly. Serious reckoning of this kind is never easy but has to be done within the best of our knowledge at the time in order to establish a secure footing from which to move forward. 

We then have a choice: do we allow crisis to overwhelm us, or do we adjust our thinking and our expectations and decide to make something good come out of a hard season? We will not be the first, or the last, to choose to do the latter. 

A brief look through history gives us some perspective about where we find ourselves in this moment. It is only in recent decades that we have been able to rely upon a certain degree of financial and material security. Right up until the Industrial Revolution whole communities depended upon a good harvest to sustain them for the following year. If this didn’t come, they knew hardship was to follow. 

Although the coal powered industrialisation of the nineteenth century has raised our general standard of living beyond recognition and lifted many out of poverty, there was still much deprivation in our Victorian cities and families learnt how to survive off meagre allowances. Both world wars brought more shortages, and it is arguably only since rationing finally ended in the sixties that our society here in the UK has known an increasing level of material stability. Although this has brought numerous benefits, expectations have risen with it, and we could have a healthy debate as to whether we are in fact a happier society or not.

This brings us to where we are today as we approach Christmas facing some undeniable financial constraints, with others yet to come. We are not the first generation to experience this, so is their anything we can learn from our forebears as to how to not only cope but also flourish in times like this? Christmas may be different, but how can we ensure it still sparkles and shines? And for crafters who have already had the vision, perseverance and stamina to start up a business, is it a question of already being a step ahead? Maybe crafters can offer an alternative solution to the huge expense of a commercialised Christmas…

For christians and non-christians alike, Christmas traditionally has been about gathering together with family and friends, sharing festive food and exchanging affordable gifts. Maybe this year we can recapture some of this heartwarming celebration and come up with some creative, low budget handmade ideas to sell.

Indeed, there’s a good case that when times are darker it is even more important we celebrate and give. What needs to change is the level of gift. However, the good news is that crafters are creative and resourceful and know how to come up with a whole host of handmade ideas to sell. The focus may be on low budget, but the gifts can be just as gorgeous and even more meaningful and help out shoppers on a reduced budget trying to show their loved ones that they care. 

The simplicity of a gift that has been hand made with love will mean a lot more to the recipient. Handmade gifts bring thoughtfulness, individuality, flair and style to any lower budget gift bag. Perhaps it’s time for the handmade market to step in and provide the antidote to an overpriced, commercialised Christmas! 

All of the following handmade staples fit this bill:

• hand made jewellery is always a winner and a perfect gift for someone special.
• beauty products whether they be fun, fizzy bath bombs, luxurious moisturiser, delicious lip balm or zingy bar shampoo are always welcome and with the use of natural raw ingredients win hands down over their mass-produced synthetic counterparts.
• warm woolly hats and scarves, or toasty patterned socks are a soft and sumptuous treat to all who wear them.
• felted bookmarks, coasters or Christmas decorations are small enough to fit most budgets but long lasting enough to bring pleasure for years ahead.
• candles, whether they be beeswax or scented with essential oils are always gratefully received at this time of year and will bring light and a cosy glow in the dark days of January.
• macrame, with its Bohemian vibes will bring a sense of fun into any home, maybe just what is needed.
• small crotchet toys, cushions, purses and key rings are just a few of the numerous gift options from this versatile craft. A crocheted item will have a vintage, homely feel to it, comforting and cheering.

These are just a few of our ideas for handmade gifts to sell. Let your creativity run wild and enjoy coming up with some cheery gifts which will bring a smile to both those who buy them and those who receive them. As we approach Christmas this year, the nation might be on a tight budget but that doesn’t mean that we can’t enjoy Christmas, or that our celebrations and our time with family and friends needs to be dulled. Let’s be real, acknowledging the challenges ahead but determined to celebrate even more all the good things we have in life with a Happy, handmade Christmas!