5 ‘Tipid’ Tips for Noche Buena Shopping Amidst High Inflation, Price Increases

To avoid overspending this season, you should set a certain amount you are willing to spend for all your Noche Buena or even Media Noche food. For a tipid tip for Noche Buena, note of how many guests you’ll have and how many people will share the expenses with you.

With your budget, plan your Christmas Eve food menu that works best considering the number of people eating and how many dishes will be served.

Based on your budget and menu, create a list of everything you need to buy and their prices. You may also take note of all the things you received or might receive from your Christmas party, packages from the local government, etc., to avoid repurchasing them.

Most importantly, use DTI’s E-Presyo system (https://epresyo.dti.gov.ph/) to check the suggested retail price of the items you need to buy and stick to your budget.

Aside from the products listed in the DTI’s price guide, you might want to check out repackaged Noche Buena items at your local public vendors for their lower prices. Opt to buy locally-produced Christmas hams at your local public market rather than those branded ones at the supermarkets or groceries. Instead of using ground pork or beef in your spaghetti, you may replace it with hotdogs or other processed meat.

Christmas sales, promos, and bazaars have been everywhere since ber months started. You might score great deals on items from your Noche Buena and grocery items to your Christmas gifts. These sales, promos, and bazaars allow you to buy things and present in bulk for low prices compared to when bought as single items—letting you get the most out of your budget. Buying Christmas Eve food items in bundles is also time-efficient; you can get your groceries in one basket or box without spending more time roaming around the store.

Prices of Noche Buena items, necessities, and prime commodities tend to go higher as Christmas approaches. It’s better to buy the things you need as soon as possible while the prices haven't increased much. You can also save yourself from crowded areas, long lines, and heavy traffic at your local public market, supermarkets, or grocery stores.

One of the spirits of Christmas is gift-giving, and if you’re fond of giving away extravagant gifts for your loved ones, you might want to reconsider. With the current economic situation, cutting your budget for gift shopping is one of the best ways to save money this season. Be more practical in choosing less expensive gifts that are useful for the receiver of the present.

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