Well now, I guess it’s confession time.
I’ve been putting this off because…how do I put this? I didn’t want to tell you.
But you deserve to know.
And I think you will still love me in spite of my failures. I hope?
If you were a reader of Cha-Ching on a Shoestring before Christmas, you know that I wrote a series entitled, “How I Plan to Spend Less Than $50 on Christmas.” Pretty bold statement, I know. But the 5-part series laid out in detail the steps I planned to take to cover all but $50 of my Christmas spending with ‘free money’.
Well, I’ve been crunching numbers, looking at my records, and long story short is…I didn’t make it. Even after Swag Bucks, MyPoints, Pampers rewards, and rebates, I came in at approximately $50 $75 (oops–forgot a present!) over my goal.
And that’s not even counting what Wes spent. I didn’t take into consideration when I made aforementioned bold statement that my husband would need to spend some of our money as well.
Here’s where things started to get messy:
1) Just as I started to redeem my Swag Bucks for those pretty little $5 Amazon gift cards, a new policy was put into place for redeeming prizes. You are now only allowed to redeem 5 like prizes per month. That put a damper on my plan to do a majority of my shopping using Swag Bucks. Now I know I need to redeem them as I go rather than wait until the last minute.
2) I made that statement without really sitting down and looking at my Christmas list. Counting immediate and extended family, we buy presents for about 20 people and stocking stuffers for 12. And that’s even after simplifying through the years!
Here’s what went well:
1) I aimed HIGH. I didn’t reach my goal, but $125 on gifts for 20 people and stocking stuffers for 12 isn’t so shabby, is it?
2) I set up the Cha-Ching! Christmas Club in order to plan better for next year. I didn’t get that crazy $50 idea until the fall last year. With a plan in place, I’m ready to try again for next year!
I also wanted to take this time to clarify something. I am not intending to make anyone feel like they should only spend $50 on Christmas. It was a lofty goal and I’m glad I attempted it. But it didn’t even work for me!
More than anything, I’d simply like to be a resource for you to find new and creative ways to stretch your budget and bring in ‘free money’.
I am excited about this upcoming year. I have some fun ideas up my sleeve that I will be sharing soon about even more crazy lofty goals that we can set together. {Picture me rubbing my hands together with delight…} I can’t wait!
Now–do you still love me even though I didn’t spend $50 on Christmas? {I’m holding my breath!}
Wow, that’s still sooo impressive!! You rock! I’m new to your blog, so is there a post in which you detail what you gave, to provide us with ideas to keep our gift expenses so low? Thank you!!
I do, Teri! This post is actually from the following Christmas where I was successful at keeping expenses under $50. I share all the details at the bottom. Hope that helps!
My Goal is to get where you are!! I have about the same amount of people we buy for on our list and I spent over $1,000- and that is down from last year. I worked lots of deals and felt really good about it- but next year- watch out! I’m really gonna be like YOU!! Thanks for all the tips and good deals! Kyla from Alabama
Wow–you all know how to make a girl feel better! Thanks so much for your encouraging words. I feel loved!!!!
As frugal moms, we try so hard to make the most of every penny our husbands earn. Yet, at times, our ‘lofty’ aka known as ‘crazy’ goals, back us into a financial corner where we can’t really perform. The rest of the world stands amazed at what we are able to pull off on a daily basis, yet we judge ourselves so harshly and struggle to admit ‘defeat’ of our self-imposed limitations.
No charge for the therapy.
Hey! Pat yourself on the back, girlfriend! You do a great job 24/7, 365!! I love your site!
Kelly
Crazy? Lofty goal? I think $50.00 is/was maybe a setup for failure???? I am not critisizing, just knowing that I only had 5 not including myself or my husband, and could not keep it under $300.00 (needless to say we did not exchange gifts, only favors: I have been out of work since February). I will be signing up for Swag Bucks ASAP. I will also us My points that I am already signed up with. Good luck next year. I hope that you hit your goal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
With Christmas it is the season of giving and thinking of other and it is hard not to go over any budget that it set. I am always bad about picking up stuff at the last minute because it is on sale or because I have thought the person would like it and it would help make the day more special for them.
What challenge is there is we don’t set lofty goals? If you want to achieve big, you have to dream big and go for it.I admire that you set a goal, you aimed for it and even if you didn’t achieve it it, you still learned from it and saved a lot of money and/or got present that you might not otherwise have been able to. Keep up the good work!
And all my fears that your $50 goal wouldn’t be enough to buy a nice present for me were in vain. Among other things, you can’t put a price tag on the calendar filled with pictures of my children and grandchildren, and the steaks (that arrived in the mail!) were DELICIOUS! Dad and I savored every succulent bite. You “done good”, Kaley!
How could we not love you for all of the hard work you do and the inspiration you give by having this website! Most people spend $125.00 on ONE present, let alone 20! I just started using these “money saving” websites and I am really into using coupons, getting rebates, rewards, etc.! I still have a lot to learn, but I have saved a LOT of money in last few months. I managed to get a Dirty Dancing (love you Patrick Swayze) blu-ray special edition DVD for under $7.00 including shipping, a Polar Express gift set w/hard back book, cassette, CD and a bell for the same amount and am saving on the average $50.00 every time I go grocery shopping. It has been AWESOME. Thank you for all you do and know that you are appreciated and loved! Happy New Year!
You did great for 20 people. I only have 3 and didn’t do that good. Keep up the good work.
I love your lofty ideas! I decided that I’d save all of our rebate checks from 2009 to spend for our Christmas gifts this Christmas (2009). I hunted for and mailed LOTS of rebates (mostly or items that I would have purchased anyway- or that I purchased with ECB’s or RR’s) and I have $600 to work with! It was awesome, and my new system for Christmas savings!
I really don’t think that you should feel bad for doing Christmas at $125!! That’s pretty awesome! But I do appreciate you being honest with your readers anyway.
I really enjoyed your Christmas for $50 series and am currently putting some of your suggestions into action for next year.
I think $125 is pretty awesome! If you hadn’t been shooting for $50, I bet it would have been a lot higher.
Well done.
I second Stephanie’s statement! I love you more because I don’t feel so bad about my spending. You did a GREAT job-with 20 presents and 12 stockign stuffers–that’s less than $4 per item! WOW! I’m going to try to do as well this year, by following your example and starting early. You are the best! I love you more!
I think you still did an excellent job!!!
I love you even more because you didn’t only spend $50 on Christmas! Now I don’t have to feel so guilty…haha 🙂
You are really nice to tell us the story of your Christmas Budget. There are a lot of people breathing a sigh of relief just knowing that their own budgeted Christmas failures weren’t the only ones to go down the tubes! But you only spent $100.00 for 20 people! That averages $5.00 each! Or better put $1.92 a week. That is wonderful! If you raised that figure to $2.00 a week just think what you could give as presents next year …lol!!!!!