Hold on now– before you start calling me Scrooge, let’s get one thing straight. I LOVE Christmas! We celebrate big with all the trimmings and holiday parties and family gatherings and the chestnuts roasting on the open fire and what-not.
So, when I tell you that I am planning on spending less than $50 on Christmas this year, please know that I do NOT plan on being any less generous than years before. I simply plan on being much savvier in my joy-to-the-world-holly-jolly-ness!
We have always set a budget in year’s past and have been pretty faithful about sticking to it. But one thing I have not done well is to plan ahead. I have often found myself doing the whole dreaded last minute shopping thing and the last minute wrapping thing–and let me tell you, that is not the best way to be strategic in saving money. (It also doesn’t help with the holiday spirit either!)
I am working hard this year to think ahead and be prepared, in an effort to:
1) be careful with how we spend our money and
2) give ourselves room to take delight in the meaning of Christmas and the joy of that time of year.
Believe me. It is not typical of me to be thinking about Christmas this early. But then, I’m hoping this won’t be just a ‘typical’ Christmas! (Besides, I promise not to hang any decorations or watch “White Christmas” until after Thanksgiving!)
Over the next few weeks, I plan on sharing my money-saving strategy with you. In doing so, I hope that I can be a resource for you as you prepare for this Christmas season and others to come.
But first, I’d love to hear from you!
I want to know: How do YOU make the most of the Christmas season? What steps do you take to fight off the craziness that so often makes up the month of December? How do you plan on making time this year to enjoy and celebrate the meaning of Christmas?
Leave a comment and let us know. That way, we can all be a resource for each other!
Only $50.00 for Christmas!?!? Are you buying for anyone besides me???
I am so anxious to hear about your idea.. I recently left my position at a logistics company to be a stay at home mom. While we know this was for sure the right thing to do, we are really having to watch what we spend and Christmas this year will be on a budget like never before.
Last year and this year, I have made a pact with myself to spend $5 or less on each family member (except my 2 kids and my grand-daughter). Brothers, in-laws, parents…………I spend $5 or less — and have been lucky enough to be really creative doing this. The day after Christmas last year, I hit the malls and found some really nice bargains — like $45 camo-hoodies for my 2 hunt-crazy brothers — marked down to $4.99. They get a $45 gift that I spent < $5 on. How awesome is that?? If you are creative, you CAN get nice gifts really cheap 😉
To me, Christmas is all about family — and having fun. Searching out these bargains is FUN for me….I love it!!
I can’t wait to see your ideas. I have a tip that may help save a lot of aggravation. I take it one day at a time. I have an ongoing list of 23 people that I buy for every Christmas. Some just small tokens and others (like my 2 granddaughters) I buy large ticket items. I try to buy gifts throughout the year and store them in my hall closet. On the day after Thanksgiving I wrap my first gift, I try to make it as unique and special as the person it is intented for. I wrap a gift a day (or more if I buy them more than 1 gift) So each day until Christmas I devote a little time out of my day to making that particular person happy. One day at a time…it makes everything simple and doing it this way seems to make me think more about the gift, my special person and the packaging that they would enjoy the most. Most of all, I am not stressed.
I am so excited to hear your ideas. I always say every year that I am not going to go crazy but every year I end up going over board and over budget. This year I am bound and determined to be different!
Last season, after Christmas, I got a smokin deal on some cute moose and santa containers at Michael’s for $1 a piece. I am going to make homemade caramel corn and put it in the containers to give away as gifts for friends and family this season. Then for immediate family I vow to shop sales and get things as cheap as possible and NOT go overboard!!
Can’t wait to hear all the ideas! I have gotten word that July 1 I may be laid off so I’m really getting creative for Christmas gifts already. I’m using my points from various sites to order gift cards for family member. Some of my coupon freebies, like lotions, lip balms, etc are going to be gift bag goodies. I may – if time allows – crochet some scarves. Oh yes, free photo books from artscow if I have enough credits. Still… not sure I can beat $50 bucks for the total!
I am so excited to see how you do this! I would love to do the same for my family!
My family and I just love Christmas! In years past we have spent gob loads of money on gifts, but since the recession it’s been a lot harder. As a mother of 5 wonderful children we have a couple of set rules that we usually follow. We keep Christmas day for ourselves. I know the thought may make you cringe…but skipping around to 5 different houses between my DH’s family and mine got way too crazy with all of the kids in tow. It is supposed to be a joyful time, not a stressful one! We schedule time on other days. Christmas eve we invite a friend or two, usually someone with no place else to go, for a roast beef dinner, and we ALWAYS make the trip through Otsiningo park for the lights! (They DO usually have a FREE family night!) As far as gifts are concerned, my children just choose one “large” gift that they really want and then the rest is mostly things that they need, (like clothes and new bedding sets, etc.) and small gifts.
My teenager and I just got finished talkling about this Christmas and that we were going to have to be creative with gift giving. I can’t wait to hear how you do it on $50.00. How many people are on your Christmas list? Are you doing something homemade???