Ideally, Christmas should be a time of joy, peace, and good family times. For many, however, financial worries overshadow the holiday, causing unneeded stress. My family and I know this stress first-hand.
Because my husband and I are both going through treatment for cancer (yes, unfortunately…both of us), neither of us are currently able to work outside the home. A side note here is that it’s been a wonderful opportunity to focus once again on my home business, but that’s a topic for another post.
So how do you take a time of year that’s stressful because of tight (or almost non-existent) finances and make it one of joy?
One big answer lies in having a frugal Christmas. Don’t believe the lies that the holidays have to be a time of extravagance. It is entirely possible to save money on your holiday meals and gifts. Following are some ways to save big money…and maybe have enough left over to buy treats for Santa’s reindeer.
1. Save moolah on your vittles. The grocery stores in your area probably send out weekly fliers (if you don’t get them in your mailbox, look in the Sunday paper). Don’t just recycle these — actually read them. I’ve saved a lot of money by utilizing these sales fliers. See which store has the best deals, and shop there. (I usually have two or three stores that I’ll bounce between — thankfully, they’re all pretty close together.) Clip coupons, too, and do so for at least three or four weeks before you plan to shop for the holiday meal. That way, you’ll have a good stash of coupons to choose from and a better chance of finding the ones you need. The week of your shopping trip, match up as many coupons as you can with the stores’ sales fliers. You could save twice on some items!
Some stores have their own coupons. My local Fred Meyer will give me a discount on something they have a coupon for even if I don’t have that particular coupon with me. All I have to do is ask.
Also, stock up on non-perishables as they go on sale in the weeks before Christmas. It’s another great way to save money, but you’ll also save yourself from the stress of “the big holiday shopping trip.”
Finally, go through your cupboards or pantry. Be creative and use what you have. Didn’t use all the cranberry sauce or pumpkin at Thanksgiving? Cranberry sauce looks just as much at home on a Christmas dinner table, and that can of pumpkin can be turned into bread, muffins, or cookies. Or pie.
2. Share the holiday meal duties. If you’re getting together with extended family, another way to save money on your holiday dinner is to make it a potluck. You can make the main dish and have others bring side dishes, drinks, and desserts. Most people love being able to contribute to the holiday meal. It will make them feel good to show off their best dish, so ask.
3. Put away the plastic! Do you max out the bank account and maybe even the credit cards when you buy Christmas gifts? Take advantage of layaway. Quite a few stores are bringing back this practice. You shop for your items, take them to the store’s layaway counter, and put down a percentage of the total. Over the following weeks you continue making payments until they’re paid off and you can take them home.
4. More creative gift buying. Purchase gifts when they’re on sale throughout the year. (Just don’t forget where you hide them!) An alternative to doing this is to set aside a certain amount of money each payday specifically for Christmas. Put the money in an envelope in a desk drawer, or better yet, in a designated savings account — where it might be a little less tempting to borrow from.
5. Homemade…and handmade…with love (or maybe just out of necessity). If you’re crafty, you can make gifts for some of the people in your life. You can put together cookie mixes in jars, coffee lovers’ baskets filled with mugs and their favorite coffee beans, scented eye pillows, etc. The sky is the limit, really. If you can make it, someone is sure to appreciate it. This is a great idea for gifts for teachers, neighbors, and others who’ve played an important part in your family’s lives throughout the year.
6. It really IS the thought that counts. Finally, if money is super tight this season, give fewer gifts to extended family and friends, or at least gifts that cost less. Do you really need to keep buying $20-30 gifts for nieces and nephews who are 18 or older? If you don’t want to stop buying for them, try giving them gift cards to a favorite store, coffee shop, or for iTunes for $5-15 instead. Look for other ways to cut costs in gift giving. Is there a friend you buy a gift for every year who never reciprocates? Perhaps this year’s gift can just be a card.
Hopefully, you’ve gotten some good ideas and have been inspired to save money this Christmas season. Make it merry!
I love your comments! What are some of your favorite ways to have a merry-yet-frugal holiday season?
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Sally Dinius is writer-in-chief here at CrazyBusyMama.com, a blog created to inspire and motivate busy mamas everywhere to feel healthy, fit, and in control of their lives. Follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/sdinius, and come join the CrazyBusy Mama Facebook page by clicking here.
When she told me that — and I realized I only had days to get a costume — my heart rate immediately began pounding. I remembered the stress of years past, rummaging through the “leftovers” at the party store the day before Halloween, wondering if one of my kids would mind being something like Bugs Bunny instead of Spiderman (no one would be able to see them inside the costume, anyway, I reasoned).
