It’s supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year, but it’s also the most expensive time of the year–which isn’t so wonderful. But with a little bit of forethought, you’ll be able to keep Christmas affordable.
Presents
Do you have a million aunts, uncles, cousins, and grand kids in your family? If you’re struggling to pay for gifts for everyone, odds are everyone else is too. Perhaps you could suggest that the adults only buy for children or that everyone participate in a Secret Santa. If you don that, perhaps set a dollar amount range (like $10-15, for example). This way, everyone gets a gift but no one has spent hundreds of dollars on everyone.
Food
It’s easy to go over the top with food on the holidays! Think about where you can cut a few corners. Is it more cost effective to make cookies from scratch? Or should you just buy the mix? If you’re hosting a dinner, think about simplifying your side dishes or purchasing your main dish frozen and giving it time to thaw so it’s more cost effective.
Clothing
Not everyone thinks about this, but if you’re attending multiple parties, you may need to purchase an outfit or two. See if you can borrow something or check out the Good Will instead of purchasing something new. That or you could alter something you already have! If you own an oversized sweater, you can glue on 99 cent foam balls and create a cute reindeer or santa decoration on it. Voila! Perfect tacky sweater!
Decorations
When Christmas decor goes up in the stores, it’s very tempting to buy all of the cute things you see. Instead of buying new things, think about up-cycling items around the house or being content with what you have. If you need to buy something, wait until December 26th or 27th when it’s 30-70% off in most stores. You may also be able to find quality decor on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace.
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