How to Celebrate Christmas on a Budget
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In hard times, it’s difficult not to compare yourself and your situation to others. It can be especially hard during the holidays when you may feel the expectation to give more than you might actually have. Being a part of the middle class for the majority of my life, the holidays weren’t always lavish, but luckily we could always afford gifts under the tree and food on the table. Now that I’m an adult, I know that it wasn’t always the presents that made Christmas feel magical. It was the spirit of Christmas and the overall global shift in attitude that the season brings. Over the years, I’ve learned that Christmas doesn’t have to cost a family an arm and a leg for it to be meaningful. Whether you are going through a momentary financial rough patch, or even if you just want to start tightening your belt in order to save for something big in the future, here are some simple ideas to celebrate Christmas on a budget!
DIY GIfts
We all know receiving gifts is fun, but sometimes giving gifts is my favorite part! Unfortunately, not having enough money can really hinder your desire to give out gifts that you might otherwise want to buy. If you have little to no gift giving budget, don’t discount the value of a good DIY gift! I’ve received a few in the past and they really feel special. Knowing that someone put in time and effort to give you something that they thought you would like is incredibly touching. I’ve received an assortment of handmade gifts in my life, such as little hand crocheted dish scrubbies, knitted baby cardigans and blankets for my kids, and knitted headbands. All of them were so very appreciated. DIY is also not limited to handmade clothes or jewelry, it includes homemade food as well! One of my fondest Christmas memories as a child was watching my mom bake and assemble gift bags filled with homemade Filipino holiday treats for our closest friends. I always knew that I wanted to do that someday!
Homemade Cards
I love receiving Christmas cards, whether they are from friends that I still feel close to now or old friends from college that I haven’t talked to in a while. It seems like everyone takes that opportunity to reach out and update us on life events and how their family is doing. I appreciate being a recipient of Christmas cards because in a way they feel like a hug from a friend that you may have not had a lot of time to catch up with throughout the year. If you are finding it hard to find the funds for prints and postage, you can still partake in this wonderful seasonal exchange by making homemade cards and sending them digitally via email or text. We’ve done this for a couple years and believe me, you’ll be saving both time and money!
Attend Community Activities
Depending on where you live, sometimes the communities that you live in hold free events during the holidays. With a quick google search of your local parks and recreation department, you’ll be filling your schedule with holiday events in no time! In the past couple years, we’ve attended a holiday tree lighting where there were choirs singing while waiting for our city’s Christmas lights to turn on. We’ve also browsed our local holiday farmers market, which can give you an opportunity to buy gifts through local small business owners or just walk around and enjoy the holiday ambiance. Another perk of attending local events is it might lead to feeling more connected to the community you live in!
Secret Santa
Sometimes families grow to the point that you can still afford gifts, just not for everyone in your extended family anymore. With a growing gift recipient list, it might be a good time to talk with your family about how they feel about doing a Secret Santa gift exchange instead. That way everyone gets a special gift from a family member and no one feels stretched too thin financially. This not only decreases the financial burden of the holidays, but also decreases the overall stress of this time of year since you will have effectively shrunk your to do list.
Brew Coffee at Home
Those fancy seasonal holiday coffee drinks may be a vice that is too hard to resist. But, if you can fight the urge to buy a holiday drink when you’re out and about, your wallet will thank you! I already own a Nespresso CitiZ machine, and I can vouch that I do not miss buying already made coffee. The best part is Nespresso almost always comes out with limited edition holiday flavors that never disappoint. If you don’t already have an espresso machine, you can still enjoy plain brewed coffee with a French press or drip coffee maker, and dress it up with some whipped cream, festive sprinkles or seasonal McCormick finishing sugars.
And this brings us to the end of my best Christmas on a budget tips! Hopefully these suggestions help you get in the Christmas spirit while still being able to spend within your means. Of course you can do even more to decrease spending during the holidays, such as more obvious suggestions like reusing last year's Christmas decor or skipping holiday travel to celebrate locally, but I’m sure you’ve already thought of those things! Either way, I don’t think the amount of money you’re able to spend should hold you back from having a wonderful holiday season full of joy, love, and connection!
Related Christmas Blogs:
The Best Preschool-Aged Christmas Gift Guide
Simple Ways to Make Christmas Magical for Young Kids
