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Although I adore Christmas with all my heart, I’ve realized it can put quite a strain on my finances if I’m not careful.
Approaching the holiday season, the pressure to keep expenses at a minimum is intense, especially when funds are tight. You have Thanksgiving, Christmas, Black Friday just so many things happening back to back.
This year, there’s noticeably less disposable income to work with, a reality many of us are facing in today’s economy.
To ensure a memorable Christmas without breaking the bank, I’ve been diligently strategizing and preparing. It’s important to me to avoid splurging hundreds of dollars on festivities we simply can’t afford.
Today, I wanted to share some of my top tips for enjoying a frugal yet fulfilling Christmas, enabling you to plan your own budget-friendly celebrations!
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How To Have A Super Affordable Holiday Season
This is what I’ve tried for the last few years, and here are the best ideas I’ve come up with!
1. Set A Budget, And Stick To It Goddammit!
Determine how much you can afford to spend on gifts, decorations, food, and other holiday expenses, and stick to it.
I’m talking about all the holidays you plan on celebrating!
Account for every gift you need to buy, every holiday party you’re throwing even every coffee you plan on buying, because all these little things can pile up!
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2. Make A Gift List
Create a list of everyone you need to buy gifts for and consider homemade or DIY gifts to save money while adding a personal touch.
You can also try shopping second-hand for gifts to save a little extra coins. Once you’ve made your list, have one big shopping trip and buy everything at once to avoid spending too much.
This way you can stick to the budget you have set for yourself when you buy gifts in one big swoop, instead of many “smaller” purchases that end up piling up and exceeding the budget.
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3. Buy Gifts Well In Advance
Now while this may constitute as many “smaller” purchases, this is by far the best way to save money while holiday shopping.
It is no secret that everything becomes all that much more expensive during the holiday season, let’s call it the Santa tax.
Not only is it cheaper because you’re not relying on just one paycheck to buy all your Christmas gifts, but you’re also buying gifts before they start getting marked up.
So if you already know what you want to get someone, then you can buy the gift well in advance, and I mean months in advance, and store it away until the Christmas season.
This way when you’re buying Christmas gifts in December, you have reasonably fewer gifts you need to buy.
Oh- this also goes for buying any Christmas decor and all that jazz!
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4. Compare Prices
When buying these gifts and decorations online, always try to save as much money as possible.
Use price comparison websites or apps to find the best deals and promo codes on gifts, decorations, and other holiday essentials.
When shopping in person, look for discounts, and coupons before making any purchases, and consider shopping at thrift stores for affordable options.
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5. Plan Gift Exchanges For Large Groups
Instead of buying gifts for everyone you work with or all your friends, suggest a Secret Santa or White Elephant gift exchange to reduce the number of gifts you need to purchase.
You can do it traditionally and draw names from a hat and buy the person you draw a nice gift. Buying one gift is still cheaper than buying 4!
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6. Go The DIY Route
I hinted toward this before, but now I really need to emphasize this.
Get creative and make your own holiday decorations using inexpensive materials like paper, fabric, and natural elements like pine cones and branches. Here are 60+ Holiday Decorations You Can Make At Home.
Don’t just stop at holiday decor, why not make some gifts as well, this gives them more of a personal touch and saves you SO MUCH MONEY, and that’s the point right?
They don’t say it’s the thought that counts for nothing.
7. Host Potluck Parties
Instead of shouldering the entire cost of hosting holiday gatherings, ask guests to bring a dish to share, potluck-style.
There is nothing wrong at all with asking everyone to come to your place to bring something for dinner. It’s easier, it’s cheaper, and it’s fun!
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8. Plan Affordable Activities
Look for free or low-cost activities to enjoy with family and friends, such as decorating cookies, watching holiday movies, or going for a walk to see Christmas lights.
The holidays are about going to fancy parties, and Disney land, while those are fun you can make memories for free at home.
You can try out these 33 family traditions to create everlasting memories with your family.
9. Use Rewards Programs
Take advantage of rewards programs offered by retailers and credit card companies to earn cash back, discounts, or other perks on holiday purchases.
While this isn’t a reward system per se, a local grocery store in my hometown offers stamps you can buy during the year for about $1, my mom has done this for years.
So every time you go to the grocery store you buy a few dollars worth of stamps and by the time the holidays roll around, you can have up to a few hundred dollars going toward meal expenses for the season.
Look for little programs like that to really save you some money.
10. Reuse and Recycle
I doubt anyone just throws out decore, but in case you do, STOP IT!
Instead of buying new decorations every year, reuse decorations from previous years or repurpose items you already own to give them a festive flair.
You also don’t need to be switching up your holiday decore each yar to stay on trend, buy good quality decorations and you can use them for years to come.
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11. DIY Gift Wrapping
Instead of buying expensive gift wrapping paper and accessories, repurpose materials like newspapers, brown paper bags, or fabric scraps for eco-friendly and budget-friendly wrapping options.
Here are adorable ways to gift wrap your gifts this holiday season, and they are all free!
12. Take Advantage of Free Events
Look for free community events, such as tree lighting ceremonies, parades, and concerts, to enjoy holiday festivities without spending money on tickets or admission fees.
A Budget-friendly holiday season can still be a fun holiday season. Spending money does not mean a fun holiday season, it never has and it never will.
Remember that, and enjoy every second of your budget-friendly holiday.
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