Hi Friends,
The holidays are an expensive time of year. No denying that! However, I find so much joy in the décor and gift-giving and merriment that the season brings, that for years I’ve justified the excessive spending without worry. Soon enough we’ll get a our tax returns and we can always make more money in the coming year, right?
I wish finances were something I didn’t have to worry about this holiday season, but the truth is, I’m writing this post to really remind myself that there is so much fun to be had with minimal spending.
This year has been one of our hardest years financially, maybe you can relate. Car maintenance, home repairs, friend weddings, change in jobs, daycare—so many factors have made it a difficult year to stay ahead. Savings were non-existent and debt has piled up, so we’re at the point where it’s simply irresponsible to spend money we do not have. It’s a season of life—I have so much to be thankful and grateful for and we will have a happy holiday season! I am determined.
So, here are a few (25 actually) things I’ve brainstormed to celebrate the holidays this year without breaking the bank.
1.) Christmas Movie Night—whether it’s watching a classic like “A Christmas Story” or watching a new Hallmark movie with predictable story line–spending time with family and watching a movie at home sounds like quality time to me. Add in some popcorn and festive treats, cozy blankets and hot chocolate and it’s a pinterest worthy moment.
2.) I’ve lived in several different towns/cities and something they all seem to have at the beginning of December is a Tree Lighting ceremony. It’s free and festive! Count me in.
3.) Oddly enough, our home does not have any outdoor outlets making it difficult to hang outdoor lights (I’ve tried battery operated, but we just put lights in our window from the inside these days). However, I LOVE light displays. There is always that neighborhood where the neighbors try to out-do each other and those make for fun drive-bys. Put on some holiday music and critique everyone’s décor. Done!
4.) Bake cookies! Enough said 🙂
5.) Create your own ornaments. This could be a fun but messy tradition. If you go to The Dollar Tree, you can find ornament/paint combinations fpr $1. You can also make it a fun competition to make a certain type of ornament on a set budget. Creativity and competition always puts me in the holiday spirit lol
6.) Random Acts of Kindness– this is the essence of the Christmas spirit to me. Being kind and spreading cheer where it’s least expected. I’m putting together a list of random acts of kindness that I hope to achieve in December and I’ll plan to share how that goes 🙂
7.) Declutter and Donate. OK so maybe the declutter part is not as fun/festive—but it feels good! You and your kids can go through the items that no longer need to stay in your home and can donate them to someone who could use the items in their home. Clear out space for any potential new gifts coming your way.
8.) Christmas Music Dance Party—some of my favorite memories as a kid are dancing in the basement with my mom. It wasn’t Christmas music, but why not stop, drop and dance to some Christmas Classics with your family. Mariah Carey anyone? “All I want for Christmas is…” for you to dance! Free and fun!
9.) Decorate the house! Decorating for Christmas instantly puts me in a better mood. I start in early November (don’t judge!) and even if you cannot buy new décor each year, surely you have somethings in storage…or I bet your family members have items in storage that they can share to help you decorate. The Dollar Tree is always stocked up, and you can make your own decorations too. I have a few DIY creations that I’ll be sharing soon.
10.) Elf on the Shelf. Ok this is controversial. I did not grow up with Elf on the Shelf and I’m not sure when or why this trend began….BUT, once you have an Elf, I can see how it elevates the magic of the season for little ones. If you don’t currently have an Elf, they seem to be $40 online, but what I’d do for this year is buy a $1 plush elf from The Dollar Tree and use that for the same concept. Move it to a new location each day without the stress of coming up with new activities for the elf to be doing. Just a thought!
11.) Christmas themed meals. Going out to eat is not in our budget currently, but I can already think of multiple dinner staples that can be converted to Christmas theme. Make your own pizzas for example–make it look like a candy cane or Christmas tree. I’ll test it out and report back! I have some great breakfast and snack ideas too.
12.) DIY Christmas Card Photos! I really want to take family Christmas photos. I’ve been searching online and most options are over $150+ for a 20 minute photo session. Then purchase the prints. I can’t pay that this year, but hey, I have a smart phone and there are great apps to enhance our photos! If you have a phone, you can take your own Christmas card photos like a professional. Subscribe and I’ll be emailing you our Christmas card!
13.) Advent Calendar! Whether you use an Advent Calendar with chocolate, a book advent calendar or a paperchain countdown—there are so many ways to celebrate getting closer and closer to Christmas morning.
14.) Advent Church services, Lessons and Carols, Chorale performances of the Messiah–I’m sure your local church can help put you in the spirit!
15.) Make a Gingerbread house or two or three
16.) Visit with Santa—at our mall they don’t allow you to take photos with your own camera (they want you to pay for the expensive photo package), but you can sit with Santa for free. My daughter is currently terrified of Santa, but like waving to him from afar.
17.) Homemade Christmas Cards–it’s fun to be creative and make a sentimental keepsake from the heart.
18.) Christmas Caroling—whether you keep the caroling inside your home or dare to venture elsewhere, it can be fun to just be goofy and sing those holiday classics with the ones you love most.
19.) Christmas crafts—so many fun DIY crafts–I personally love the ones where I can record the size of my daughter’s hand or foot (here’s a salt dough ornament video I made a couple years ago)
20.) Secret Santa/ Yankee Swap–I love these games, especially if you have a large family. By electing to do a secret santa or yankee swap, you can eliminate the need to buy a ton of gifts for everyone if you all agree to play these games instead. I love that they are interactive and keep a holiday party moving and fun.
21.) Homemade gifts—long gone are the days where a macaroni necklace was the extent of a homemade gift. There are so many ideas on pinterest and you can be inspired to make something that people will use/love.
22.) Christmas themed games—I LOVE games and I love finding ways to interact with family during the holidays. Be sure to subscribe because I’m going to share some of my family Christmas games in a future post.
23.) Make a birthday cake for Jesus—-He is the reason for the season afterall
24.) Read Christmas stories
25.) Christmas Beverages—-well deserved Christmas beverages 🙂
What are some of your favorite traditions?
