You can still spread the holiday cheer without spending a great deal of money in the process. The holiday season is about giving, but it doesn’t have to be about spending. There are plenty of ways to still show love and spread memories around!
Start Saving Early
You may think it’s a little crazy to start preparing for the holidays several months in advance, but it could end up saving you a great deal of money. Think about the people you’ll need gifts for, and then make a list. This way, as you shop around throughout the year, you can keep an eye out for the items on your list. You might find something on a super sale that you may have ended up paying the full price for otherwise.
Entertaining
When it comes to entertaining guests over the holidays, keep in mind that you’ll likely have to spend some money. But you can spend smart. Shop for holiday specials, and if you’re entertaining many guests, you can consider warehouse shopping for some of the items needed.
You can also consider going potluck style. Many people enjoy potluck dinners because there are usually plenty of varieties of food. Guests will also enjoy chatting about who brought what to the event. It’s a great way to save money and time on preparing many dishes.
Decorating
Decorating is something that you can build on from year to year. Remember to re-use the decorations from last year. If you need new ones, or enjoy adding to your decorations each year, don’t forget about handmade items.
You should get your children involved with the decorations. Have them string up popcorn on a string for a Christmas tree or get them to draw and color ornaments. You can even bake decorations out of dough and enjoy a painting session with the kids.
Gifts
When it comes to gifts, remember that something homemade is often regarded as more valuable than something store bought because of the sentimental value. Plus, the supplies needed for a homemade gift are often a great deal cheaper than other gift ideas.
Make sure you keep an eye on special holiday deals when it comes to gifts. Often times you’ll find a deal throughout the shopping season, and not just on big sale days such as Black Friday. Websites such as Amazon.com will have constant hourly deals going on that may allow you to save additional money on items you were going to purchase anyway.
Remember that no matter what holiday you’re celebrating, you can always go “Secret Santa” style when it comes to gifts. During a Secret Santa get together, each person will draw someone’s name out of a hat. This way, when it comes time to exchange gifts, you only need to buy one gift and you’ll also be receiving a gift from someone else in the group.
Activities With The Kids
Kids love the holidays. No matter how much you actually spend, it’s the activities and the togetherness that they’ll remember fondly when they’re older.
It may be fun to start a family tradition that the whole family can look forward to doing for years to come. This can also be something that doesn’t involve too much money. Maybe it’s baking cookies together, or sharing photos from the past year, or even decorating the tree together.
You can also get the kids excited about the approaching holidays by reading to them at bedtime. Tell holiday-themed stories from books or memory. You can also enjoy a holiday-themed show or movie together during a lazy weekend.