Cutting Back on Your Christmas Expenses
September 27, 2009 by Karen Weideman
Filed under Christmas, Holiday Thrift, Seasonal Savings, holidays, money saving idea, saving money
Christmas is only three months away. You may be thinking, ‘Please don’t say it! Don’t bring up that topic. I’m not ready yet!’. We can’t shoo away the fact that Christmas will be here before we know it, but we can prepare. For many, money is tight this year and alternative plans need to be made. Here are some ways to cut back on your spending this year.
1) If you have young children, consider purchasing used toys and clothes for them or having a toy and clothing swap with friends. Young children don’t know if the item is new or used. They’re just excited to see a different toy.
2) Cut out some names on your list. This may sound horrible to some, but you don’t need to buy for every aunt, uncle, and cousin. I started practicing this tip a few years ago. Even though I was thrifty with my shopping, things were getting out of hand and the list needed to be shortened.
3) Host a party. Have a party for your friends and decide on something inexpensive to exchange such baked goods, ornaments, or a gag gift. Have everyone bring one item and then play a game to exchange. If you’re having a baked goods exchange, then provide bags or boxes for take home food.
4) Give homemade gifts. You’ve heard this tip for years and perhaps you think it can’t be done. Actually, there are so many nice handmade gift ideas out there now. From soap, candles, purses, cookies in a jar, hot cocoa mix, and more . . . you can find something to make.
Stay tuned to Thrifty Mommy. During the upcoming months, we hope to share some inexpensive gift ideas.
What ways do you plan to cut back on your Christmas spending?
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Do you have any tips for how to tactfully remove people from your list? We have a few aunts and uncles that I’d like to stop buying presents for, not because I don’t love them, but because I think us continuing to exchange presents is really unnecessary at this point. But I don’t know how to stop because they always get us something, too!
Hmmmm, that’s sounds like a good article for today!
These are great ideas! I will definitely try them this year with the kids. Thank you for sharing.
We drew for names in our extended family: each of the children drew the name of one cousin, and each of the adults did the same. This way we each just buy one gift rather than feeling the need to buy for everyone. We capped the children’s gift exchange at $5, and $10 for the adults.
I love the idea of a swap instead. Maybe we can work something like this with our church family!