Christmas is the most amazing time of the year – I’m sure you can tell I’m quite the enthusiast.
For most of my life I’ve been poor, and so I’ve had to really plan ahead to make Christmas as budget-friendly as possible. This blog post is going to outline some of the ways I take action to make Christmas as special as possible every single year.
1: Saving all the time
All year round I’m putting money aside specifically for Christmas! Originally I had a savings pot with my bank where it would round up transactions and move the extra to my savings (a $0.75 purchase would cost $1, with $0.25 moving to my savings). You’d be surprised how quick this adds up! Before you realize it, the odd cents have grown into full dollars!
I also plan my Christmas budget (gifts, new decor, food as three separate budgets, but all totaled together) VERY early in the year. By the end of June I know exactly how much Christmas will cost, and I can prioritize saving accordingly the rest of the year.
This year, this method turned what would’ve been about $1500 of expense (if I did all my shopping at once) into a much more manageable $60 a week saved. I know this is still a lot to some, but you don’t need to spend $1500 to have a good Christmas! Down the line this blog will contain lots of budget friendly recipes, gifting ideas, etc. that can help you stretch things further. Even putting $10 a week aside will alleviate so much yuletide financial stress.
2: Shop little and often
I am shopping for Christmas from around September every year. Every time I go to the store for my weekly food shop, I pick up one thing towards Christmas. Sometimes its cooking foil, other times aluminum foil. The closer we get to Christmas, when snacks and such begin to appear, I buy them and just load up a cupboard in my kitchen with a ton of festive foods.
The same principal can be applied to shopping for gifts. As I’m out and about, if I see something that would make a good gift (and it’s in budget), I’ll buy it. Before you realize it, you’ve done most of your Christmas shopping, and avoided all the last minute rushes and panic!
3: Thrift stores are your decorating best friend!
Thrift stores often stock some Christmas bits all year round, so it’s easy to accumulate themed decor. It’s often cheaper than buying it retail, so you can really save cash here!
The best time to buy is well out of the festive season, as fewer folk will be competing for the same handful of cute decor. Just be sure to test anything that requires power before bringing it home (lights, animatronic Santa, etc.).
4: Traditions save money!
Traditions can be an easy way to save cash too – not everything in the festive season needs to be an expense. Sometimes just spending quality time together, putting on an old favorite movie and making the habit of doing it annually can become some of your most treasured aspects of the holiday season.
For me, one of those traditions is tracking Santa using NORADTracksSanta. Every year since 2002, I’ve tracked Santas journey on Xmas Eve. It’s completely free, and brings an incredible sense of magic for the younger generation. I feel a genuine sadness annually when Santa completes his route and returns to the North Pole. I’ve never had to pay a single cent for this, as it’s just a website – it runs on my phone, or my computer, anywhere really where you can access the internet!
Find what makes the holiday season so special to you and your loved ones, and lean into it. You’ll be glad you made those memories.
There’s so many more ways you can make Christmas more affordable. I hope this is a good starting point, and a consideration for years to come. I’ll continue expanding this article with additional ways to save money, such as budget friendly recipe links, additional cost-cutting ideas, and anything else that comes to mind. Be sure to bookmark and visit often!
Thanks for stopping by.
Merry Christmas
–MJB