Join me as I share tips and tricks for how to save money this Christmas.
I don’t know about you, but this year hasn’t gone as planned.
I mean, I knew that I needed to save for this Christmas so I set up a separate category in our Freedom Account for a Christmas fund, intending to save a little bit from each paycheck…
and the fund currently has $50.
So yeah.
I did try to save, but inevitably, we would need to spend the money on a car repair or a house repair or some other expense.
And, if I’m honest with myself, I have to admit that I wasn’t as careful with my spending this year as I could have been. Our grocery budget has been especially out of control (around $800 last month — yikes!).
But I’m determined to enjoy the holidays without debt and without draining our bank account. If you’d like to join me, follow the steps each week as I share how to save money this Christmas, and let’s do this!
This Week’s Money Saving Step: Make a Plan.
Get Your Holiday Planner
Your first step to an organized, budget-friendly holiday season is to join The Peaceful Mom Community HERE to grab your free Happy Holidays Planner.
Grab a binder or folder to keep the planner in, then print the entire planner at once or only the pages we’re using this week.
Make a Spending Plan
Once you have your planner, let’s start off by completing the Holiday Spending Plan — like TODAY.
Look at the money you currently have and make a plan for what you’ll spend this year. Don’t rely on credit cards to fund your holiday spending. It’s just not worth it.
Decide What’s Important
Next, complete the Holiday Snapshot and Holiday Goals pages. Talk with your family and decide what your most important goals are this year.
Our top goals are enjoying relaxed time together and staying within our budget.
Make a Gift List
Next print the Master Gift List and list all of the people you want to give to this year. Don’t forget to plan for expectations at work and school
I’ll be sharing some inexpensive gift ideas soon, so stay tuned!
Take these simple steps this week, and you’ll be off to a great start to create a fabulous Christmas without spending a ton of money.
Next time, I’ll share a few easy ways to make extra money for the holidays.
Christmas Giveaway
Everyone who joins in the Save Money For Christmas Challenge will be entered to win a fun prize pack including the fun gifting supplies pictured above plus a $50 Target Gift Card to help with your Christmas shopping — yay!
To Enter:
Make sure you’ve joined The Peaceful Mom Community HERE to receive all the fun holiday bonuses I’ll be sending out, then leave a comment on THIS post telling me either:
- Your top trick for saving money on Christmas; OR
- Your top goals for this holiday season.
Feel free to share this series with your friends and family so they can save money this Christmas too!
Contest Rules:
Contest ends December 1, 2017 at 9:00 a.m. EST and is open to U.S. residents only.
1 winner will be randomly selected from the comments on THIS post and notified by email. Prize package will be mailed by December 7th.
Here’s to Happier Holidays!
Other Posts in This Series:
3 Quick Ways to Make Money for Christmas Gifts
How to Save Money on Holiday Meals
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I’ve decided to make a list and stick to it by ordering online and staying out of the stores. I also needed new Christmas decor in years past I’ve bought pricey but this year I stuck with Dollar Tree diy decor.
If you have a Dollar Tree check it out, great for organizing and decor.
Yes! I found the cutest little tin ornaments at Dollar Tree last year. Great tip Denise!
My best strategy for saving money at Christmas time is to stay out of the stores. If I make my list and strategically search for the best prices, then I won’t be tempted by all the great deals I see in the stores. Impulse purchases kill me. If I get something extra for one child, then I have to find one more thing for the others and we end up with more and more and more. I’m making my list and trying to stick to it.
So true! Impulse purchases are a sure fire way to kill the budget!
We are having an old fashioned Christmas where everyone gives a gift that’s handmade/homemade & from the heart & if anyone needs to buy a gift for someone it has to be something the other person really needs.
Love it!
I plan to have the decorating done ( and hopefully the shopping finished) by the end of the first weekend in December so that I can have time to savor the season with family and friends.
Great plan Jane!
My go-to strategy for saving money at Christmas (and throughout the year) is to earn Amazon gift cards and use them to buy gifts or send them to my friends and family.
My goal this year is to forgive myself for the mistakes I’ve made with money and move forward using what I’ve learned to make next year even better.
Absolutely Mary! I love using Swagbucks and Ebates to pay for Christmas!
And I’m 100% behind your decision to forgive yourself and move forward! You can do this!
My goal: Balance.
DH finds out if he will be renewed as an employee for 2018 on 12/22. We have a budget (not much) and some traditions. I want to be able to give gifts freely and not worry if that is money that will be needed in January. (We do have a small EF and DH will be able to collect unemployment, and we do have several small income streams to generate money).
The kids are 19, 18, 15, and 13 – old enough to understand our situation. They gave lists of things they would like or need within the price limit.
I am seeking alternatives to things we’ve done in the past: instead of using already made expensive Gingerbread House kits, we’re going to give it a go with graham crackes and sugar glue! Same tradition, but modified.
I love to buy the kids an individual ornament each year, but that adds up fast, so DH said he’d start the tradition of buying me an ornament a year. I loved buying probably more than the kids did receiving, so same tradition, but modified.
When we had a much larger income, we’d buy a Christmas house to go to with our village each year. Since I’m a stitcher, I found a pattern series for a village with different houses. The cost of the pattern is roughly $6 and I have all of the supplies. Tradition, but modified.
Christmas Eve last year was too stressful for me: we needed to visit three different families and attend Mass all together, then I came home to cook the big meal for Chrsistmas Day that I always host. This year, one visit and then maybe Midnight Mass (at 10:00 PM). I will be much happier and relaxed and enjoy the real meaning of the season.
Christmas meal: Modified down to have a ham and turkey breast and traditional sides. And since I’m considering opening it up to people outside of our regular family (people who are alone or separated from family) I am thinking buffet style. That will mean different than sitting down at the table with Christmas china and linens, think decorative paper products and TV trays. Different, but better.
My hope in sharing this is that I am reminding myself that money doesn’t make the meaning of Christmas.
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this Laura! “Same tradition but modified.” Genius!
My goal this year is to be more selective about the gifts we give, as money is tighter this time around. I’m going to be shopping around and using points/gift cards when possible.
Great plan Stephanie!
I decided to have an honest conversation with my adult kids and my friends about Christmas gift giving. Everyone was relieved because there is so much pressure around gifts and the holidays and expectations and they were feeling the pressure too!. Gah!
We honestly talked about what we could afford and what we would be able to gift and make the holiday special, instead of stressful.
My adults kids and I decided to stick with the “Something you want, need, wear, read” theme, with the knowledge that each person will get at least one thing on the list, but maybe not all.
My friends and I decided to make each other something BUT without a Christmas deadline. We do our holiday gifting at get-togethers over December and January. It sounds weird, but it actually works out be be a lot of fun and relieves the pressure of deadlines.
The one thing I HAVE done for years is what I call “buy good deals as I see them throughout the year plan” and stash stuff in my present stash for future gifts. I also went through my closet and the garage and sold a BUNCH of stuff on Craigslist, a local Facebook Buy-Sell-Trade page and eBay. That allowed me to get my hands on some ready cash, plus it cleaned out stuff I wasn’t using (which I sort of consider wasteful anyway.)
Happy holidays and thank you for your wonderful ideas. You keep me inspired!
I LOVE that you had that conversation with your family Kathryn. Communication is key this time of year.
I definitely want to stay within my budget, but my top goal this year is to have a relaxed and fun Christmas season and to provide that for my family. I’ve been too stressed and busy to make time for the fun things, and the last few Christmases haven’t included the extra things like baking and crafts and Christmas activities and movies. That is my goal this year! All my kids are home right now, and I want to make Christmas joyful and fun. Thank you for doing this series and giveaway, Kimberlee!
Yes to joyful and fun Carrie! I didn’t bake cookies last year either, but I’m making it a priority this year too. 🙂
To save money this Christmas, we plan to make Christmas gifts out of wood, jars and bottles we have at home from pinterest ideas! I’m really excited about it! Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas!
Awesome idea Christy!
Thank you! I’ve never been a huge “gift” person. I feel completely awkward receiving them and always feel like I”m just getting “something” for someone just because it’s the norm. I personally would be perfectly happy with just spending time with family and our daughter get maybe 1 or 2 gifts from family. I may be odd, but I’ve always felt that way. 🙂
I don’t think you’re odd at all Christy! Lots of people would agree with you, including me. 🙂
My top trick for saving money on Christmas is to use my Swagbucks and My Points to get GCs and then buy gifts with those GCs. In addition, I also use ebates to shop, so I’m getting cash back on the purchases bought with my GCs! It all adds up to a pretty deep discount!
Absolutely! I love using Swagbucks and Ebates to pay for Christmas!
Make sure you keep a list of all the gifts you want to purchase with you at all times and keep all of your store coupons with you. You never know when you are going to see an amazing price on an item that you are looking for.
Really smart idea Tracy!
My goal this year is to actually stay within my Christmas budget! Something I have not done since I got married in 2007 🙁 Basically I’ve made a list of people that I know I want to buy for and given them a dollar amount as well as focusing on one big toy for each child and not going crazy on little things that they can do without. I’m also canning apple butter to give away to all those “extra” people that I end up wanting to give to 😉
This sounds like an awesome plan Lily! I believe in you!
Any overtime I work during the year I save for Christmas. It is usually plenty for the gifts I need to buy, but I do make a lot of my gifts. It all evens out by the time I’m finished gift wrapping!!
That’s such a smart idea Pam!
I have been using Ebates for over a year now to get cash back on my purchases, when I receive my big fat checks they are deposited into a saving account for next Christmas! I’m also an avid bargain shopper! I search online for the lowest price then I will go to my Ebates app and purchase the item through their link. Win win! I am a member of many coupon/ rebate communities and constantly search for ways to save. My proudest save was when I purchased my teen sons school clothes from Hollister for a total of $89.75 after all the saving and rebates!! I got 5 pair of jeans and 8 shirts!! I was very excited!!
I LOVE Ebates! That is a super smart idea to use the checks for Christmas Kim!
My goal is to be on top of things this year, so I don’t spend too much money on last minute gifts that are not personal and the person doesn’t really need anyways.
Good for you Kay! I know I’ve made some silly purchases in the past because I wasn’t prepared ahead of time.
I like to use my rewards $ from credit cards for Christmas.
Good plan Lori!
My goal this year is to really enjoy the holidays instead of being focused on what comes next and what I need to do!!!
Great plan Amanda!
My goal is to really plan it out. work on the master list this week and slowly start completing making or buying gifts a little each week. I don’t want it sneaking up on me. I’ll be incorporating it into my weekly tasks/goals in my bullet journal.
So smart to make a plan you can work step-by-step Wendie!
We limit our “gift list” in the first place and will try to do homemade goodies they might like (my fave one year was Bacon Onion Jam) – keeping a small gift stash ongoing throughout the year really helps too, but I have to take stock to make sure we don’t keep adding to it without actually using it! 🙂
Yum! Bacon! 🙂
I shop sales all year long for Christmas gifts. When ordering online I wait for free shipping and use as many coupons as I can find.
Our goal for Christmas this year is “presence” instead of “presents.”
“Our goal for Christmas this year is ‘presence’ instead of ‘presents’.” LOVE that Julie!
My goal this year is to have everything bought and wrapped at least a week before christmas. Those midnight on christmas eve wrapping sessions are murder!
Awesome plan Tina!
Several years ago, we noticed that our children were beginning to expect a lot of gifts and money at Christmas. In an effort to make the holidays more about Jesus and family, we decided to try the 4-gift idea: something you want; something you need; something to wear; and something to read. We use the difference of what we would have spent to provide Christmas for a needy family.
The kids complained about our new 4-gift policy at first but we’ve done it 3 years now and they aren’t so deprived after all. 🙂 We also celebrate St. Nicholas Day with boots filled with goodies left outside their door as well as Christmas stockings. They have to really THINK when they create their Christmas lists.
I love this Dawn! Gratitude is much more pleasant than entitlement. 🙂
My top trick is shopping at thrift stores for gifts for my adult children, their spouses, and my granddaughter. They are all fine with it, or at least have not complained in the past. I have found small inexpensive games, etc., that make great stocking stuffers that cost very little. Especially if they are bought on senior citizen discount days. Some have even been nearly brand new. If directions or a couple pieces are missing you may be able to get replacements from the manufacturer too.
Thanks for all of your helpful information and ideas.
Yes! I love thrift store shopping Diane. Great plan for saving money.
Thank you for sharing these tips. I am hoping to not use our credit cards for Christmas this year, but there may be a few things. I am really trying to get our family debt free aside from a student loan. I tell our daughter that she gets three special gifts just like Jesus did when he was born. I’m trying to keep Christmas gifts under $500 this year. It would be great if it was even less that that! 🙂
You are so welcome Meredith. Good for you for getting out of debt and not using the credit cards. You can do it!
My goal this Christmas season is focus on family traditions and making memories.
Sounds like a great plan Cheryl!
This year has been REALLY tough on us financially, so we (my self, husband and 2 teenagers) have decided on a scaled back Christmas. We only have a few extended family members and some friends we exchange gifts with, so this year they will be getting homemade goodies to eat. As far as the 4 of us, we will be getting/giving small “love gifts” this year.
That sounds wonderful Susan. One year when we were first married we had NO money for gifts so my husband and I went on a date to the dollar store and picked out one item to surprise each other with. The gift didn’t matter because the process was so much fun.
My husband has 5 brothers and I have 1 brother, that equal’s = 6 men and 5 significant other gifts that make our Christmas gift list bust at the seams. Last year we had our 1st child and had to draw the line at the out of control gift giving. We now give the “Uncles” and “Aunties” homemade thoughtful gifts that cost us way less. Last year we made them personalized T-shirts and flax seed neckwarmers (I sewed these up real easily)! Everyone loved their gifts, because they were still personal and showed that we lovingly made them for each person!
Really great idea Loni! Thanks for sharing with us!
For those of you who shop at Target, I recommend the Cartwheel app. I took advantage of it last Christmas, Cartwheel offers daily specials on toys and games during the Holiday season. Sometimes the Cartwheel is for as much as 50% off a particular item and you can stack target coupons or mobile coupons on top. I am going to try to focus on what’s really important and not get overwhelmed. My kids are small and they are impressed with small items from Dollar tree. Try to do one big gift and several small ones, keeping my eyes on the Target cartwheel offers.
Really great tip Laurie! Thanks!
We decided many years ago to not do extended family gift exchanges for the kids or adults. After getting 1. stuff we didn’t want, 2. stuff we could buy ourselves, 3. or stuff we had to return/exchange…. we decided it was easier to save time and money!! It cuts down on gift buying and saves us all money!!
We do the same Denise. It makes getting together more about the relationships than the stuff, which is always a good thing.
I need to make a plan this year and im so glad your gonna help me? I really need to focus on getting quality gifts and not worry about quantity
I’m glad you’re joining us Amanda!
this year will have to be simple. we are getting a new home and reuniting the family after 3 1/2 years! That alone is a gift. we will probably savor our time together and the food we can share! immediate family are the only ones getting one gift each!
I LOVE this plan Julie! Congrats on your new home and I hope you truly enjoy your time with family.
I have made a list and I am planning on sticking to only spending the set amount. I would like to enjoy my family without stressing over money.
Great job Melanie!
One way I save on holiday shipping is to use the flat rate boxes from the post office. No matter what the weight the fee remains the same in spite of the where the package is sent within the USA. Since I have numerous boxes to send it has really saved a lot of money.
Another way is by using the special
media rate for shipping DVDs, books and CDs. This way the shipping doesn’t use up all my
Budget and I can send a nicer gift.
Great tips Joan! Thanks!
Trick to saving is to buy my groceries a little at a time starting st thanksgiving
Fantastic tip Suzanne! It’s especially helpful to take advantage of sale items this time of year.
It’s been a tradition in my family to make Christmas presents for each other. In years past, I’d plan out each present and rush out to buy all the materials (and then some) to make each item. This year, I’m making myself to be creative and saving money by only using what I have in my (very ample, dare I say overwhelming) craft stash 🙂
Excellent choice Lisa! Good for you!
My Mother used to have all the Christmas gifts bought and wrapped by Sept. I am not that organized, but it is a goal to have it done by Thanksgiving.
I’m not that organized this year either Karla. 🙂
My #1 goal is to control my last minute spending. I always panic as Christmas gets closer and over buy!!
I know exactly what you mean Nancy. It’s helped me to keep a list of everything that I’ve purchased in my purse. I can take it out to see what I have and calm the panic when I’m in the stores.
I guess my best tip for saving money this holiday season is to compare prices and use discounts. Keep a list of stores you shop at like Kohl’s, JC Penneys and then sign up for their e-mails. Most stores send out discounts to their e-mail subscribers, especially around the holidays.
Great tip Carolsue. Thanks!
We have a budget set for Christmas at the beginning of the year and put aside a set amount each month to save for it. I typically start looking for deals/coupons in July and start buying gifts and storing them. (I keep a list of what I have in my calendar so I don’t forget what I’ve bought.) I also earn points on Mypoints through the year for gift cards to use and save more of our Christmas budget.
That’s smart to keep your list in your calendar Kortney!
My goal this Christmas season is to keep a positive attitude for a stressfree holiday shopping season and remembering the REAL reason for the season & enjoying time with my family.
Sounds like a great plan Hope! Thanks for joining in.
I have an account like yours and also have had to dip into it over the year for household expenses. This year I plan to keep it simple with one gift (versus multiple) for extends family and friends. We will also share experiences with some like shows and dinner so we get to spend time together a.d enjoy something fun! Most of all I will NOT feel guilty about not getting everyone we know (work, neighbors, etc) a gift.
I love the idea of making the gift something to do together Camille! And I agree with you — just say “no” to guilt. 🙂
My plan is to stick to “want, need, wear, read.”
We just settled into our place after moving 1800 miles so money is extremely tight.
Wow! That’s a huge move Diana. I hope you love your new location. Thanks for joining us!
We mostly just buy for our children so I don’t feel to stressed this year. 🙂 For all other gifts we make homemade goodies & give them to mailman, paperman, bus driver, neighbors, and/or any one else we need to give a small gift too. Of course some of these get a little more than others depending on what they do or our relationship w/ them. I have also been saving & don’t have as much as I would like but think we can make it work. 🙂
Love the homemade treat idea Karen. We’ve done that in the past and everyone seems very appreciative.
I am so tired of the commercialism of Christmas 🙁 I only have two adult children and three grandchildren ranging from 9 y/o to 19 y/o. Rather than buying so many gifts, I’d like to do “experiences” ie: membership to the zoo, a live theatre performance – just anything to not have all the STUFF/JUNK that comes with the holidays but having difficulty coming up with ideas. Guess you can call me Grinch.
Yes! I love the “clutter-free” gift idea Eileen. It’s so much more fun to do something together. Do you have a make-your-own pottery place in your area? My kids always loved those.
I would like to finally stand my ground with my spending on myh children for Christmas this year. Every year I promise myself I am going to scale back and then I still go over board!
This is going to be MY YEAR!!
I believe in you Shannon! You can do it!
Going to try to keep simple this year and not use credit cards. Most of the time I buy gift cards and watch for them to have an extra bonus when you buy either online or at the grocery store in store card credits. It helps for groceries in the future. I love to be all decorated right after Thanksgiving so that I can enjoy the season.
That’s so smart to buy gift cards when they offer bonuses Lisa. I haven’t ever done that. Thanks!
Starting January 1st of each year, I begin saving for gift cards through apps like Ibotta, Savings Catcher, and Swagbucks. I cash them out and then use the gift cards to Christmas shop with. I also save a small amount of each check. At Christmas, after the gift cards are used, I dip into the savings. If I don’t use all of the amount (my goal is not to) then I add that back into my regular savings account for a savings treat for myself.
I LOVE this plan Katy! I also use Swagbucks to earn gift cards, but I always forget about Savings Catcher. Thanks for the reminder.
I love the Christmas season but I always seem to get way too busy. This year I am staying with what my family me really loves and keeping everything simple with writing everything down. As were all gifts are hidden. There has been years past (…like last year) were I “lost” a gift and found it in July. OOPPS! But not this year.
I know what you mean Juliann. It’s part of the reason I included the Holiday Snapshot and Activity Calendar in the Happy Holidays Planner. I have to write EVERYTHING down.
I buy all year long. I also make gifts and during the summer we make jams and jellies to use as gifts. It has gotten harder as kids have gotten older. We also use the rule birthdays are bigger and Jesus only got three gifts at birth.
I have never made jelly, but that is a great idea for a gift Melanie!
This will be our first Christmas without my beloved Father. He loved the Christmas atmosphere and having all the family together. I want to honor his memory and also be close to my Mother who, after 50 years sharing every moment with him, is now feeling very lonely.
I’m so very sorry for your loss Valentina. I think the first holidays after a loved ones death can be the most difficult, but I hope that you have a wonderful time together remembering him.
My biggest tip for planning for Christmas is to shop all year. I do most of the shopping online. I look at several websites daily that list items on sale. If I see something to would make a good gift, I purchase it . I try to having everything purchased by Halloween and wrapped by Thanksgiving.
Awesome goal Paula! Having everything purchased ahead of time saves so much stress!
My goal this holiday is to focus more on the meaning of Christmas and have experiences with my family than spend lots of money on stuff we don’t need.
Really great plan Ann! Experiences are much better than clutter anyway.
My goal is to just enjoy Christmas this year. My middle daughter’s cat died around Thanksgiving last year and we were just all in a funk. I had spent a ton of money fighting for his life and it wasn’t enough. We just didn’t get into the spirit last year and money was tighter than usual. Hopefully this year we won’t all be sad!
I’m so sorry Melanie! I hope this is a better year for you and your family.
My goal is to stay as close to my budget as possible by making homemade soaps and jellies as gifts. Also sticking to my gift list.
Great plan Michelle! I love receiving handmade gifts.
For decorations, I forage for pine cones, interesting twigs, greenery, berries, grasses, etc. I also check out my craft supplies for items for gifts to make, e.g. fabric scraps for coin purses, yarn for scarves and hats, fancy paper to decorate dollar store frames, beads for jewelry.
Really awesome ideas Sandy! Thanks for sharing!
My goal is NO credit cards!! Making a few hand sewn gifts and saving up pay pal money made from survey sites!!
Awesome goal Rose! Me too! 🙂
My top trick is that I have a separate savings account that has a small amount automatically deposited from each paycheck. This account is not at my regular bank and it isn’t linked to a debit card, so I have to actually go to the bank if I want to draw cash out. I know that saving is a challenge for me so this direct deposit works for me and this is the money I use for Christmas.
Thanks for the planner, I’m going to print it off today!
I LOVE this “trick” Lisa! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
There are many ways to save money on gifts! I use ebay a lot of the time and if you have books that you do not want, check out Amazon book return to get Amazon credit. Then use the credit to buy items from Amazon. I find that they’re the best redemption for the money, as long as you don’t mind amazon credit (they will not give out cash). Plus, the shipping of your books to them is free.
To save money on gifts, using a combination of receipthog.com and savingscatcher.walmart.com helps as you get cash back with them by scanning your receipt.
If you use a credit/debit card to purchase it, you can use ebates for cash back and you can get points or rewards (depending on your credit/debit card) from that purchase as well.
Fetchrewards.com also lets you scan a receipt and earn points to redeem for a gift card or reward.
Great ideas Lisa! I particularly like the Amazon credit idea. People who are interested can learn more about the Amazon Trade-In Program HERE.
I am encouraged by all of the printables you create, Kimberlee. Thank you for sharing. I look forward to being organized this year. I like to write all of the names of people I am buying for and the gift, price and place I bought from so I can look back each year. It makes me happy to be organized even when things are chaotic.
Good idea Missy! I like to keep the kids’ wish lists as well. It’s fun to look back at what they asked for each year and how the lists changes over time. And, YES, it is good to feel organized when life is chaotic.
My biggest goal for this year is to slow down and spend time with my boys. I look forward to drinking hot cocoa and watching movies in our pajamas. I plan to be done buying gifts and decorating by December 1st, so I can spend the month savoring the season!
Yes to hot cocoa and movies in pajamas! I hope you have an amazing season!
I want to enjoy all the moments without preoccupation of any sort, including overspending! Love is an action word …. I want to show my love with time and attention instead of monetary prowess. I seek to give thoughtful meaningful gifts not expensive ones.
Love this Elaine! So good!
My goal is to not touch my credit cards. It’s been a rough year, so I’m not sure if that’ll work. I’ve tried to save a little each week over the past few months to prepare, but I don’t have near enough! I’m always looking for cheap but thoughtful gift ideas ?
Really awesome goal Jessica. I’m cheering you on!
I like to do photos cards but the cost was getting out of control until I found out Costco has them, they don’t have as many designs but the cost is at least half of all the other photo websites! Hooray for Costco!
Awesome tip! Thanks Hilary!
I look for discount codes and free shipping when buying things online. I would just like a simple Christmas this year with our family and friends without extravagant gifts and parties.
I agree. Simple is best!
My goal is to spend ONLY what we budget for and be creative with homemade gifts.
Great goal Cheryl! I believe in you. 🙂
We also have a Master Gift List where we put down who we’re buying for each year. And I’m glad you mentioned work/school, because my daughter just started preschool and I’m sure they’re going to have a Christmas party! That means extra money spent this year. =)
One way I save money and still give good gifts is making my own gift baskets. They’re usually themed and full of things I’m sure the person will use; last year I made a movie night basket for my cousin, and the year before I gave a travel basket for my father-in-law who was going to Florida for a month. It included road trip snacks, a book, and a Kindle gift card!
Love the gift basket tip! Thanks Jaime!
I often look for free shipping when buying on- line gifts. I also have moved more toward giving experiences this can include things like movie tickets and fast good gift card. Several places have discounts for items like this.
Great ideas! Thanks Shelly!
I keep a tote that I fill with great finds throughout the year to help save money.
Yes! I have a “gift basket” where I keep sale items. Thanks for sharing this idea Amy.
I would love to stay within my spending budget plan and to have a holiday plan in general. I have a plan in my head but I need to write it down to make it realistic and and to have a visual reminder. It is easy for me to overspend since I love to give. Thank you for the helpful tips and will be printing the printables you shared.
I have to write my plan too Mary Ann. Good tip!