Christmas is in full swing and I am sure you have already found some great Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. But what about the items still left on your list? The food, the hostess gifts, the annual family holiday cards, travel, decorations, and all of those magical holiday activities and events?
Honestly, sometimes it feels like you’re endlessly spending throughout the holidays even if you’ve been careful about your spending habits. While it may seem impossible to stay within a set budget during the holiday season, there are a number of ways you can creatively and practically save money and still enjoy the most wonderful time of the year!
1. Five Gift Maximum Rule
Set a new rule to give up to only five gifts for each child. Make it fun! Create themes or categories to buy in such as “something you want, something you need, something to wear, and something to read.” This idea covers all the bases and it rhymes!
2. Pause On Partner Gifts
We’re all children at heart when the holiday season rolls around and we all want to receive gifts, but some years it may be too hard on your wallet. So make a pact with your partner and decide to leave the gift-giving for the littles. Instead of exchanging gifts, agree to enjoy a special evening together on Christmas Eve after the kids go to bed with your favorite beverages, yummy treats and your favorite holiday movie.
3. Buy Second Hand
There are some great second hand shops that offer “good-as-new” clothing, toys, and accessories like Kid-to-Kid or Goodwill. There is no shame in buying second hand. I do it all the time because I no longer see the point in buying another pair of jeans my son will outgrow in a month. Decorations are a great thing to buy second hand as well, especially if the decor is just for a season or a specific holiday theme you’ve got going on.
4. Free Holiday Activities
You do not need to spend hundreds of dollars to have a fun, memorable holiday experience. There are plenty of free holiday activities anyone can enjoy. You just need to know where to look. Check out our list of local holiday activities here on the blog. Some other great resources include your town’s local visitor center, which offer tons of helpful, local information. You can also Google “free holiday activities near me” and see what pops up!
5. Buy In-store vs. Online
Shipping fees add up quickly especially if you are shopping several different sites. So, when and if possible, try to shop in-store. Many times stores will offer additional discounts on items that you can scan as you shop or redeem at the checkout.
6. Save On Groceries
Y’all…what is happening with grocery prices?! This is one area where I wish we could all get a break. Here are a few helpful tips and ideas to stretch your Christmas dinner dollars.
- Instead of roasting an expensive turkey, opt for a rotisserie chicken.
- Have a hot dog smorgasbord! Include minis and foot-longs or make famous fixings for your favorite city-style dogs like Chicago, Coney Island or New York!
- Have a whole dinner of appetizers.
- Always check weekly ads from all of your local stores. Use apps like FLIPP to compare prices and save.
- If you’re hosting your family’s holiday dinner, you’re probably already doing enough so let your family pitch in. Assign everyone a dish to bring. That way you save time and money.
7. Make The Most of Your Leftovers
After weeks of spending on gifts and groceries the last thing you need to spend money on is take out. Make those leftovers last! It doesn’t have to be the typical turkey sandwich. Get creative! Have loaded leftover sweet potato skins or throw together a leftovers soup or stew. I always google whatever leftovers or random ingredients I have in my fridge and pantry and usually find a pretty tasty recipe.
8. The Gift of Time
We often don’t think of spending time together as a gift, but time with family and friends truly is a gift. Ask extended family members to forgo gifts, at least for adults, and instead have a game night! Make it fun and lighthearted. My family hosted a holiday-themed Scattergories over Zoom last year and it was a blast! Whether it is in person or over Zoom the time spent together will surely create some good memories.
9. Family Secret Santa
This helps minimize spending on gifts for everyone in your family and is always fun. Your family can determine the rules and budget that work best for everyone. My family’s Secret Santa starts the first week of Christmas and we send one gift per week up until Christmas Eve when we host our big reveal!
10. Pick Your Parties
OK Ms./Mr. Popular. I see all those party invites and I know you want to go to all of them, but be choosy! Costs for parties you plan on attending can add up quickly when you consider hostess gifts, gift exchanges, food to bring…the list goes on. Be wise. Pick and choose the parties you really can’t say no to and kindly decline others that may not mean as much to you this year.
11. Holiday Cards
The cost to send out holiday cards always surprises me. I do it every year and I still get sticker shock. To save money you could always not send them out, but if you’re anything like me your annual holiday card is a non-negotiable. If this is the case, hopefully you budgeted for it already, but if not, try going a different route with these options:
- Opt for digital holiday e-cards.
- Use an online service like Canva to create your own holiday card and shop around to find the cheapest printing option.
- Create postcards to save money on envelopes.
- Save money on printing and postage by using social media. Post a family photo or a digital holiday card to your Facebook or Instagram page. Tag your family and friends to say happy holidays!
- Instead of designer cards grab a box of low-cost holiday cards at your local grocery or drug store. Sign it, slap on a stamp and send them off early.
12. Regift
I think I just heard a collective gasp, but please hear me out on this! I don’t believe in regifting that old bag of bath salts or that sad little candle you got at your company’s white elephant exchange five years ago. However, I do believe in regifting if the gift falls into these categories:
- The item is unopened/unused.
- The item is good quality.
- The item will be appreciated by the person who is receiving it.
13. Traveling
There is no way around it, you have to budget for travel. In the event you didn’t or may not have budgeted enough here are some helpful tips to make it manageable.
- Book early. The cardinal rule for booking travel is to book air and ground transportation and overnight accommodations as early as possible.
- Book with different airlines. When shopping for flights remember that you don’t have to book your outbound and returning flights with the same airline. Many times booking roundtrip with the same airline will not get you the best deal. Instead, shop around and use booking sites like Hopper and Kayak that will help you find the best prices.
- Consider if your dates are flexible. Can you extend the holiday celebration and travel just after Christmas? Flights are much cheaper the days immediately preceding or following a major holiday.
A couple of other small ways to save money when you travel:
- Pack your own snacks.
- Bring refillable water bottles.
- When flying, try your best to use a carry-on to avoid those pesky baggage fees.
