Christmas Gifts and Celebrations That Won't Break the Bank
If not for the fact that Christmas is a time of laughter and
merriment, the yuletide season can be awfully frustrating
especially for people who have a budget to think of. With lots
of expenses for the Christmas celebration already lined up at
your door -- decorations, dinner, gifts -- sticking to the
family budget can be difficult, at best! That is, unless, you
are smart enough to come up with creative ideas on how to spend
Christmas with a bang without spending a lot.
Here are some tips:
1) Reuse paper, bows and decorations.
Since Christmas happens every year, it is a good idea to reuse
decorations and other yuletide materials for succeeding years.
Christmas trees and Christmas decorations, for instance, may be
used over and over again until they wear out. If the family
wants to create something different every year, they can always
work with decorations that are already there and then buy some
new ones to spruce the old ones up.
Although some families still opt for a real pine tree during the
Christmas season, most use artificial ones, as they are more
cost-effective and practical.
Christmas materials that can be recycled are yuletide
decorations like lanterns, plates, table runners, curtains, bed
sheets, pillowcases and all those home furnishings with
Christmas designs. Using the same things year after year can
however be pretty tiring. What you can perhaps do is to add a
new element every year or to alternately use the home decors.
When storing materials that you will use again, make sure that
you put them in a place that is easily accessible. Carefully
store them in boxes and put them in a cool dry place to prevent
moisture from coming in.
2) Make your own gifts.
Use your creativity to save money and still come up with the
best celebration. Instead of buying Christmas pillowcases,
sheets and place mats, you can create your own designs. Take a
look at your house and look for things that you can use. For
instance, instead of buying artificial flowers for a Christmas
centerpiece, why not make use of the flowers that you grow in
your garden? Another idea is to buy some small decors in craft
stores and use them to spruce up curtains, runners and
pillowcases.
3) You can make your own Christmas tree decorations. In fact,
some people even personalize their Christmas tree decorations by
putting the photographs of each family member on the tree. Young
children in the family can also use the projects that they have
made in school to decorate the family tree. Decoration-making is
also a fun way for parents and children to bond. 4) Make your
own gift cards, wrappers and table cards for dinner
celebrations. Why buy when it is easy to make your own? All you
need to do is gather some craft materials that may be sitting in
your attic. You will be amazed at how fun it is to make your own
Christmas wrapping paper and gift cards. You can coordinate them
with each other and they will be totally unique!
5) Save money on the Holiday Meals.
Going out to eat may pose several advantages, two of which are,
you don't have to prepare the food and you don't have to wash
the dishes. Still, eating at a restaurant can chip away at a
major portion of your Christmas budget. If you don't have extra
money, it is advisable to just stay at home and cook dinner
yourself. In addition to saving a lot of money, you will also be
able to control the ingredients, making sure that they are not
only delicious but also nutritious.
To economize and add some surprise to the menu, you can ask your
guests to bring a dish. One family can prepare the appetizer
while the other family will take care of the dessert. This way,
the cost of the dinner will not only be shouldered by the host
family but by everyone in the guest list. And it will add
entertainment and conversation as you lift the lid off the
dishes to uncover the blessing within!