Holiday spending is often a spending plan-buster. The expenses can be numerous: presents, wrapping paper, cards, and decorations, to name a few. Yet very few people have an unlimited holiday budget. If you don’t have the funds to buy everything you want, there’s no need to despair. A little bit of creativity and energy can get you through the holidays without draining your wallet.
Gifts
Why spend $75 to buy a scarf if you can knit it yourself with $15 yarn? Making your own gifts is a great way to save, since supplies usually cost less than the finished product. Not only are homemade gifts cheaper, but many people appreciate them more than store-bought gifts because of the effort that goes into making them.
Are you not an experienced crafter? No problem. Writing a letter describing what the person means to you or framing a memorable photo are ways to give personalized gifts without having to break out a glue gun. Baking is another option that’s easy for most people to do. Standard cookies or brownies can be dressed up with sprinkles and ribbons in holiday colors.
Offering your services is a great cost-saving gift – it only costs time. Why not offer a free night of babysitting to your aunt with three kids or a month of lawn-mowing to your parents? Think about what service you want to offer and create a coupon that the recipient can redeem at a later date.
Gift-wrapping
Now that you have taken the time to choose economical gifts, you probably don’t want to spend $50 wrapping them. Skip the fancy wrapping paper and bows and look around the house to see what you can use. Do you have a newspaper? (The comic section is an especially suitable choice.) Computer paper? Shopping or supermarket bags? Cheap craft supplies, such as glitter and paint, can be used to decorate plain surfaces.
Cards
It is not uncommon for store cards to cost $4 a piece – or more. If you sent cards to 20 people, that would cost you $80, not including postage. Creating your own cards can help you save, but resist the temptation to buy the pricey supplies that pepper the scrapbook aisles of craft stores. If you create and send cards electronically, you avoid spending money completely. You can make your own or use one of the many free services online. If sending electronic cards isn’t your thing, consider trimming your mailing list. You can probably skip sending cards to your third-grade teacher and the second cousin who you never see.
Decorations
Like with gift-wrapping, you can avoid buying decorations by seeing what’s lying around the house. Making a garland out of popcorn is a classic holiday decoration. Pinecones and acorns – available in abundance in many parts of the country – provide a perfect seasonal touch. If you’re really craving store-bought decorations, consider waiting until after the holidays to buy. Most stores will be selling them at a deep discount, and you can use them next year.