As the crisp October air whips through our valley, my dogs unearth their winter coat, and chili simmers on the stove, these signs typically signal autumn time in our home. Yet as I spend this month writing 31 Days of Balancing Beauty and the Budget, October alerts me to something a bit more pressing – my holiday budget.
Over the course of next two months, statistics state that 90% of us will buy things we can’t afford. Quite frankly, that grieves me because I know the regret that will occur when January’s credit card statements roll into the mail box. The plethora of deep emotions that come into play when talking personal finance and budgeting reach many of us. Over spending often comes through procrastination. By being proactive and thinking ahead now, hopefully we can resist the last minute impulse buys and creatively tackle the holiday budget blues together.
Get on the Same Page with Your Spouse or Extended Family.
If finances are tight, this can be a difficult conversation to confront, but one that needs to be addressed right away. Take a hard look at the dreaded “B” word (budget) to determine set boundaries for holiday spending. If digging out of debt is a present issue, consider having a family meeting to brainstorm alternatives to excessive gifts. Explain to the children where you stand this Christmas, and invite them in the process of making this the most unique and meaningful Christmas ever.
Give of Your Time
A few years ago, our extended family discussed what we really wanted our Christmas legacy to look like. We concluded it wasn’t about tearing through present after present of things we didn’t need, or necessarily want, but truly instilling a love of giving, serving, and focusing on the gift of our Savior. The first year, we began by picking one name with which to exchange a present, but now we spend our Christmas afternoon and evening preparing meals for refugee families and delivering them to their homes. The moments we’ve shared, and the life stories we have heard from these precious families fleeing their homes for freedom in our country have ministered more to our children than any present ever could.
We spend time creating care packages for the homeless which my family keeps in our car throughout the winter months. Since I have a love for bargains and use my coupons strategically, I gather stock piled items to create blessing baskets to give to refugees, as well as others in need. One of our main goals is to specifically use them this time of year as teaching tool for our children to offset the materialism that tends to erodes the soul when it’s all about “what am I getting or is that ALL.”
Many of us spend time making Christmas cookies. For over a decade, our extended family has put a small twist on the traditional cookie making days by creating plates of cookies for our neighbors (many of who we don’t know), and them delivering them door to door as we Christmas carol. It’s the little, simple things that make the big impact.
Creative Gift Giving
This may not be an option for your family, but brainstorm traditions and creative ways to celebrate and enjoy the fullness of Christmas without the stress of breaking the budget. Here are a few alternatives we have done for gifts over the years – picked names, exchanged “love” gifts (only hand made gifts allowed), shared the funniest gift for $5 or under, as well as observing the modeling of the Three Wise Man, and have given only three gifts. One tradition that has withstood the test of time is giving small gifts on Christmas, but then waiting to give our one big gift on January 1st. This allows us to purchase the main gift AFTER Christmas when everything is deeply discounted, plus it draws out the anticipation for the children. It takes a lot of pressure off of having all the Christmas shopping done during the busiest time of the year. Yes, this is one of my most highly recommend fun, traditions.
Who says you have to do what every one else does?
When it comes to gift giving for friends, teachers, or co-workers try something new by giving frozen cookie dough or homemade gifts. Not only it is a frugal, homemade alternative, but your friends will rave about it being one of their favorite gifts of the season. Hit your local thrift store and purchase beautiful second hand plates, bowls, trays and baskets to use as containers. Any of those will make wonderful packaging. Remember that with a $1 can of spray paint, the color can be transformed in minutes, so if it’s $2 at a yard sale, but it has ugly, yellow flowers, it can quickly become a beautiful holiday red.
Holiday Hospitality
Hospitality is about creating a “Welcome Home” mentality, a place to “make yourself at home.” A place to come away refreshed and renewed, yet a place where real life happens. Those are the homes that I want to visit, yet often, we hold such strong reservations about opening our home because of what we “don’t” have. Consider that reservation a challenge to find all the things you do have that you can creatively re-purpose.
Food can be simple. Vases, bowls, cake plates, wine glasses and thrift store glass ware transform the ordinary to extraordinary for holiday entertaining.
One of my love languages comes in the form of a hot, brown liquid. Yes, I am easy to please, and I think your guests are too. By thinking creatively, and barely touching your holiday budget, set up a DIY Coffee bar. Not only is it a delicious way to draw conversation around the table, but guests go home with a gift bag they will immediately put to use.
There are just so many creative ways that we can approach this holiday season by balancing both beauty and a budget, yet it does require us to to be proactive. Hopefully, some of my brainstorming has allowed your creative juices to flow.
I’d love to hear how your ideas on how you plan to balance your holiday budget.
Join Jen, from Balancing Beauty and Bedlam, as she saves where she can, so she can give more generously and spend where she chooses.
Leave a Comment
Set of 4 – Card-Santa & Reindeer On 18Th – Golf Card | Good Christmas Presents for Women says
[…] #split {}#single {}#splitalign {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;}#singlealign {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;}#splittitlebox {text-align: center;}#singletitlebox {text-align: center;}.linkboxtext {line-height: 1.4em;}.linkboxcontainer {padding: 7px 7px 7px 7px;background-color:#eeeeee;border-color:#000000;border-width:0px; border-style:solid;}.linkboxdisplay {padding: 7px 7px 7px 7px;}.linkboxdisplay td {text-align: center;}.linkboxdisplay a:link {text-decoration: none;}.linkboxdisplay a:hover {text-decoration: underline;} function opensingledropdown() { document.getElementById('singletablelinks').style.display = ''; document.getElementById('singlemouse').style.display = 'none'; } function closesingledropdown() { document.getElementById('singletablelinks').style.display = 'none'; document.getElementById('singlemouse').style.display = ''; } Zazzle: $5 off of Custom Postage + 50% off of Greeting Cards + 10% Cash BackSony revela una lista de juegos que necesitarán de Memory Card en PS VitaMia’s Ornament…9 month old Baby DSaturday NoosSigns that your ex-boyfriend still likes you—how to find girlfriendRaising Three Little PrincessesWeekly Workshop 10/22Planning Ahead for the Holiday Budget […]
Christy says
Thank you Jennifer. These are fabulous ideas! I am going to take your advice and do the home baking for the neighbors/my daughter’s teachers and purchase some holiday containers at our local dollar store.
Brooke says
Several years ago, we sat down and talked about doing Christmas a little differently on my mom’s side of the family. We put spending limits in place, and everyone (except my grandmother) follows them. 🙂 The limit is … $10 per person for the “adults” and $20 per person/couple for the grandkids. It ends up costing each family about $80 AND we have a ton of fun shopping for inexpensive gifts throughout the year. My favorite gift that I’ve gotten since we started doing this is a box of books that my aunt put together after shopping for several months at thrift stores and garage sales … it literally lasted me throughout the whole year! We also started doing “dirty Santa” where we swap gag gifts from home … no purchasing allowed! The best part about all of this, though, is the the fun times we have with each other. 🙂
Jennifer Schmidt says
Aren’t the “dirty Santa” exchanges always a blast? You are so right…such fun times. 🙂
Sarah@theAutoMomma says
My parents are only doing useful gifts this year. I don’t know yet what that entails, but I’m all for it. My little family (husband, son, and I) are doing a handmade Christmas for our family and friends. I’ll bake everyone a loaf of bread, give everyone a jar of homemade apple butter, and include a package of homebaked cookies. We’ll package them in cute (cheap) baskets or bags. I am stocking up on ingredients now to stretch out the small expense; I buy a couple of necessary ingredients every trip to the store. I know everyone will enjoy homemade gifts!
Jennifer Schmidt says
Oh, when you find out what the “useful” gifts are, let me know. Love that idea. 🙂
Shelly Miller says
All inspiring ideas. This year our main gift to our children is travel so presents under the tree are limited. Love the three kings, three presents idea. Enjoyed the post and the pictures.
Jennifer Schmidt says
Travel is one of those experiences that you just can’t exchange for a present. It’s truly a gift. How wonderful for your family.
Jamie says
I love your DIY coffee bar! What a great idea! This year I am trying to make more homemade stuff as gifts. Not only is it easier on the budget, but honestly most of the people in my life don’t need more “stuff”. I want to spend the Holidays enjoying genuine relationship time and giving to people who really need it. Thanks for this post!
If you are looking for some more good ideas for homemade gifts, I listed a few out in this post last week- http://www.creatinghomejournal.com/2011/10/15/simple-christmas/
StephanieB says
Great ideas! We are not going home for Christmas this year, but I think it would still be fun to be a part of gift giving. I think that useful and handmade gifts will be a good way to go.
Emily says
I love those ideas, especially the coffee bar! This fits perfectly with the post I have scheduled for Monday on my blog about budgeting and having those sometimes hard conversations with spouses and family. Thanks for the extra ideas!
Mrs. Mary Joy Pershing @Learning to Live a Surrendered Life says
This is a great article!! Thanks for sharing the great ideas! I just heard about the three kings gifts earlier this Fall and my husband and I have decided this is the approach that we are going to take in our family. 3 for each person in our immediate family and then 3 gifts for our “family gifts”–things/activities/games we can enjoy as a family throughout the holidays and the year.
Another idea is to do smaller gifts for Christmas Day and then give a few more gifts on the Epiphany (12 days after Christmas Jan 6) when we celebrate the 3 Kings arriving to visit Jesus).
We are also going to bring homemade goodies to our neighbors for Christmas and Halloween to share Jesus’ love for them. We will bring homemade goodies to the homeless shelter in our little town too for the holidays. Its not an easy time to be homeless and it keeps our eyes on helping and sharing the Gospel with others in need.
Aimee says
We have done “3 Kings, 3 Gifts” for about 5 or 6 years now. Last year, on my mom’s side, we had a Handmade Christmas and it was a lot of fun. I’m not that crafty, so made food.
I think that it’s so easy to focus on the commercial/material part of it, and it’s sad because it’s not about that at all.
Thanks for the ideas for helping others! We need to do more of that.
Patricia says
My BFF and I are only shopping at thrift stores. She told me today that she hit the jackpot for me yesterday. I have yet to find her anything!
Condo Blues says
I never put Christmas on credit. My husband and I have a large extended family too. One of my ‘tricks’ is to shop year round for gifts and gift ideas. I spread the fiances over the year, shops sales (sometimes), buy gifts the person will use and like (because a previous conversation gave me the idea, hint :)), sometimes it gives me time to make the gift several months ahead of time.
An old fashioned Christmas club is another way to make sure you have a no credit Christmas. As little as $5 a paycheck can add up throughout the year!
The Prudent Homemaker says
For the last 5 years, we have done a homemade Christmas. I make the children’s gifts, mostly using items that I have on hand. My parents and my grandmother get home-canned goods (such as apple butter, jellies, and pickles). My husband and I don’t exchange gifts.
I have 6 small children, so it’s a lot of sewing! Many items are useful articles of clothing. For example, this year I’m making flannel pajamas for my boys from some old flannel sheets that were gfted to us. I am also remaking some old pajamas to make them into pajamas for my 3-year-old.
I also make fun things, such as dress-up clothes and toys for my children. This year I am planning to make doll clothing for the girls, a mountain man bag (from a leather apron I bought for $1 at a garage sale) and a rabbit skin (gift from my mother-in-law) quiver for one son, a dress-up cape for another son, some safe play bow and arrows for several of the children, and some necklaces for the girls.
I’ve found a lot of wonderful tutorials for clothing and fun items online that incorporate items that you may already have (including repurposing clothing). I’ve put them together on two pages:
Sewing patterns and ideas (doll clothes, skirts, dress-up, purses, puppets, etc) here:
http://theprudenthomemaker.com/sewingforless.aspx
Homemade gifts that aren’t sewing (paper dolls and toys, homemade toys, barrettes, free downloads, etc.) here:
http://theprudenthomemaker.com/FrugalGifts.aspx
Also on the page above is a link to guest post I wrote on Christmas on a Zero-Budget.
By doing Christmas this way, we are able to give plenty of gifts within our means. The children love that I make things just for them, too.
Julie Sunne says
You have awesome ideas! I love their simplicity! I am one of those who never feel like I can host. My home just does not seem to match up to others in the decorating arena. I hope to use some of your ideas.
I do give away homemade goodies (chocolates, jellies/butters, and cookies) to teachers and friends (have for years). They are very appreciative, often telling me they prefer it–there is only so many trinkets they can display over a career. Sometimes I am able to find discounted Christian gift books I add to the treats for an extra special gift.
Thanks for the encouragement and great ideas!
Weekend Links, 10.29.11 — Giving Up on Perfect says
[…] Planning Ahead for the Holiday Budget :: (in)courage […]
How to Create a Holiday Budget Last Minute | Today's Family Budget says
[…] Holiday an Advantageous Solution for Holiday Budgeting5 Free Excel Holiday Budget WorksheetsPlanning Ahead for the Holiday Budget20 Tips to Help Stay Within Your Holiday […]