Christmas is a fun filled holiday that can bring out the inner child in anyone. The commercialism for this holiday can be seen on television as early as the beginning of October. Though joyous, this holiday leaves little for many to rave about once the debt from the celebration rolls into households after the new year. With early preparation and a little frugality in your life, this can be the year when your holiday spending remains within the budget guidelines.
Here are several tips to help you stay on track:
Holiday Decorations
- Limit what you spend on holiday decorations. There is no need to buy new decorations each year, just rearrange what you put out. Place items in a different location than the previous year, and guests will be more excited about the attractiveness and feel of the environment than whether the item has been used before.
- Purchase an artificial tree when they go on sale. If you purchase a good quality one, it will last for years. Spray it (ex white, pink) to add a dash of color to the room.
- Set the mood with scented colorful candles. This will add an inexpensive bonus touch to any room.
- Use nature to decorate this holiday season. Snip a few branches from the backyard Douglas Fir tree, and get a book that explains how to create a fabulous table centerpiece, or wreath. Go to your local dollar store and purchase small items to stick within the branches. How about the seashells collected at the shore last summer? Add them to a vase, use some colorful decorative sand, and a candle. Simply beautiful.
- Have you been bragging about your children's artistic works? Set them up around the house for all to see and enjoy. Use index cards to place near each display in case people want to know more about them while admiring them. This is a fun, inexpensive way to create your own family art gallery.
The Holiday Meal
- Plan your meal early; search for, save, and use coupons representing items needed for the meal. Buy in bulk whenever possible.Get meats on sale and freeze them. Use Grocery Saving Tips.com to locate a mountain of coupons offering great savings, as well as valuable tips to assist you with preparations along the way.
- Make your holiday meal a potluck gathering. Rather than attempting to prepare everything yourself, ask for help. Most family members have something that is their specialty dish. Figure out what it is, make a list, and place the calls. Before you know it, a beautiful meal will come together with minimal effort.
- Use paper plates to serve the food. Rather than pull out all the stops to set out the best china, this year go with a stylish paper plate. Many paper plates look so real, people cannot tell the difference until they pick them up. Keep place settings attractive, yet simple. Remember, the holiday is a wonderful celebration and time should be spent enjoying family worrying about how elegant your dishes are.
Holiday Gift Giving
- Determine what a comfortable budget is this holiday season and stick to it. Don't use credit cards to pay for anything, but use cash only. When the cash is gone, then it is time to get creative with your gift giving.
- Utilize your special talents for gift giving. If you are a writer, write a special letter to a loved one, poem...these types of gifts award tremendous sentimental value which you cannot put a price tag on. If you sew, pull out the sewing machine and make beautiful items. This is also a wonderful time to bake cakes, candy, or cookies, put them in a holiday container, and give them as gifts of love.
The holidays are a wonderful time of year that we all look forward to. However, the aftermath of monies spent can leave many feeling overwhelmed after the new year. With a little thought, and careful planning, this holiday season can become the first when you no longer have to worry about a strained wallet.
Swannee Rivers - Swannee Rivers is a mother, business owner, community showcase developer, motivational speaker, and author of Heathcare Under Duress-An ...
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