Create a Memorable Christmas for Your Children – on a Budget

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As parents, it can be tempting to think that our children's enjoyment of Christmas is directly related to the amount of money we spend on them. However, this is not necessarily the case.

With a little effort, you can create special Christmas memories for your children on even the tightest of budgets.

You can make Christmas fun and exciting for your children even if you don’t have a lot of money to spend.

Prepare for Christmas with Your Children

In the run-up to Christmas, involve your children in every aspect of the preparations. This will help them feel that their contributions are valued and it will increase the sense of anticipation. 

Instead of buying new Christmas decorations, make simple decorations with your children using materials that you already have. From paper chains to paper plate angels, plenty of ideas and inspiration can be found online.

Ask your children to decorate an inexpensive roll of brown Kraft paper using coloring pens. It can then be used as Christmas wrapping paper, exhibiting your children’s artwork to family and friends. 

Children can also design and make their own Christmas cards, gift tags, and such items as Christmas bonbons or crackers can also be handmade.

If you bake Christmas cake, mince pies, cookies and other delicacies before Christmas, let your children help during each baking session, even if it means that your kitchen becomes very messy! 

When the sweet treats are in the oven, you can encourage the children to help clean up the mess by promising them a freshly baked reward!

Keep to a Budget When Shopping for Children's Christmas Presents

When shopping for Christmas presents for your children, set a total budget and keep to it. 

Look for good, less expensive substitutes for some of the presents on their wish lists. For example, if your son would like the latest toy, look for a less expensive, similar toy that he would like just as much, or, if you're comfortable with giving him a good quality, second hand toy, look online or in thrift stores for such a toy. 

In addition, buy a selection of small presents inexpensively from Christmas fairs, eBay and thrift stores.

Don't be afraid to buy your children items that they need for Christmas. For example, if your daughter has just grown out of her winter coat, it is fine to buy her a new one as a Christmas present.

Organize a Christmas Treasure Hunt

Make Christmas Day more exciting by hiding each child’s presents in different parts of the house and organizing a treasure hunt. 

You can tell younger children that Santa Claus left presents in all kinds of places and gave Mommy and Daddy clues so that they can help the children to find them. Give older children written clues to follow by themselves.

This makes the whole process of gift giving much more exciting than sitting down by the Christmas tree and ripping open all of their presents in five minutes flat.

Don't become upset or feel guilty if your children complain that they didn't receive what they wanted for Christmas. 

They will be learning the valuable lesson that a happy, joy-filled family Christmas is a much better gift than a roomful of expensive presents. 

Give as a Family

If possible, involve your children in some charitable activity at Christmas, such as sending gifts to children in orphanages in developing countries. 

This will help them to understand that there are some children in the world who have very little and who are grateful for even the smallest gift at Christmas.

So, keep to your budget, involve your children in all of the Christmas preparations, organize a fun-filled Christmas Day and, if possible, encourage the whole family to participate in a charitable project. 

This should ensure that your children have a joyful Christmas that they'll remember for the rest of their lives. This is a much better gift than a pile of expensive toys and designer clothes.

Do you have any other tips for creating a memorable family Christmas on a budget?

You Have Enough for Christmas!

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A couple of days ago, when I was in the supermarket, I was overtaken by the pre-Christmas buying panic. Everyone was rushing around the supermarket and loading mountains of food and drink into their shopping carts. I began to think: "We don't have enough to eat and drink!" "We don't have enough to last until the shops open again!" and then I began to put more and more items in my shopping cart, too.

When I got home and looked at all the stuff I'd bought, I realized that we do have enough. More than enough, in fact. I realized that I was overtaken by the panic that seems to be widespread just before Christmas. We wonder if we've bought enough presents, enough food and drink, etc, so we carry on and on, shopping and spending.

It's not necessary. We need to set ourselves limits in terms of our budget. I went very slightly overbudget on my spending on Christmas presents this year (about £5 overbudget)...and I spent £12 more than I intended to on my last grocery shop before Christmas. If I'd been more careful and thoughtful and not got carried away by the Christmas panic, I could have saved that £12 and perhaps even more.

So, believe that you have enough for Christmas. Look at it from the point of view of abundance rather than lack. If we look at things from the point of view of lack, we'll never have enough even if we have more than the vast majority of people in the world.

If, however, we look at it from the point of view of abundance, we will be thankful for everything we have and that joy will permeate every aspect of our Christmas.

Hope you all have a wonderful, abundant, and joyful Christmas wherever you are and whatever you're doing!

To Do List for the Week Before Christmas

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It's less than four days before Christmas! Here's my to-do list for the next few days:

• Post remaining Christmas cards today (it's the last posting day to ensure delivery before Christmas in the UK for first class post). - DONE!
• Return library books and choose some more to borrow over the Christmas holiday. - DONE!
• Buy the last few presents for my children. - DONE!
• Check to see if I'll have enough wrapping paper and sellotape. If not, I'll need to buy some more.- DONE!
• Wrap presents for immediate family (I've already wrapped and sent the others). - Need to finish today (Christmas Eve).
• Do the final Christmas grocery shop, remembering to buy such things as foil, washing up liquid, and long life milk so we don't run out while the shops are shut! - DONE!
• Buy ingredients for a Christmas roulade my daughter and I are baking.- DONE!
• Donate a bag of items we no longer want or need to the charity shop (thrift store). - DONE!
• Take glass jars and bottles to the glass recycling bank. - DONE!

I feel like I've been quite well organized this year, but, as you can see, there are still several things to do before the big day arrives!

What's still on your Christmas to-do list?

Christmas Gifts for Under $10!

After thinking about 5 ways to spend less on Christmas gifts, I came across this cool list of 50 Christmas gifts for less than $10 on the Penny Hoarder website.

One of my favorite suggestions is this cut handmade crochet cat mug cozy for sale on Etsy for $7.99:

Source: QuiltNCrochet Shop on Etsy

I also like the crocheted heart mug cozies from the same shop:

 

 

Source: QuiltNCrochet Shop on Etsy

Candles make nice relaxing winter gifts. Candles that fragrance your room are even better. How about gingerbread, cranberry or cinnamon soy candles to fill your home with scents associated with Christmas? Soy candles fragranced with all these scents are available from the Plainjbodyandhome shop on Etsy:

 

Source: Plainjbodyandhome shop on Etsy

 

I think these elegant candles look more expensive than they are ($8 each), so they would make the perfect Christmas gift!

 

If you know someone who loves to drink tea, they'd appreciate these black tea bags flavored with orange peel, cinnamon and cloves. They're great value at $8.99 for a box of 50 tea bags.

 

Source: Supermarket Italy

 

For someone who suffers from cold hands in the winter, these long fingerless gloves would be ideal. They'd still be able to do everything they normally do while keeping their hands warm! They cost just $3.72 (plus $2.49 for shipping).

Source: Amazon

So, there you have it! Those are my favorite items on Penny Hoarder's list. Be sure to check it out for many more ideas. Do you have any favorite Christmas gifts for $10?

5 Ways to Spend Less on Christmas Gifts

Many people spend hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds or dollars on Christmas gifts. In 2014, Americans planned to spend $781 on average on Christmas presents, according to the website, Statista.com. If your budget won't stretch that far or if you want to avoid Christmas-related debt this year, here are some ways to reduce your spending on Christmas gifts.

Start Christmas Gift Shopping as Early as Possible

The longer you have to shop for Christmas gifts, the easier it is to find great gifts for everyone at reasonable prices. Although most people don't like to think about shopping for next Christmas in January, the post-Christmas sales are the ideal time to buy some gifts for the following Christmas. If you do this, make sure you store them in a dedicated place so that you can remember where they are in December!

Another way of shopping for Christmas gifts throughout the year is to buy everyone on your list an extra present for their birthday. Instead of giving them this present, put it in your Christmas storage cupboard. When December rolls around, your Christmas shopping will be finished with the exception of a few extra presents, such as stocking fillers, that you may wish to purchase.

Even if you start Christmas shopping in September, October or November, you'll still have time to find good presents at reasonable prices.

Buy Sets and Split Them Up

You can buy sets of many items, including:

• Books
• DVDs
• Clothing
• Jewelry
• Toiletries.

Once you've bought a set, you could open it up and give one or more items from the set to different people. This is especially a good idea if you see a set of DVDs, for example, that contains DVDs that several different people would like. Since sets generally cost less than buying each item individually, you'll save money.

Last year I bought a set of 3 puzzle books. I gave the sudoku book to my husband, the wordsearch book to a friend, and kept the crossword book for myself! If I'd bought three individual books, it would have cost at least three times as much.

Look for Gifts That Appear More Expensive Than They Are

Some inexpensive gifts look much more expensive than they are. Sometimes this is because they are packaged very nicely. For example, I recently saw fairly large and nicely packaged box of Belgian chocolates for £2.50 ($3.80 approx). It looked as if would cost at least twice that amount.

Take some time to look for gifts that have that expensive look without costing very much.

Shop in Unusual Places

If you shop for Christmas gifts at stores, markets and fairs where many people would not consider buying Christmas gifts, you're likely to find some good deals. You might also find unusual and unique items. For example, local craft fairs often offer a wide range of unusual, interesting and quirky items at reasonable prices. Charity shops/thrift stores often sell new and unopened gifts at lower prices than other stores. Stores in outlet malls can also be great places to hunt for inexpensive Christmas gifts.

Benefit From Discounts and Offers

Take advantage of discounts and offers as much as you can. Look out for:

• Half price discounts.
• Buy-one-get-one-free promotions.
• Buy three-pay-for-two promotions.
• Clearance items.

It's important to shop early if you want to benefit from the best discounts. In December, there are likely to be very few good discounts and promotions.

Set a total budget for your expenditure on Christmas gifts. Record how much you spend on each shopping trip so that you know how much more you have available to spend on other gifts. Alternatively, set a budget for each person and keep track of how much you've spent so far on a spreadsheet.

It is possible to buy great gifts that will delight everyone on your Christmas list without spending a large amount of money. Start shopping early and shop smartly in order to find the most suitable gifts for everyone.





  

 
 

Have Fun Making and Giving Personalized Christmas Gifts in a Jar

While browsing through a magazine, I came across the idea of making Christmas gifts in a jar. So, I decided to investigate further on the Internet.

Although many Christmas gifts in a jar are available for sale, it would be much more fun to make your own!

Also, it would be good to recycle large jars that you already have for this project. To prepare them:

• Soak them in hot water so that the labels come off.
• Thoroughly wash the inside and outside of the jar and the lid.
• Leave to dry completely.
• If the lid has a logo or writing on it, cover it with a small piece of fabric secured with an elastic band or by sticking on pretty paper with strong glue. 

Then comes the fun bit! Think of the person you'd like to give the gift to. What are their hobbies and interests? What kind of things do they like? You can then fill the jar with small gifts on the same theme.

For example, a Christmas gift jar for someone who loves sewing could contain:

• A few patchwork squares or fat quarters of pretty fabric tied together with ribbon.
• 1 or 2 reels of thread in similar colors to the fabric.
• A small 'roll-up' tape measure.
• Buttons that would go well with the fabric.
• Other small sewing accessories, such as pins, scissors and ribbon.

Once you've placed everything in the jar, write a gift tag, thread it onto a length of ribbon and tie it onto the jar with a bow.

When you've finished, it could look a bit like this:

Source: The Country Chic Cottage (where step-by-step instructions on making the gift shown above are given)

Other Christmas gifts in jars could be made for:

• Make-up addicts - fill with small cosmetics such as nail polishes, lip balms, single eye shadows - my daughter would love this!
• Bakers - jars can be filled with the ingredients you need to make cakes, cookies and other sweet treats.
• Girls who like to (or should!) pamper themselves - add small bath bombs, body lotion, hand cream, etc.

The possibilities are endless!

I like this idea because:

• You can make a very personalized gift for a special person.
• You re-use and recycle glass jars.
• You can be as creative as you like (you could also decorate the outside and the top of the jar if you wish).
• You don't need wrapping paper, so you don't add to the mountain of paper waste created by Christmas!
• The recipient won't receive another gift like it!

What do you think? Would you make and give Christmas gifts in a jar?

4 Reasons to Shop at Local Craft Fairs in the Run-Up to Christmas

Photo credit: Dar1930 via Pixabay.com

Many fairly small local craft fairs are held in the run-up to Christmas. They are good places to shop for Christmas gifts, decorations, cards and other items for several reasons.

Find Unique, Handcrafted Gifts

At local craft fairs, you'll find unique, handcrafted gifts. Look carefully and you'll find items that certain people will love. For example, if your nephew loves Thomas the Tank Engine, you might find a quilted blanket or a hand-knitted sweater with a Thomas the Tank Engine design.

You can be sure that no one else will give the same gift because you're buying an original item that's one of a kind.

Support Small Local Businesses and Charities

If you buy from sellers at craft fairs, you can be sure that you're supporting small local businesses. Charities also sometimes sell donated items at craft fairs. You can be sure that the money you spend will go towards a good cause that benefits local people.

Save Money

Although some items at craft fairs can be quite expensive, many other items are not. Most of the craftspeople make goods at home so they don't have the high overheads and expenses of larger businesses. This means that they can sell their products at reasonable prices. You'll find that many sellers have a range of prices that suit most budgets. 
 

Have a Fun Time at a Community Event!

You never know what you'll find at a craft fair, so go with a sense of anticipation and have fun. See what's on offer at every stall before deciding what you'll buy. Many craft fairs also sell freshly baked cakes, hot drinks and other refreshments, so why not enjoy these whilst chatting to other people who live in your local area? It's a good way of feeling part of your local community.


So, look in your local newspaper and find out when and where craft fairs are being held in the run-up to Christmas. Go to a few and see what you find. It might be more than you expected!

5 Easy Ways to Save Money on Christmas

Do you always spend more than you intended to on Christmas? If so, you're not alone! Here are five easy ways to save money on Christmas.

Start Shopping for Christmas Gifts as Early as Possible

Don't wait until December to start your Christmas gift shopping. By then, all the good quality, reasonably-priced products will have been sold and the stores will be filled with expensive, over-priced gifts.

If possible, shop for Christmas gifts throughout the year. Whenever you see a great gift for someone you love, purchase it immediately, if funds allow. At home, wrap it up, add a gift tag and put it in a dedicated cupboard or 'hiding place'.

If you haven't yet started Christmas gift shopping this year, start now! There are still many sales and good deals to be found in October and early November.

Spread the Cost of Food and Drink

The last grocery shop before Christmas is always expensive. In order to reduce its cost, start buying 2 or 3 extra non-perishable items each week. Store them in a separate cupboard and, by the time Christmas rolls around, all you'll need to shop for are meat, vegetables and other fresh items.

Just think - there are 12 weeks from now until Christmas week. If you added just 2 extra items for Christmas to each of your weekly grocery shops, you'd have 24 items ready for Christmas. If each item costs £2 on average, your final Christmas shop would be reduced by £48!

Make Use of What You Already Have

Most of us have lots of Christmas items tucked away in the loft, attic, garage or other storage places. However, instead of getting these items out and deciding what we can re-use this year, it's all too easy to just buy new.


Challenge yourself to find all the Christmas-related items you have in your home and see how many you can use this year. Don't buy anything new until you're convinced that you haven't already got a similar item hiding somewhere in your home!

You might also have food and drink that you can use at Christmas. Look through your kitchen cupboards and freezer to see what you can find. 

Make Things For Christmas

You can make many things for Christmas yourself, including decorations, Christmas cards, gift tags and wrapping paper.

You can even make some Christmas presents yourself. You don't have to be very good at making things to create unique personalized gifts. Some ideas are given in the Spend Less, Enjoy Christmas More eBook.

If you enjoy baking, you can make a Christmas cake, Christmas biscuits (cookies), gingerbread, mince pies and many other Christmas treats.


Send Christmas e-cards

Christmas e-cards have become an increasingly popular alternative to sending traditional Christmas cards through the post in recent years. Consider sending Christmas e-cards to at least some of the people on your Christmas card list.

You'll save money on Christmas cards and stamps and the environment will benefit (even recycling Christmas cards uses a lot of energy).  You also won't need to stress about last posting dates because you can send an e-card to anyone in the world as late as Christmas Eve!

Christmas doesn't have to be incredibly expensive! Do you have a favourite way of reducing the cost of Christmas?




  

A Way of Christmas Gift Shopping Throughout the Year

Buy each person on your Christmas present list an extra present when you buy them a birthday present. This is one way of doing your Christmas shopping throughout the year without really noticing it.

If you're already looking for gifts for a certain person, you're likely to find at least 2 or 3 things they'd like. Instead of buying just one for their birthday, why not buy two gifts, give one for their birthday and save the other one for Christmas?

The advantages of doing this are:

• It spreads the cost of Christmas shopping over the whole year.
• A better selection of products are usually available outside the Christmas rush period when lots of things have sold out.
• You can buy presents in sales that are held throughout the year. 
• It saves time - you only shop for presents for each person once during the year.

 The disadvantages I can think of are:

• It's not possible to do this for your children because they usually receive a number of gifts on both their birthdays and at Christmas (!)
• If you're shopping for a particular person's birthday gift in a month when you're short of cash, your budget probably won't stretch to buying another present. However, you could always look for a gift they'd like and buy it as soon as your funds allow.
• If you know a lot of people with birthdays in the same month, it might not be financially viable to buy them all 2 presents.

I can't remember where I first heard this way of getting most, if not all, of your Christmas gift shopping done before December rolls around but I do think it's a good idea. I don't always buy extra birthday presents and save them for Christmas but sometimes I do. If I do, I'm always glad that I have because it saves time and money in the run-up to Christmas.

Starting Christmas Gift Shopping in September!

I have a confession to make. Although in my ebook I advocate starting to shop for Christmas presents as early in the year as possible (perhaps even in January), I don't usually start buying Christmas gifts until October.

This year, it's different! I saw a book that I know my daughter would love and bought it today! So, I've turned over a new leaf and started my Christmas gift shopping in September!

As an added bonus, the book was reduced from £7.99 to £4, so I saved £3.99. That definitely wouldn't be possible nearer Christmas when all the prices are high. There are quite a few sales on at the moment, so it's a good time to look around and buy more Christmas presents.

If I bought one or two more presents a week starting today, I could finish my Christmas gift shopping by November! Then, I'd have more time for baking and other Christmas preparations.

How about you? When do you start shopping for Christmas gifts? Do you spread the cost over several months?