Virtually no time is more frustrating if you are struggling financially than the holidays. Having children in your home can really amplify that frustration, especially since children normally want all of the latest gadgets and toys their friends have. Fortunately, it is still possible to enjoy a very nice family Christmas when you've got a shoestring budget. All you need is a resolution to not enter into debt and some creativity. Really, who wants to pay for Christmas gifts once the New Year comes around?
Presents
While it is always nice for you to give everyone that you love the gifts you are sure that they'll love, if you're on a tight budget, that isn't always possible. Why don't you think about making gifts as opposed to purchasing them. This can actually become a very fun family project and also a fantastic way to spend your lazy winter evenings. Something that you can choose to make is gifts of food from the stove top or oven. You can actually package the dry ingredients of your favorite recipe as well as a recipe card in a very pretty gift bag so that the recipient can prepare the dish themselves. Another wonderful gift is always to print out the recipient's name on pretty, heavy cardstock and purchase an attractive picture frame to frame the name. If it's a present for the whole family, you might print out the last name as well as the date that the family was "established". A wonderful gift for moms and dads, grandparents, uncles, and aunts is a fun picture frame where one can place the latest family photo. A gift certificate for the person that's meant for a certain task, like mowing the lawn or running errands is another nice touch which costs nothing but your time and effort.
Holiday Decor
Another expense that people find may be sizeable during the holidays is decor. First of all, use whatever you already own. And as opposed to buying pieces that you would like, make them instead. You and your family will have a lot of fun making wonderful holiday accessories, like dough ornaments, paper chains, and much more. You can make fun personalized ornaments by buying small picture frames, placing a picture of every member of the family inside, and decorating the frame with ribbons and glitter. It's also fun to drink eggnog while stringing popcorn for the tree - plus the popcorn chains which you make may be repurposed when you take the tree down to feed the birds in your backyard.
Holiday Entertaining on a Budget
Finally, lots of money is spent every Christmas when you entertain your family, but those costs are another place that you can cut down. If you're hosting a Christmas dinner, turn it into a potluck and request each family member to bring their very own special dish. You may also consider having coffee and dessert rather than the full meal, and request each family to bring along their favorite dessert to share.
These are merely some of the ways that you can cut down on the cost of the holidays so that you don't end up paying off this year's presents for many years to come.
Presents
While it is always nice for you to give everyone that you love the gifts you are sure that they'll love, if you're on a tight budget, that isn't always possible. Why don't you think about making gifts as opposed to purchasing them. This can actually become a very fun family project and also a fantastic way to spend your lazy winter evenings. Something that you can choose to make is gifts of food from the stove top or oven. You can actually package the dry ingredients of your favorite recipe as well as a recipe card in a very pretty gift bag so that the recipient can prepare the dish themselves. Another wonderful gift is always to print out the recipient's name on pretty, heavy cardstock and purchase an attractive picture frame to frame the name. If it's a present for the whole family, you might print out the last name as well as the date that the family was "established". A wonderful gift for moms and dads, grandparents, uncles, and aunts is a fun picture frame where one can place the latest family photo. A gift certificate for the person that's meant for a certain task, like mowing the lawn or running errands is another nice touch which costs nothing but your time and effort.
Holiday Decor
Another expense that people find may be sizeable during the holidays is decor. First of all, use whatever you already own. And as opposed to buying pieces that you would like, make them instead. You and your family will have a lot of fun making wonderful holiday accessories, like dough ornaments, paper chains, and much more. You can make fun personalized ornaments by buying small picture frames, placing a picture of every member of the family inside, and decorating the frame with ribbons and glitter. It's also fun to drink eggnog while stringing popcorn for the tree - plus the popcorn chains which you make may be repurposed when you take the tree down to feed the birds in your backyard.
Holiday Entertaining on a Budget
Finally, lots of money is spent every Christmas when you entertain your family, but those costs are another place that you can cut down. If you're hosting a Christmas dinner, turn it into a potluck and request each family member to bring their very own special dish. You may also consider having coffee and dessert rather than the full meal, and request each family to bring along their favorite dessert to share.
These are merely some of the ways that you can cut down on the cost of the holidays so that you don't end up paying off this year's presents for many years to come.
About the Author:
Autumn Lockwood is a writer for Your Picture Frames. Our large wall picture frames will work beautifully for displaying your favorite family photos or artwork. Come check out our website and take a look at our cool photo frames now or call 800-780-0699 today.
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