The "Holidays on a Budget" tips thread

[Nicolepa]

gemjoy,

I understand and agree, it IS for the kids, but sometimes it's out of control. Then kids expect a boatload of gifts. What if you just don't have the $ to play Santa to the hilt? Then you feel guilty. Should we have to choose between home heating oil and Santa?

I have never undersood why Santa gets to give the big presents? From the getgo we decided that WE wanted to get credit for the cool gifts. They get to tell Santa one thing they want that's in the $20-$40 range. Santa brings them that one thing and their stocking. The stocking is usually a movie and a few things we pick up at Disney. This year the stocking will be a bunch of stuff he got at Target 90% last year (Lego's, etc) and a few things from Disney.

We give them the big present. There is no way I will let Santa get credit for the cool stuff.

 

[ShariVT]

Yes I think taking the power away from Santa is important. In my house Santa does bring on gift and a stocking works great. I do this not because I want credit for gifts but so if some years there are more gifts or less gifts the kids don't feel like Santa passed them by.

 

[PrncesKMW]

My family had the same problem - tons of kids, aunts, uncles, you name it. We've been doing a Chinese Auction now for 4 years, and it is really the highlight of our get together on Christmas.

For children: each family buys as many gifts as they have children (our family has 2 kids, so we buy 2 gifts) We set a price limit on the gift - usually $30-$40. All the kids pick numbers out of a hat. Whoever number 1 is gets first pick from the pile, and opens the gift. Then the child who drew number 2 can pick out any of the remaining gifts OR may take the gift number 1 picked. This goes on until the person who goes last has their pick of any of the gifts. The catch: there is a one minute "free for all" at the end, when we start back from the beginning and the first person may switch gifts with anyone they want. That child in turn can do the same, and it keeps going for a full minute.

This works well for older children (10+) and adults - younger children are usually better with a simple grab bag, as they get offended when others "steal" their gifts. I think the grown-ups actually enjoy it more than the kids

 

[MrsPete]

it's all about the kids.

Not at our house. It's all about Jesus, and presents are secondary.

That really wasn't meant to be snide, but I hate that the media (and we as a society) have turned Christmas into a completely material thing. Common themes: It's better to give than receive, Christmas is about family, Christmas is about the kids, etc.

 

[sk!mom]

what I'd like to do.....but my DH's family would NEVER agree.......I'd like to stop with all the gifts all together. I'd like to have one huge potluck dinner and then take the kids ice skating or sledding or something. Devote a whole afternoon and evening to it. No gifts! We could play games or watch old home movies.

I am tired of the gifts. I am tired of the wrapping paper. I am tired by the time Christmas comes around. I am tired just thinking about it.

We do something similar. To get things started, you might just have to announce that you will no longer be exchanging gifts. That is what DH and I did. Surprisingly everyone else was also finding the sheer number of gifts, amount of shopping, and stress overwhelming. But if they hadn't agreed then we were prepared to stick to it for ourselves.

At first, we had a name draw for the adults of my generation and we bought for all the children because there were only a few. My parents do not participate. They insist on buying for everyone and we all buy for them. After a few years, we added a name draw for the next generation (my children and their cousins) because by that time my 4 siblings and I had quite a few children between us.

Last year in a continued effort to pare down, my brother and I approached the rest of the family about ending the gift exchange name drawing for everyone over 18. The children still draw. Instead of an adult gift exchange, each family put in whatever they could afford and we adopted a needy family and bought gifts for them. It turned out to be one of the most meaningful things any of us had ever done. We have all always participated in different angel trees and toys for tots but having several families pitch in allowed us to completely take care of Christmas for one family that was struggling.

This is what we did- When we all got to our hometown Christmas week we pooled our money and had a planning session. DH had located a family through our local UW. We then split the money and the kids into teams with adults in charge of each team and headed to the mall one morning. After our shopping trip, we had a wrapping party at our house. That night we rented a trolley and delivered the gifts to the family and then went on a light tour all together. Finally we went back to my parents house for cocoa and cookies.

We all agreed that our children learned valuable lessons about the spirit of Christmas that night and it will be an annual tradition. None of us missed the candles, Bath and Body, or clutter we would have gotten and we all appreciated the wonderful memories we made.

 

[kayebee]

what I'd like to do.....but my DH's family would NEVER agree.......I'd like to stop with all the gifts all together.

I so agree with this--I would love to stop giving gifts, too--by default, I'm the designated gift buyer in our house and my husband is not close to anyone in his family (his father and two unmarried brothers) so I don't know any of them well enough to get gifts for them, and vice versa. This past year was so ridiculous they actually emailed each other with what they wanted for gifts! I mean, what is the point?

On the other hand, I enjoy picking out gifts for my sister and brother and their families, who I am very close to, so I guess it wouldn't go over too well to suggest we just stop exchanging gifts with his side????

 

[TEXASPRINCESSES]

a great gift to give a family is a christmas morning basket..this includes a pancake mix, pancake molds, syrup, etc--maybe some mugs and tea, coffee or cocoa-- you can customize it to the family your giving it to--I am doing this for loads of our family friends this year!

also..Homemade Gourmet mixes make great gifts--these are inexpensive and always appreciated by those reciving them--they are also great mixes to have on hand to make for parties etc...

 

[barbeml]

Can we get back to the clever money-saving tips?

Oops...thanks TEXASPRINCESS, you beat me to it!

 

[deide71]

We used to exchange gifts with two other couples we are close to. As our families grew this got expensive. Now, we all get togther (a group of 12) and share a big, fun meal at Buca. The entrees are family style, so the more people the more you get to try. It's so much fun. We look forward to it every year. The restaurant is crowded and loud, so no one minds the kids if they get rowdy. Hey, after a few glasses of chainti the adults get rowdy too!!!

 

[sk!mom]

Can we get back to the clever money-saving tips?

Oops...thanks TEXASPRINCESS, you beat me to it!

Your original post was "I need help with ideas for a "budget" holiday season". Cutting down on the number of gifts or eliminating them altogether is certainly a "budget" idea. I'm not exactly sure what qualifies as a "clever money saving tip"?

 

[grlpwrd]

I don't mean to be contrary, but several people have mentioned looking for nice gifts at clearance prices, etc. . . .

this is one of the things that fuels the gotta-buy monster. Searching out clearance sales (right after Christmas or throughout the year) allows us to "give more", which leads to higher expectations next year. It leads to, "Well, I'd only send them a card, but last year they gave me _____, so I'd better give them a nice gift." And this cycle inevitably leads to greater spending and stress. This is a good strategy for people for whom you'll ALWAYS buy --your mom, your kids -- but it's like shooting yourself in the foot when it comes to co-workers and casual aquaintances who are in the "might exchange gifts" category.

Actually, I think we're on the same wavelength as I don't believe in over buying for whatever reason. I stated I also have a shelf full of clearanced items that I collect throughout the year to be used for gift giving. Often times we get items that people don't really want or have a use for or I end up buying too many Target markdowns so I limit myself now. and was being brief. For the purpose of the thread I didn't want to take a tangent as I have read books like Unplug the Christmas Machine which emphasizes the true meaning of Christmas rather than all the commercialism.

I don't go to Target much for markdowns as gifts as much as I used to. It's a vicious cycle to me to buy things that I don't know if they want or if they will end up not used or regifted. Most often, though, because I spend a fraction of the cost I feel like I need another gift to give, too.

With us we try to celebrate Christmas with frugality and simplicity in mind. That is, I don't want to spend lots of $$$ and I also don't want junk and give people junk, too.

 

[mom2alix]

Great ideas so far! Here's a link for a great recipe for honey baked ham. If you cook it yourself, you can save a lot versus buying one. This site actually has a lot of great recipes for streching the food budgets.

http://snider.mardox.com/classics.htm

 

[smfritz03]

Instead of buying a ton of christmas tree decorations, sit the kids down and make them--its cheaper and the tree every year will have memories from the time you made a certain ornament. We also make a point to buy a Christmas Ornament each vacation to add to our tree--so our tree is our Memory Tree--it is a trip down memory lane each time we take our Christmas boxes down.

Another thing I plan to incorparate this year is 1 big gift and 3 smaller ones---and I bought a beautiful book of the Story of Christmas. So when we wake up--the kids will do their stockings and then we will settle in and read our book and then open 3 gifts---as the Wisemen gave 3 gifts. We are a Christian family and I want to keep the true meaning of Christmas close to my children--as I feel thats the best present of all. Also--dh and I pick a family in the community that we know doesnt have anything--and we take the kids out shopping--we pick out gifts and a Christmas dinner--and drop it off on Christmas Eve---and that is there favorite part of Christmas and what they ALWAYS remember---they cant recall what they got each Christmas, but they remember every year what family they helped the previous year.

I think taking the big step away from buying everything is the most important thing you will ever do for your family. Memories of a Family Christmas is the greatest gift---I grew up w/ out $$--but each Christmas was one I can truly say was special and full of memories---and my friends who had $$ growing up---can not say the same. Because what it boils down to is---the children/other family will always have that memory, but not the mountain of gifts.

In 3-4 years--instead of Christmas presents, we are just going to go on a family cruise. It will be pricer than our normal christmas, but will be worth the time spent together.

 

[Shagley]

Ideas for inexpensive gift baskets (giving things that people will actually use)...

Stationary basket - boxes of note cards, a nice pen, address book, stamps

Movie basket - DVD's (or movie rental gift card), box of microwave popcorn, large candy bar, bottle of soda, Popcorn bucket

Smaller movie basket - Target has small plastic popcorn containers in their dollar spot. They would be the right size for 1 video rental gift card (or an inexpensive DVD), 1 20 oz soda, 1 package of microwave popcorn, and 1 regular size candy bar. These would make great kids gifts for about $7 or $8 each (if you give a $5.00 gift card) - great for kids to give to their friends.

Spaghetti basket - spaghetti noodles, sauce, parmesian cheese, wine - put in a wire mesh collander (from Dollar Tree)

Baking basket - vanilla extract, cinnamon, sprinkles, cookie cutters, dish towels, wooden spoons, put in mixing bowl

Reading basket - books, bookmark, book light, gift card to book store.

Bath basket - bubble bath, inflatable bathtub pillow, towel, book, bath beads, scented candle.

Beauty basket - body wash, puffy mesh thing, lotion, powder, eye mask, etc.

Game day basket - Beer, beer nuts, Subway gift card, M & M's, team t-shirt, small toy football, basketball, etc.

Wine basket - wine, crackers, cheese, wine glass charms

The best thing to do is think of something that interests the person you are buying for, and think of a few inexpensive items you can get them that they will actually use. Individually the items may sound stingy, but if you put them together and put them in a cute container, it turns into a really nice gift and it shows that you have put thought into buying for them.

 

[ziggystardust]

I love the gift basket idea. I will probably do that for a few.

Where do you get inexpensive baskets (larger ones that would hold wine and such) and how much does your average basket (with everything in it) run you?

 

[CrzyforPiglet]

I make homemade toffee each year which always gets rave reviews so this past year I waited until the holiday ziploc containers came out - clear w/red top and put my candy in those, tied some festive ribbon around it (on sale from Michael's) and had an instant gift.

I'm also on the the lookout throughout the year for gifts with purchase on things I would use anyway. I think a couple of months ago there was a link here on the boards for a philosophy offer so I was able to get two great gifts for the price of one. I've been able to get a lot of great gifts this way. This year has worked out well b/c I bought my sister a new toiletry bag for our May Disney trip and I've been filling it with free samples I signed up for here on the budget board.

Other than that I follow the same tricks a lot of people do!

Good luck - Laurie

 

[solgent]

Reading through the posts, I notice that people are stressed about selecting gifts as much or more than spending money. Here are some ideas to address the gift selection issue.

1) Get someone the "same thing" every year. Example, you always give your sister a Christmas ornament. She knows what it will be, but every year it's different. There are many possibilities: cookbook, beach towel, sweater, throw pillow, magnets, calendar, earrings, soap, candles, picture frame, food or liquor. Anything that people can use up or tend to have non-matching multiples of.

2) Get everyone the same thing. You can do this literally, with people getting the exact same item, such as a waffle iron, or more generally, where everyone gets a magazine subscription, but they each get different magazines.

3) If you don't live in the same place as the recipients, get local items. Even if they're not that great, at least they'll be different. Also, if it comes from a familiar store, people will know what you spent, but if they have not seen the item before, it's harder to tell what it cost. I recently bought a beautiful, locally handmade tile for a friend. It is so gorgeous that I hate to part with it. I asked my husband to guess how much it cost. He said $35. It actually cost $14.50.

4) The other thing that helps me is that I don't try to buy the "perfect gift." Some years people will be really pleased with their gifts and other years, maybe not so much. Looking for the perfect gift puts a lot of pressure on during the search and when you give the gift-- did they like it enough? I just get something reasonable, that won't make them think, "WHY did she get me this!?" Even if they don't love it, they know I tried.

 

[babytrees]

We have, as a family 5 grandmas(only 3 grandpas) to buy for, we have 7 total but two are a long story...so what we have done for the last 7 years is make them presents...candles, ornaments, vases. This year will be picture frames with our pictures in them. These gifts cost at the most $10 (this year....pics are expensive!!) a grandma and all grandmas treasure them more because of the thought and time that goes into them....one even commented that she thought we had bought last year's vase and was disappointed until we told her we had painted it.

For our girls we have always been pretty miserly....they know to only expect one present from mom & dad other than their yearly ornament and Christmas outfit, they also know Santa only brings one present because there are a lot of kids who aren't as lucky to have the grandmas they do. There have been some years we have been able to do more than one present but those are the exceptions and the girls know it.

We send a box of little items through Operation Christmas Child and for under $40 we have given a little one sometimes their first present EVER!! We also try and adopt a Grandma through a nursing home and give to them in honor of our grandparents(this one is not always feasible, pocketbook wise).

Our favorite part of the holiday is to see how we can spread love....one family at a time!!

One inexpensive dessert for Christmas day is a birthday cake for Jesus.

Kids in our family are the ones who receive presents....we shop all the year through, I have gotten rid of the value demon talked about by a pp by looking at the original price and congratulating myself on getting the $35 present for $5 and they'll never know the difference!!

My goodness I didn't mean to ramble so.

 

[christinadei]

We normally only buy for the kids. For the adults in the family. for Granparents, aunts and uncles, etc. Me and DS make Christmas ornaments with his christmas picture. I sometimes will put together gift baskets with baked goods or candy/nuts, etc.

I also buy things on clearance after christmas. I have lots of ornaments (to put DS's picture in) and christmas cards, wrapping paper, etc. From last year. I usually wait until it's 75% and 90% off and stock up then.

For the kids christmas gifts, I just watch for sales. I got DS and 2 DN's some of the PJ pals on clearance from Disney direct. I also got some summer items for summer birthdays for next year for next to nothing. I've also been picking up things on clearance at Target and Toys R Us. I've got most everyone bought for.

I always go shopping on Black Friday, there are some amazing deals. Especially for DH.

 

[kjh]

Ideas for inexpensive gift baskets (giving things that people will actually use)...

Stationary basket - boxes of note cards, a nice pen, address book, stamps

Movie basket - DVD's (or movie rental gift card), box of microwave popcorn, large candy bar, bottle of soda, Popcorn bucket

Smaller movie basket - Target has small plastic popcorn containers in their dollar spot. They would be the right size for 1 video rental gift card (or an inexpensive DVD), 1 20 oz soda, 1 package of microwave popcorn, and 1 regular size candy bar. These would make great kids gifts for about $7 or $8 each (if you give a $5.00 gift card) - great for kids to give to their friends.

Spaghetti basket - spaghetti noodles, sauce, parmesian cheese, wine - put in a wire mesh collander (from Dollar Tree)

Baking basket - vanilla extract, cinnamon, sprinkles, cookie cutters, dish towels, wooden spoons, put in mixing bowl

Reading basket - books, bookmark, book light, gift card to book store.

Bath basket - bubble bath, inflatable bathtub pillow, towel, book, bath beads, scented candle.

Beauty basket - body wash, puffy mesh thing, lotion, powder, eye mask, etc.

Game day basket - Beer, beer nuts, Subway gift card, M & M's, team t-shirt, small toy football, basketball, etc.

Wine basket - wine, crackers, cheese, wine glass charms

The best thing to do is think of something that interests the person you are buying for, and think of a few inexpensive items you can get them that they will actually use. Individually the items may sound stingy, but if you put them together and put them in a cute container, it turns into a really nice gift and it shows that you have put thought into buying for them.

LOVE THESE!!

My dad and I bake cookies for relatives we exchange with but hardly see. We go to Wal-Mart and buy a functional container (like a storage container or a tupperware/rubbermaid sort of container) for a few bucks and put the cookies in there with red & green tissue paper (bought the year before during after christmas sales).

I also like the scrapbook idea.

This year I might try making soaps. I made some for my baby shower and haven't touched all my soap making stuff since. DH complains that I spend so much on "projects" and then never do them much. Plus when you make soap in bulk, not so expensive.