Being on a budget can be especially discouraging during the holidays. It's easy to look at what we "can't afford" or what we "don't have", that we lose sight of the beauty of the things and people around us…the lifelong memories we can create with little or no money.
Here are 7 of our family's favorite frugal Holiday Traditions.
1. Decorating Christmas Cookies
My husband and I started this tradition when we were first married 10 years ago, and have carried it on with our two children. We start with a simple sugar cookie recipe, cut out shapes using Christmas cookie cutters, and decorate with whatever we have on hand (like sprinkles, chocolate chips, or even marshmallows).
It's an inexpensive way to get into the holiday mood, (most baking supplies go on sale this time of year), and we look forward to kicking off the Christmas season with some goodies to share with friends and neighbors.
2. Making Homemade Ornaments
I do a homemade ornament with my kids each year to hang on our tree. It's been as simple as tracing their handprint onto construction paper, cutting it out and sticking a pipe cleaner through it — but it's a beautiful reminder to cherish the moments since each progressing ornament shows how quickly they’ve grown from year to year!
3. Looking at Christmas Lights
Our town has many beautiful light displays, and on several evenings before Christmas, we like to take a few sugar cookies, maybe put some apple cider into respective sippy cups, and drive around looking at all the lights while blasting our favorite Christmas music CD.
4. Christmas Eve Pajamas
Following a tradition dating back three generations in my family, our kids get to open one gift on Christmas Eve, and it's always a pair of pajamas and a book.
I try to find clearance items throughout the year, so the pajamas may have cost less than $5 and the book may have been from the dollar store, but it's still one of our favorite traditions.
5. "Adopting" Someone
Helping someone out during the holidays doesn't have to cost money, but we always try to find a way to bless at least one family during the Christmas season.
Whether it's giving them some of the gift cards we've collected through Swagbucks so they are able to buy a gift for their children, babysitting for a single mom so she can get some shopping done, visiting a nursing home and bringing handmade cards and a listening ear, or inviting someone who has no family over for Christmas dinner, you don't have to spend a lot to bless someone else.
A small gesture to you may mean to world to someone else.
6. The Sounds of the Season
My two year old was born deaf, and last year received cochlear implant surgery that gave him the incredible gift of sound. Our newest tradition (but one of the most meaningful) is listening for specific "sounds of the season” wherever we go (bells, carolers, wrapping paper, even the timer on the oven I use when baking), that our son is now able to hear.
"Junior can hear _____!" we'll exclaim when we hear a new sound, as a reminder that the best gifts in life have nothing to do with packages and bows.
7. Christmas Morning Communion
It's a simple act, but before opening any stockings or presents, our family takes communion using some toast and apple cider as a reminder that Christmas isn't about the WHAT, it's about the WHO, and His perfect gift to us.
These are a few of our family’s favorite frugal family traditions — I’d love to hear about some of your in the comments!
Sara is a homeschooling momma to 6-year old Tater and 2-year old Junior. Her hobbies used to include sleeping, reading, and cooking for fun, but then she had children. She blogs about special needs, money (and time) saving recipes, and homeschooling at Save Money, Live Joyfully.
Thank you so much for joining me this week for the Clean Your House for Christmas Challenge. It made such a big difference in our home and it inspired me to continue cleaning out other neglected areas in our home in the coming days and weeks.
Today was the first day all week that I’ve finally felt almost completely 100% again — which was such a blessing after days of being sick and then just feeling really tired as a result of being sick. I’m so grateful to be on the mend and back to full steam again!
Silas made scrambled eggs for breakfast — and needed almost zero help from me to make them! I still turn the burner on for him and oversee him carefully, but it’s exciting to see him really picking up on cooking skills this year.
I started the She Reads Truth 1 & 2nd Peter Study today… I can already tell I’m going to benefit greatly from it! Taking time to be quiet and spend time studying God’s Word, reading from a good book, and counting my blessings is such a great start to my day!
I love that this girl has really started to love reading! I keep catching her with her nose stuck in books this week!
While I was working on finishing up my morning cleaning, Silas asked if he could help clean all the windows. He spent an HOUR working on cleaning all the windows on the first floor! I was quite impressed!
The rest of the morning was spent on homeschooling. Right before lunch, I finally had a chance to get in a quick run on the treadmill. And then Jesse got home and made lunch while I hopped in the shower and got dressed and ready.
I came downstairs and we ate lunch and read aloud together. Then Jesse took over homeschooling and I headed out to spend a few hours working at the shared office space we have a membership to. I was grateful to finally feel up to getting out of the house today… while I love being home, I find that I’m much more productive when I leave for the afternoon and working at the office space. Plus, it was just good to get out of the house after being home almost all day every day for the past week because I just haven’t felt well.
When I got home, I tackled the bathroom cupboards. I’m kind of embarrassed to show you this one… because you see that duffle bag stuffed in the cupboard?
That’s a duffle bag we packed for a trip we went on in AUGUST.
Um, yeah.
I wasn’t kidding when I told you I’ve neglected deep cleaning…
It feels SO good to f-i-n-a-l-l-y have that bag unpacked and put away. And to have that bathroom cupboard cleaned out and organized.
Bathroom cupboard #2: Before
And after. Much better.
While I didn’t get all the deep cleaning done that I’d hoped to this week, I tackled a LOT of projects and areas that have been very neglected these past six months of my life and it feels so good to open drawers and closets and cupboards and see such neat and organized spaces again.
Now I’m determined to work on keeping them that way!
Leave a Comment & You Could Win This Stack of Books!
In my cleaning today, I found some more books that I’d love to pass on to a good home, most all that are ones I’ve loved and just want to share with someone who could be encouraged by them! Plus, I threw in a copy of both my audiobook, Say Goodbye to Survival Mode, and a copy of my new Choose Gratitude Blessings Journal that’s now out of stock in our store (I have a few copies left!), and a copy of my first book, The Money Saving Mom’s Budget.
Who wants to win them? To win, just leave a comment on this post and I'll choose one winner tomorrow evening and will mail them to you so you'll have them in time for Christmas. Some of these books are great condition and might even work as gifts for people on your Christmas list!
Did you work on cleaning your house today? If you blogged about participating in this Clean Your House For Christmas Challenge, leave the direct link to your post below that is specifically about this challenge. Or, leave a comment telling us how your cleaning went today.
The winner of yesterday’s stack of books is Jennifer (jjsbarrilleaux@) — I sent you an email tonight to ask for your address.
2 18-ct cartons Eggs (@$1.77/each) – $3.54, receive $0.50 back from Checkout 51 – $3.04 after rebate
2 13-oz packages Land O’ Frost Simply Delicious Lunchmeat – (B1G1) – $5.49, used 2 $0.75/1 printable (doubled) – $2.49/2 after coupons
2 boxes Bigelow Tea (B1G1) – $2.99, used 2 $0.55/1 printable (doubled) – $0.79/2 after coupons
1 package Mariani Craisins – $1.69, used $0.50/1 Mariani Dried Fruit Snack, exp. 1/31/15 (SS 11/23/14) – $0.69 after coupon
used $15 Walgreens Register Rewards (leftover from Black Friday Walgreens deals)
Total after Rebate: $5.01
Azure Standard
(a friend from church coordinates group orders from Azure Standard, and I have been able to get some great deals from this online store)
20lbs “In Season” Organic Apples – $14.00
Total with Tax: $15.14
Flower Foods Bakery
(My husband came home with all of the following – the man has definitely learned how to score a great deal! You should have seen how proud he was of himself. And yes, most of this is white and processed, but it went straight to our freezer, and will be interspersed with homemade whole-grain baked goods.)
19 packages of Bread (including Regular and Cinnamon Raisin Bagels, Bagel Thins, English Muffins, Hot Dog Buns and Sandwich Bread) – $6.30
Total: $6.30
Sams
(a friend picked this up for me – a fantastic price for coconut flour!)
5lbs of Organic Coconut Flour – $8.98
Total: $8.98
Weekly Total: $43.64
Weekly Menu Plan
Breakfasts
Oatmeal and Fruit (we have bananas, pears, cranberries and blueberries in the freezer right now, so the children love picking a different fruit each morning to stir into their oatmeal); Eggs and Toasted Bagels, Cereal, Buckwheat Pancakes, Homemade Yogurt and Granola
Lunches
Peanut Butter and Honey Sandwiches, Apples, Green Pepper Slices
Baked Potatoes with Cheese and Broccoli
Tuna Sandwiches, Cucumbers, Apples
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Apples, Carrot Sticks
Scrambled Eggs and Spinach, Buttered Brown Rice
Leftovers x 2
Dinners
Cheesy Hashbrown Potatoes with Ham (someone gave us a ham at Thanksgiving, and we have lots of leftover in the freezer), Green Beans, Toasted Bagels
I love buying gifts and receive so much joy out of choosing the perfect present for that special someone. But year after year, it can be really hard on the finances to buy for each individual — especially when your income doesn’t grow at the same rate as your list.
My solution = Family Gifts.
Buying for a family as opposed to each person person not only cuts down on the amount of gifts you need to purchase, it also means you don’t have to spend as much. For example: If you spend $20 per person for a family of 5, that’s $100. But if you buy a really nice family gift for only $50, you’ve cut your costs in half!
Here are a couple ideas for frugal family gifts:
1. Gift baskets are great family gifts to give, because you can easily create one for any budget. Not sure what to put in your basket? Here are a bunch of creative ideas!
2. Another option is to buy just one gift the whole family can enjoy. Consider what sort of activities each family normally does together, then buy them a gift that complements their interests — board games, outdoor activities, DVD’s, etc.
3.Collaborating with others and go in on a bigger gift. Send your parents on a bed-and-breakfast adventure, buy a theme park pass for the whole family to enjoy, treat your grandparents to an expensive dinner reservation, or pitch in to buy a playground for the kids.
Next time you’re out shopping for Christmas gifts, think about family gifts rather the individuals gifts. You’ll significantly cut costs, and make the season a lot simpler. I’d say that’s a win-win!
And yes, most of this is white and processed, but it went straight to our freezer, and will be interspersed with homemade whole-grain baked goods.)
