Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year from our family to yours! This “season of giving” always seems to highlight the struggle between being true to your finances versus indulging and spreading joy to others. A generous Christmas could easily negate significant financial progress made through the year. Our family has paid off most of our debt and increased our savings, but we still relied on our frugal ways this holiday season. These are some of the ways that we saved money on Christmas this year.
Poshmark
Forgive my slight obsession, but this app/website has truly become an invaluable tool for our finances and busy schedule. Poshmark also helped us save money for Christmas. We used funds from used clothing that we had sold. I purchased a lovely, fancy peacoat for Tornado at a great price. I also found some great deals on toys still in the box.
We also “splurged” on pajamas. Our family doesn’t do a fancy dinner, so I can focus on Christmas morning outfits instead of dress-up clothes. That tends to be when we take the most pictures anyways. We did not buy brand-new, perfectly matching pajamas. Instead, we all found our own version of red and green plaid, so everyone can have their own style but still look like part of the group.
You can read all about my experience with Poshmark here.
Toy Barn
Tornado really wanted a Barbie Dream House this year. She will be ten years old next year, so we questioned the life expectancy of this fairly extravagant gift in our home. Then, we looked at the price of these little mansions and found ourselves trying to talk her out of the idea. Fortunately, we have found another great resource through Facebook Marketplace – a local “Toy Barn.” There is a gentleman nearby who collects and resells used toys. We were amazed at the variety of things he had for sale, in good condition, and for really great prices. Miss Tornado was ecstatic to receive her giant house on Christmas morning, and we were very satisfied in having only spent $45, including several Barbie dolls and a bunch of accessories.
Old Gift Cards
Where is your pile of gift cards? Ours are in a bowl on top of the microwave. They accumulate from various places and there are always some with only a few dollars left. With your mind already on shopping, it’s a perfect time to check that stash before every online checkout. We were able to use up over $50 worth of old gift cards . . . and now there’s less clutter too.
No Electronics
Screens and gadgets are usually the “big ticket” items when it comes to Christmas expenses. Although one of the four-year-old twins actually asked for an iPad (definitely LOL’d at that one), we did not buy any of the kids any devices or videogames. We purchased useful things and fun items, and they each had plenty of gifts to open up in the morning. With five kids, we try to steer away from the expensive items.
Crochet Gifts
I will find any excuse to take on new crochet projects, and Christmas gifts are a perfect opportunity to try out new patterns. Everyone seems to agree that there is something extra special about homemade gifts, and they only cost you some time and materials.
This year I made crochet cup cozies as teacher gifts. The cup cozies were red and green, and I added a white and sparkly gold star. The kids presented these to their teachers with a gift card. The free crochet star pattern is from One Dog Woof. I used this sparkly twine, which was a pain to work with, but turned out so pretty. The cup cozy pattern is from Crochet in the Sun. I added a row of single crochet to the top and bottom so there was a green border on each side.
I also made my first crochet table runner, for my mother. Baby blankets tend to be my favorite crochet projects, but this was fun to make. There may be more table runners in my future. The free pattern is from Haven Cottage Happenings, although I did add an extra row of double crochet to the border.
Re-Gifting
Hear me out: I’m not a crazy frugal person who’s going to suggest giving back someone’s own gift to you. But, we all have some things we received for gifts that have gone unused. We also try to donate to those in need at Christmastime. So, instead of buying new items for donation, first take a look around your home for unopened gifts that would be much more appreciated by someone in need.
Holiday Postcards
The past few years we have used Vistaprint to order a 50-pack of postcards instead of paying for traditional Christmas cards. They are cheaper, we have plenty to share with everyone, and the postage costs less to send them too.
BONUS: Family Activity
Our new tradition, as this was the third year in a row, is that we load everyone up in the bus with cookies and hot chocolate to look at Christmas lights. There are a bunch of places that have really amazing displays and some are even timed to go with music over the radio. It has become a wonderful, memorable with very little expense.
Spending Versus Saving for This Christmas
There were more gifts under the tree than have been there in the past. Our financial situation has changed drastically in comparison to just five years ago. It did not happen magically, but only through working hard and being smart about money. We could have indulged in holiday spending, but instead we were cautious, enjoying some freedom from the constraints of debt while continuing to rely on our frugal ways.
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