The “B” Word–Having a budget friendly holiday season

In a perfect world, we would have unlimited resources this time of year to host sumptuous dinner parties, shower gifts upon those we love and buy that giant roast for Christmas dinner.

Or maybe in a slightly less delusional fantasy, we’ve been super disciplined to set aside cash all year long, so that we have a respectable amount to spend on all the extras.

Or maybe, you know, life happened and all that money you set aside had to pay to fix the car or pay a medical bill, or you never got around to saving for the holidays at all.

Um, yeah. I might be in that boat with you this year.

But Thanksgiving and Christmas are still coming, right? And we all know it’s not going to pay for itself. So what can we do to stay in the black?

Keep It Simple

Hear me on this—KEEP IT SIMPLE. I bet if most of us were honest, we’d love to simplify the holidays anyway. But it’s hard to move backwards. Our families have come to expect certain things.

Do it anyway.

Let your family know that you really want to keep the holidays simple this year. And don’t make it all about money. Tell them the truth. That you want to keep the focus on the real reasons for Thanksgiving and Christmas. That you want to keep the busyness and stress to a minimum and simply enjoy being together. They might be disappointed at first. But they can’t argue with that logic.

Ways to simplify…

Shorten the gift list.

A couple years ago, I just asked my brother if we could forgo gifts for one another and just get a little for each other’s kids. He eagerly accepted. Not because he’s cheap, but because we just didn’t need one more thing.

You can also consider reducing the number of gifts your kids and family receive. Maybe one thing on their wishlist, and a couple small items. We do the 3 gifts to represent the 3 wisemen thing. But even if that’s too much for you to swing this year, cut back. The number of gifts isn’t what’s important here.

Go homemade.

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I’ve been doing this as much as possible for years. Homemade goodies make great gifts for the grandparent who already has everything anyway. Homemade is way cheaper and usually means a lot more.

My family loves candied almonds, Christmas cookies and homemade breads. Pictures of your little rascals always go over well and are inexpensive when you take and print them yourselves. Think about what you do well, and find a day to do it in bulk and wrap it up.

(Also consider what perishables might freeze well. Make them up a few weeks before Christmas, then pull out and wrap just before.)

Here’s a few links to get you thinking about what you can make.

• Rosemary Mint Sugar Scrub (plus a bunch of other ideas at the bottom) from Modern Alternative Mama
• A link up from The Happy Housewife with a TON of ideas
• Another giant list from Whole New Mom

Pair down the menu.

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The grocery bill usually takes a big hit this time of year. But special holiday food is all part of the season, and you don’t want to leave it out completely.

Make fewer types of cookies. If you regularly make Christmas cookies, and several varieties at that, you’re spending extra cash for sure. You can reduce it a bit by just making your family’s favorites. I used to make a ton of different kinds, but lately, to preserve my sanity and wallet, I just make our two favorite kinds. No one complained. Yay!

Keep regular old weekday meals simple and frugal. If I know I’m going to spend some major bucks on a turkey, well then we might eat a few more rice and bean meals. Or fill up on a baked potato. I’ll keep the cuts of meat super cheap, plan a few more vegetarian meals and try to eat from the pantry and freezer more than usual. Soups are especially good for this.

All this scrimping during the week will give you a little more cash to spend for the special meals and treats.

Be intentional.

You don’t have to go to every event. You don’t have to pick up everything your little one will squeal over. All those extra outings cost money. Even if it’s just gas money.

Stay home more. Stay out of the stores.

When you boil it down, you just have to keep that debit or credit card in your wallet. Don’t pull it out. Get a little creative. Put the emphasis on the why’s of the holiday season, not the what’s.

You know, when I think about a simple but very full holiday season, my mind goes to one of the Little House books. I remember the one where Laura received a peppermint stick, an orange and a rag doll. She was bursting with joy over those gifts. And the whole house was full with love and gratitude and a deep appreciation for the beauty of everyday.

That’s what I want. It’s not about how much money we spend. It’s about being rich in the truth of the Christmas season.

How do you keep a reign on the budget during the holidays?

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