Christmas time is approaching fast. Many people are already excited about the wonderful season of giving. Some of us are worried because we don’t have enough money. Here are some ways to have Christmas on a tight budget.
The season of giving is not something that comes cheap for most people these days, so we have to learn how to be a smart buyer. There are some things you can do as a smart buyer to get the coolest gifts for the people on your list and still save money.
How to Save Money and Still Have a Special Christmas
Prepare yourself by making a list of everyone you want (or need) to buy a gift for. Add names as you think of them; try to get your list complete.
Making your list of whom to buy for and what to buy before you make your trips into town will take some of the stress off your Christmas shopping season.
Planning your shopping trips for Christmas in advance will do your mind and spirit good. The earlier you hit the stores to shop, the more options you will have. You are avoiding the rush, getting the best deals while saving money, and the best choices are still available.
Home Made Gifts
Giving personalized gifts and homemade presents has become quite popular. Christmas is all about spending time together with family, loved ones and friends. A personal gift leaves that someone special with a precious memory.
Personalized and homemade gifts can save you a lot of money as well. The time you spend creating your gift is a good indication of how special that person is to you.
For people who enjoy cooking, spend some time making fudge or cooking homemade gifts for family and friends. You can create beautiful and delicious food, while having Christmas on a tight budget.
A bottle filled with all the exact measured out dry ingredients for a special recipe, and the recipe attached to the bottle makes a wonderful gift.
Placing a decorative ornamental covering on the bottle and adding a big, bright Christmas bow will be an inexpensive but wonderful present for someone special.
These are great gift ideas for grandparents from their young grandchildren! And you and your kids can have a fun afternoon creating them!
Save Money By Shopping Online
You can save a lot of money and gas by shopping online. Search the Internet for special deals on gifts. You can also learn all about new products this way.
Online shopping not only saves money, but time. You can make purchases at home, and most retailers’ offer free shipping during the Christmas season.
You spend far less money than you would by going to the mall because you will not spend money unnecessarily. The same deals can be found online that you will find by shopping in the stores, but you save money, time and gas.
Online shopping is one of the very best ways to prepare for Christmas on a tight budget!
Starting New Traditions to Save Money
There is no reason you have to follow past years traditions when shopping for Christmas. Just because you and a friend from work swapped presents last year does not mean that you have to this year.
One way of ending the trend of present buying for everyone is to put a note in along with your Christmas cards. Let people know that you are donating your money to a special charity this year instead of buying gifts.
The person receiving the card will know that they do not have to buy you a gift as well, and the chain of present buying is over, saving you and the other person money.
You can take the total amount you would have spent combined and make a donation to a community group or charity.
For friends at work, suggest a $5 limit on a secret Santa gift. This means everyone saves money by only buying one gift, and you still have a lot of fun playing secret Santa!
The true meaning of Christmas is the opportunity for friends and families to get together and show one another love.
It is not the Christmas present that counts, but the true meaning behind Christmas, so spending a lot of money is not an issue.
As long as you take the time and effort to show those people you really care, the season will go well. You will make everyone happy without spending a lot of money doing it.
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