Frugal Christmas and Holiday Ideas for your Christmas and Winter Holiday Celebrations
Say NO to a Consumer Christmas!
December 06, 2004
The word on the street and in the lyrics of most holiday jingles suggests “Tis the season to be jolly”. So why then, are we all running around like nut cases spending money we don’t have - only to work harder at our job (away from our families) to pay interest on a silly darn Tonka truck? The very Tonka truck that a kid plays with for maybe 10 minutes, then throws it away and ends up playing with the box that granny‘s stove came in a month ago.
It is time to get a grip on Christmas and find the balance between values and material goods. For instance, what would a 5 year old girl want more: quality time with a relaxed parent and a $20 gift or both parents stressed about keeping up with the Joneses and working long hours to pay for gifts that no one really has time to enjoy?
Here is a little activity to do with your family in order to determine the actual cost of Christmas. Write down and add up a Christmas budget which will include:
Calculate how much of that money is going to be put on a credit card and how long it will take you to pay it off. Add the cumulative interest you will pay to the credit card company to the total cost of Christmas for your final Christmas cost number. Now, calculate your household income per week. How many weeks of work will it take to pay for Christmas? Would you prefer to spend one or two weeks with your family or spend the three hours opening presents? It is a personal choice and there is a balance to be made.
Christmas is a national holiday to spend time with our loved ones. Let’s make it fun again. Play a game of who can bury daddy in the snow the fastest. Have stockings and presents but in moderation. A few small things for the stocking, a few necessary gifts like clothing and one or two gifts to enjoy. Christmas does not need to break the bank to be enjoyable. The key to a simple enjoyable Christmas is to make it fun. Sit down and play with the kids and enjoy visiting relatives.
Frugal Fanatic Tip:
Worried about how the kids will react to the anti-consumer Christmas? Don’t be! Being financially wise is securing their future and they may be too young to understand that. Simplifying does not mean deprivation. If done right, the kids may not even notice a cut back and if they do, then explain the situation to them. Let them know that you value your time with them and you would rather be home than out working to pay off a plastic toy. Another explanation, my favorite, is that you would rather put the money towards their future education then towards an excess of toys. Education lasts a lifetime and college is expensive. It’s never too early to teach spending versus saving consequences.
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Frugal Holiday Traditions
It is easy to get tangled in the scheduling of who is going to be at whose home on special holidays. There is our nuclear family, our in-laws, our parents, siblings, uncles and aunts, grandparents, god parents, cousins... the list goes on. How do we stop the madness of running around and stressing while still being able to see as many of our loved ones as possible? The answer is to be flexible, have lots of traditions and invite everyone to those traditions. Eventually you will see the majority of your family. Here are some fun frugal and easy holiday traditions to invite your family to.
Christmas Parades:
Most towns have Christmas parades, and if not your particular town then one within an easy drive. The Christmas parade is good for young and old and is usually followed by the city tree lighting ceremony. If a member of the family is frail then if at all possible have a non-frail member of the family stay home with them and bake cookies together or open a bottle of gin and talk about Christmas past. Whatever keeps the holiday feeling alive and well.
Volunteer at Soup Kitchen
This is a great family activity that can be done from age 4 and up. It brings a family together working towards a good cause. Volunteering will leave the family happy to have spent time together and feel good about helping the less fortunate. If finding a common date on which all can volunteer together seems daunting then pick a food pantry. Everyone can then go over to a family member’s house for coffee and cookies, while bringing a few things for the local food pantry.
Church Choirs:
Church Choirs are wonderful to listen to during the holiday season. Why not share the experience with extended family. Call grandparents and offer to pick them up for the local choir concert. They will appreciate it and the rest of the family will enjoy it. It will be a nice family night out.
Tree Trimming:
Tree trimming is one of the best things to host a family gathering for. Young and old can participate. The decorated tree will represent a family effort. Throw on some Christmas music and pass around the egg nog. That is all it takes to have a frugal festive family tradition.
Frugal Fanatic Tip:
Try to include family members that are difficult to fit into family Christmas projects by adding an event around the Christmas family event. For example, the family has planned to get together to help out Habitat for Humanity as a Christmas event. One of the couples could stay home and host the children and the elderly for crafts and lunch. Then everyone comes over to meet up again after the volunteer project for some Christmas coffee and cake.
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Frugal Stocking Stuffer Ideas:
After stretching the budget to purchase everyone's gifts it might be a little daunting to think about spending more money on stocking stuffers for your loved ones. Stocking stuffers do not need to be expensive to be enjoyed. Here are a few ideas to get those stockings stuffed.
Edible Stuffers:
Using food as stocking stuffers is a terrific frugal idea. Only non-perishables should be used due to the fact they will be hanging in a room temperature stocking overnight. Here are some ideas.
Frugal Clothing Stuffers:
Clothing stocking stuffers is a great way to give loved ones what they need for the up coming winter months.
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Gloves
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Scarves
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Mittens
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Socks
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Slippers
Frugal Toy Stuffers:
Toy stocking stuffers are generally small frugal trinkets for the kids to enjoy Christmas day.
Frugal Miscellaneous Ideas:
For the person who has everything it is always good to give them stuffers they are sure to use and/or in need of replacement.
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Oven mittens
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Toothbrushes
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Batteries
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Chap Stick
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Gift Certificates
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Soaps
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Small tools
Ginger Bread Cookies Recipes
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup Molasses
3/4 cup oil
1/2 cup hot water
2 Eggs
1 teaspoon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons ginger
6 cups flour
Directions:
1. Combine first four ingredients in large bowl.
2. Add eggs.
3. Mix dry ingredients together and add to wet.
4. Mix well.
5. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
6. Roll dough out on surface and cut with desired shapes.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
8. These cookies freeze well and are softer and more flavorful after freezing.
PlayDough
Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1 cup water
1 tablespoon oil
2 teaspoons creme of tartar food coloring
Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients in saucepan.
2. Cook on medium heat until thick.
3. Store in airtight container
Frugal fanatic tip:
Start thinking of next years stockings the day after Christmas. Items such as Christmas ornaments, specialty chocolates and candy canes will be set at close out prices. Adding a nice Christmas letter is frugal and thoughtful addition to any stocking. Enjoy stuffing those stockings!
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Frugal Christmas Breakfast
01 December 2004
Christmas morning breakfast is a wild time if children are in the home. Who can eat after opening up all the gifts under the tree? A better question is: why break the bank on a breakfast that will most likely be a blur to the majority of the family? Here are some simple penny wise breakfast treats.
Main course:
~Pancakes
~French toast
Each of these choices is easily prepared and can be trimmed with holiday treats. The pancakes may be spread with chocolate paste, honey or jams. Maple syrup and sprinkles can be added to the French toast to add a holiday twist.
Fruit:
The in-season fruit for the Christmas holidays are citrus fruit and apples.
Fruit is a great decoration for a breakfast table, and is healthy and inexpensive. What more can you ask of fruit? Use it as a centerpiece, slice some apples to add to the French toast and use a Clementine orange as a napkin weight. The table will look wonderful and everyone will satisfy their vitamin C requirement.
Meat:
Skip the sausage and bacon... the turkey is coming up in only a few hours and the leftovers will last weeks.
Beverages:
~Orange juice from frozen concentrate.
~Egg Nog mixed 50/50 with milk. The kids will not notice the difference!
~Tea.
~Coffee .
~Hot Chocolate.
To spice up the coffee, tea, hot chocolate or Egg Nog add a cinnamon stick or candy cane to it.
Frugal Fanatic Tip :
A white, green or red table cloth will be great for Christmas breakfast. Avoid table cloths with Christmas decoration for easy year round use
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