A Frugal Holiday Season?
How to Have a Happy and Frugal Holiday Season
Frugal Holiday. In today's economic climate, are you worrying about the
holiday season. Do you look forward each year to the holiday season, but dread
opening those credit card bills after it? The holiday season doesn't have to be
one of excess and splurging.
The number one thing to remember is to make a plan and a budget and
stick to it. Good intentions sometimes end up being expensive intentions -
so make sure you plan!
Remember that the holiday season is about being with loved ones and
creating memories. Keep that in mind and you can still have an amazing
holiday season without breaking the bank.
For Frugal Food
and Meal Ideas click here.
Thanksgiving, or harvest time can also be frugal holiday time.
- Decorate your home with things from nature - it is the harvest time of
year after all. Go for a walk and pick up leaves, branches, pine cones to
decorate your table and home.
- Use harvest colored table clothes and napkins from the dollar store
instead of "Thanksgiving" table clothes and napkins from the party store.
- Have a potluck Thanksgiving dinner. Have everyone bring one dish to
share on the costs.
- Buy a larger turkey and use the leftovers for meals for the next week or
so. Make turkey stew or freeze it for future meals.
- Use Apples and other seasonal fruit and vegetables as
decorations - then eat them as part of your meal planning throughout the
week
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These ideas work for any holiday season - i.e. Hanukah, Christmas, or
whatever holiday you celebrate with decorations and gifts.
For ideas on
frugal gift shopping click here.
Frugal Holiday Gifts
- Create gift giving as a game - Do Secret Santa and pick names out of a hat and
only buy one gift each
- Give a coupon for a homemade dinner to a bachelor in your life
- Give a night of babysitting for a friend or relative
- Magazine subscription - a gift that gives all year
- Make jewelry for the people on your list
- Make cookies and decorate the packaging you put them in
- Look in second hand book stores for the avid reader in your life - choose some
oldies but goodies and wrap them decoratively
- Take photos of your loved one throughout the year and then give them in photo
album or picture frame
- Plan early - Always be Christmas shopping - look for sales and put it away until
Christmas
- Shop around and ask others for ideas on where to buy
specific items - sometimes other will know where to get it cheaper
- Look for outlet sales and temporary sales in your area
and the local paper
Frugal Holiday Cards
- Skip this year or send half as many as you would normally
- Send out a heartfelt letter detailing what you have done
this year and what you wish for your friends and family - add a
photograph
- Make your own cards - have a card making party with the kids
in your life
- Send postcards - less postage
- Buy your cards after Christmas for the next year
- Make a phone call instead of sending cards - people will
appreciate hearing from you
Holiday Wrapping Paper
- Use magazines for smaller gifts
- Recycle used wrapping paper
- Make your own gift tags
- Cut up old Christmas cards for gift tags
- Use inexpensive tissue paper from the dollar store or
discount store
- Buy wrapping paper after the holidays for next year
Frugal Holiday Decorations
- Use what you have but in new ways - i.e. use old
ornaments in glass vases as centerpieces
- Search out items in the dollar store
- Purchase decorations after Christmas for next year - up to 75% off sometimes
- String Popcorn around the tree.
- Avoid using Christmas lights - save on electricity costs
- Use natures gifts - i.e. pinecones or pine needles
- Buy an artificial tree when on clearance
- Buy ornaments for special occasions - don't decorate the tree all at once -
provides a beautiful history for you to enjoy each year
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Send us your ideas and we will post them here or share them in our next
Moneyzine Issue.
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Learn More about Frugal Living
To learn more about more about this type of money management and frugal
living see the articles below.
More will be added regularly, so come back and check them out. To be up to date
on the additions and changes to the Frugal Living section of Transform Your
Money.com and the rest of the site. Join our
newsletter or add us to your RSS, social bookmarks, Google, Yahoo or MSN (on
the left hand side of this page).
These articles
will outline how to live frugally day to day,
tips on
saving money, living frugally as a family, the benefits of living
frugally, having awesome holidays while still living frugally, and my story of
living frugally.
Frugal
Christmas Shopping
For ideas on
frugal gift shopping..
Frugal Food and
Frugal Meals
Tips on how to buy food and prepare meals frugally
Best
Ways to Save Money
Tips on how to save money with Food, Utilities, Finances, Entertainment -
updated regularly - You can also submit your own if you don't see one of your
favorites.
Active Frugal
Lifestyle
Check out ways to have an active lifestyle - frugally
Frugal Travel
Tips
Great tips on how to travel frugally.
Having Frugal
Holiday Season is part of Frugal Living and it could be part of your overall money management plan.
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