Have A Merry Christmas Without Taking The Jingle Out Of Your Pockets
Although we’re still sitting tightly within summer, fall and winter are coming! That means it’s time to start thinking about all the fun you’ll have once the heat says goodbye for the season. Today’s tips can help you plan a fun and festive fall and winter without going over budget!
Get Crafty
One of the best parts of the season of giving is the giving! Help the kids make themed crafts to surprise their friends and family. Cards are another wonderful option for kids to make. The Mother Hues blog has shared card-making inspiration before, and you can use the same methods for making holiday mail for the season!
Tidy Up
While cleaning and your budget might not seem like they are intertwined, they can be! Spend some time going through your closets, drawers, and storage space. You might find leftover craft materials you can use. Better yet, sell the things taking up space, and use that to fund your entertainment excursions! As you clean, get the kids involved, and let them spray down the counters, doors, and other hard surfaces (with a kid-friendly spray, of course!).
Tweak Your Budget
Look at your budget, and evaluate it for areas where you might save a few dollars here and there. Trust us, it really adds up! Start with your house. Simple updates, such as caulking, changing the HVAC filters, adding LED bulbs, and installing a low-flow toilet, can all take a chunk out of your utility bills. Plus, these little upgrades may even help you retain or gain value on your biggest investment. You might also consider carpooling with friends and family or minimizing your trips out to save on gas.
Learn About Other People’s Traditions
Even though you and your family may have traditions that celebrate the season, there are many others that do, too. Spend some time attending services outside of your own religion, or change your own traditions to include doing volunteer work to help others in your community. You might also befriend people from other cultures and share your holidays together. It’s likely that there is a cultural exchange group in your area.
Decorate on a Dime
What better way to get into the spirit of the season than to show your spirit by decorating your home. You don’t have to go all out, and you don’t even have to spend more than a few dollars on craft supplies to get started. You can find twigs and pinecones outdoors that will make excellent ornaments. If you have a walnut tree nearby, the Handmade Charlotte blog has a tutorial for making ornaments with scavenged nuts.
Perfect Your Cocoa Recipe
Christmas and cocoa go hand in hand. Pull out all the sweet treats you have, and compete against others in your family (parents vs kids!) to see who can make the best hot cocoa. You’ll need, at minimum, cocoa powder, heavy cream, milk, sugar, and marshmallows, but get creative with what you’ve got.
Find the Freebies
There’s plenty going on throughout the winter months that will get you front and center of the glitz and glam of the season, and you won’t even have to break out your wallet. Look for free things to do, such as:
● Visit decked-out hotels. The Points Guy shares eight of the most over-the-top holiday hotels. If you live near any of these, call ahead to find out if you can visit the grounds without a reservation.
● Drop a letter in the mail to Santa. Writing letters to Santa is an age-old tradition that’s fun for everyone. You’ll find plenty of printable letter outlines online that you can make your own wish list, and you’ll also find cute stationary so that the Big Guy himself can reply to your child.
As you can see, there are lots of ways that you can enjoy the season without spending a cent (and sometimes, even saving dollars and cents). Get creative, make small repairs to your home to lower your utility bills, clean out the closets for stashed supplies, and look up all the free things you can do right in your own hometown.
Visit the Mother Hues blog often for inspiration all year long.