5 Ways to Celebrate Christmas on a Budget

Today I want to share with you 5 ways to celebrate Christmas on a budget and have a great time doing it!

I want to thank Carol from Blue Sky at Home for hosting this fun Holiday Blog Hop

If you’re coming from Leslie at Feet Under My Table, I hope you enjoyed her sweet pine cone Christmas Trees.

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I know it’s easy to lose sight of the real meaning of Christmas.

We all can get hung up in the business of the season and forget why we are celebrating in the first place.

However, the season is also meant to bring us joy and happiness, and all the things that go along with Christmas; gift-giving, celebrating with friends and family, decorating my home, and wrapping those gifts. It all gives me joy!

Gift Giving on a Budget

We do something different now that our kids are older but you could certainly implement it with littles.

Something You Want
Something You Need
Something To Wear
Something to Read

It really helps to keep our spending in check and I don’t buy big gifts. Since they are all grown adults with their own money, they don’t need things from us. It’s more of a token.

Keith and I quit giving each other gifts a long time ago. We typically just buy a gift for ourselves that we want for the house. Last year we bought our Frame TV and it’s definitely a contender for one of our favorite home purchases. You can read about our TV HERE

It’s so much fun to switch out the artwork each season or for a special occasion.

What to Buy for the Family on a Budget

Have you thought about buying gifts that are for the whole family?

Experience gifts are a great idea for this year since kids have been cooped up at home for so long. Passes to the Zoo, Museums, Water Parks, etc., are such a thoughtful gift. In years past we have given the whole family a vacation as their Christmas present. These gifts are making memories long after the wrapping paper is thrown away.

Games and puzzles are great gifts that the whole family can enjoy. What if you also added a popcorn machine for the family room? Again, you would be making memories and it’s something that everyone can have fun doing.

Inexpensive Gift Wrapping

I have been a fan of Kraft paper for a very long time.

I have been using brown and white Kraft paper for wrapping gifts for a very long time. You can get hundreds of feet of paper for under $30.

It lasts me for several years and I don’t just use it for the holidays. I change up the ribbon that I use to make it special, no matter what the occasion.

I’m a big fan of twine which is also an inexpensive option. I’ve been able to find some really nice twine options at Dollar Tree.

I also use ribbon that I can buy in bulk that again can be used for any occasion.

Last year I found some skinny ribbon in a blue and white check that was inexpensive and matched the ribbon I’m using on my trees.

I recently found out that you can get Kraft paper in different colors! Well, color me happy! I will definitely be buying some of that.

Other Uses for Kraft Paper

I don’t just use Kraft paper for wrapping. When our kids were younger I used to cover the kid’s table for special occasions and then provide a big basket of Crayons.

The big kids never wanted to move from the kid’s table because they had just as much fun coloring on the table as the littles.

I will definitely be bringing that back when I have some grandbabies of my own. (No Pressure Annie 🙂 )

Budget-Friendly Christmas Decor

I’ve talked about this before and while I like to switch things up at Christmas, I don’t spend a lot of money. The base of most of my Christmas Tree decor is white plastic snowflakes that I bought from Dollar Tree years ago.

Last year I just bought two spools of pretty blue and green tartan plaid ribbon that I’ve used as bows on my tree, ribbon around my dinner napkins, and woven through my garland on my mantel. I’m also dressing up the presents that are wrapped in white Kraft paper with this ribbon.

This year I’m going to do a natural-woodsy theme. I’m planning on using free materials that I can gather from outside. Twigs with berries and pine cones will be two items I will be searching for. I’m anxious to see what else I can find to use.

All FREE!

Holiday Entertaining on a Budget

To keep the cost down on holiday entertaining here are some fun ways to enjoy company with a minimal investment.

• Potluck Dinner – You could provide the main course and everyone else brings a dish to pass. You could even make it a heavy hors d’oeuvre event. Also, make it BYOB (Bring Your Own Beverage)

• Progressive Dinner – You can read about my Friendsgiving Progressive Dinner HERE and adapt it to a Christmas event.
• Casual Meals
  • Chili & Hot Dogs
  • Taco Bar
  • Pasta Bar
  • Salad Bar
  • Sandwich Bar
• Cookies & Cocoa – Host a little afternoon get-together and keep it really simple (everyone could bring cookies to share)
• Game Night – Get together with friends or family and play some great games.
• Movie Night – Watch some classic Christmas Movies and serve popcorn and warm cider.

Spending a lot of money on flowers for entertaining doesn’t have to be expensive. I’m such a huge fan of Trader Joe’s flowers. You can also find budget-friendly options at your local grocery store.

A casual Sunday Football Party is also a fun December idea for entertaining. You can read about my party HERE.

If we try to keep the reason for the season foremost in our thoughts, it makes it easier to stress less and spend less. It really shouldn’t be about the gifts. It should be about the people that you are with even if it is just your immediate family or close friends.

If you’re friends of Living Large in a Small House Blog, you have access to my FREE Printable Christmas guide which includes a budget tracker. That’s another thing that really keeps me in line. I set a budget and keep track of everything I’ve purchased. Knowing what I can spend keeps me in check.

I hope these 5 ways to celebrate Christmas on a budget will help you have a very festive time; without as much financial stress.

Thanks for tagging along!

Next up on the Holiday Blog Hop is Ann from Dabbling and Decorating. She is sharing her Christmas Dinnerware and her holiday tablescape. Make sure to head over to her blog.

Peace,

A great way to remember these ideas is to save them to your Pinterest boards. You can find the pin button in the top right corner of the photo below. Also, don’t forget to follow me on Pinterest

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