How to Spend Less, But Give More This Christmas

Halfway ✅

bought a honey baked ham gift cards at Costco at reduced price and paid for the ham for thanksgiving 20% off :)

I volunteer at a thrift store and buy gifts all year and keep them in my closet. My hubby never minds getting used.

I am about 75% done with my Christmas shopping. I fully funded my Christmas savings this year for the FIRST time in my life and I'm 50. This was a game changer for me. I'm so happy. I plan on having my shopping done by Cyber Monday. Great video!

While I greatly appreciate physical gifts, one other type of gift I would like to mention is time and service. Although this time of year is known as "the most wonderful time of the year," in actuality it can also be a time of tremendous depression, loneliness, and isolation for many individuals. Either along with or in lieu of gifts, why not consider the following: Invite someone (college student, single person, or elderly) over for either Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. Many individuals are without family members close by, so an invitation would be greatly appreciated and make them feel included as part of a family. It isn't always the gift of "presents" but of "presence."

Another suggestion is the gift of service. I am thinking of this in two ways:
1. Do something for someone else they are unable to do for themselves: pet sit / walk, automotive care, some type of household chore, or a homemade book of coupons for those types of things.

2. Teach them the "gift" of volunteering and reaching out to others. This is especially nice for families to do together, and many include this as a yearly tradition. Contact local missions and register to volunteer for Thanksgiving and / or Christmas meals. I have done this in the past, and it has made a tremendous impact on me.

I Love you BOTH VERY MUCH.

Linda.from iowa.thx

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Our extended family draws names so everyone buys one gift.

Since we have kids now, we start buying gifts at the beginning of the year when things are on sale. I wrap them and label them and put them in storage.
We also shop at Once Upon a Child for gifts which saves a lot of money.

I love browsing through thrift and antique stores. Today I spied Dept 56 Christmas houses. These were in mint condition and one family member collects these. I carefully opened each box, took pics, sent them to their spouse and we decided on 2. Y’all they were only $10 each!!!
It’s not about the amount spent, but the meaning behind the gift.
Some of the families favorite gifts, that are still in use, are the afghans I made many years ago.

😊

All done with my Xmas shopping

For 3 families that I love: I bought a printable Christmas Family Feud game from Etsy (5.00). I'm printing the full color question sheets onto cardstock at the Fedex store that I'll cut out and pack with printed instruction sheets on regular paper. I ordered Ghirardelli hot chocolate packets to place in printed cardstock "mugs" that I have on hand, plus popcorn to pop = family Christmas Eve fun kit.

Growing up, my parents always said, "Jesus only got 3 gifts for His birthday. If it's good enough for Him, it's good enough for you." I do with my kids now. We do one good size gift and two smaller ones that usually compliment the bigger toy. Then Santa always brings the kids something to play with together.

I purchased all my Christmas gifts in January. Nothing better than 75% off after Christmas sale. Some items I picked up for 90% off.

I am blessed to be a crafter. Everyone gets a homemade Christmas craft decoration, except for the 3 teen-aged boys who I will give a bit of cash. This way they can pick out what a want and all craft recipients will have a gift to put out each year and nice memories!

DIY gifts, home made foods and candy, etc. I love that she said keep track of mention throughout the year. I always do that.

I give cash and a journal to a teenaged goddaughter. I usually would bake a huge pile of scones as gifts for friends. But the cost of ingredients is horrid. I’ll donate to our local food bank instead.

I am 90% done with my shopping! I will be making the rest of my gifts! Personalizing each gift is the BEST!! I love to bake, so I will be making baked goods & making baskets & boxes!

Here on the East Coast we don't get 90% anymore we had such an influx of immigrants through the years that soon as it goes to 50% off they buy everything up I miss the days of 90% off

Almost done

Buy last year's gifts when they are 50 to 75 percent off and save them for next year's gifts. You're welcome.

Buy Nothing groups are wonderful sources for items that can be used as is or repurposed.

I gift my sentimental holiday decorations to family members who are just starting their new lives in a new home.
Legacy matters!

Just about done!!

My family does a book exchange for Christmas rather than buying presents for everyone. Everyone draws a name and then spends $20 on a book (or movie, typically used) + pair of socks + sweet treat (purchased or homemade) for the person they drew.

I've a sinking fund for Hanukkah, $100 is my limit. This includes food and a family gift. I do make a homemade gift (quilt) for our in-laws. (My biggest Holiday for the year is a Passover sinking fund $200). Everyone else gets a card and a letter mailed to them.

I recently went online to find a nice bakery in my daughter's town. They offered to send gift certificates via email, so I ordered one for her birthday and suggested that they could use what they get at the bakery for a picnic at a local river. She was delighted with the gift certificate and had been to that bakery before, really liked the quality and the items for sale. I've done similar food "experiences" for my other children, too, and they've always enjoyed receiving them.

I appreciate these suggestions. So glad the "ick" factor regarding used items is waning.

Thank you for all the information on spending less.

I made Christmas gift bags for family members with fabric, ribbon, sequence and beads. The material is purchased with the person in mind i.e. my brother in law loves tractors so his bags are made with John Deere tractor Christmas material. His bag has homemade cashew brittle. Everyone returns the bags every year for next Christmas! No wrapping paper or bows to purchase or dispose of.

I make my own wrapping paper too with brown paper grocery bags, glitter glue, magic markers, ink stamps, twine...it's so much fun and turns out quite beautiful! My favorite gift from family is a memory. When I was deployed I asked my family to write me a memory. Something we did together or that I did and they remember. 17 years later I still have and read them at Christmas.

I can’t buy throughout the year. I want to give the gift immediately.

I was done with my Christmas shopping a few months ago.

My tip #1: have my Christmas Club money moved to savings by Nov 1 to have the funds available to pay for this.

I completed shopping By Nov 1! I’m done! Now I can enjoy house decorating, holiday music, and having lunches or coffee out with friends to visit one-in-one!

I love thrift stores and have gotten great home items all year long! Including a new in box 2 quart crockpot for $5! Yikes!

Great tips! Best Regards, Pat in Colorado

Thank You for your posts!!! You are both Awesome!

Will you post the almond recipe ? Please

I clicked the link for the Christmas binder and it looks like it isn't free and will cost money, in the video did I miss understand that it was free?

You two are wonderful…thanks for sharing your ideas!

I have a xmas and birthday sinking fund account, and my budget is $1000 for that account per year

When Larry said about the decaf coffee at night, my brain was like "this man truly loves ☕ ☕ ☕ ".

My husband buy a gift for each month so we have 12 gifts to open. We guys things we need for the next year.

Thank you for always staying positive!

One year when our kids were very small we did not have money in the budget for Christmas gifts. We knew that ahead of time and I spent the summer going to yard sales looking for treasures that I could wrap up and give it to her family including her kids. I remember one of the gifts I gave to my mother was a porcelain doll and she still treasures that. I have also made use of my sewing skills over the years to make countless gifts, such A quilt/throw blanket, placemats, a table runner, scarf, small Ziploc bags such as make up bags, grocery bags made out of and bleached cotton, and numerous other gifts.

Sorry for all the typos… ;-)

I also remember one Christmas I had the kids create a Christmas card for family members. I remember my daughter wrote something for the inside of the card and my son drew a picture for the outside of the card. Our youngest was much too young to contribute.

One Christmas my daughter made us a beautiful booklet of coupons. Some of the coupons or the following, pan of brownies doing the dishes cleaning the house walking the dog… She had lots of great ideas and her little coupons were so cute

Thanks for this helpful video. I'm watching it at the end of July but am already planning out my Christmas gift giving 🎁

You are such a lovely couple. I wish my parents were on the same page about money. It would have saved them a lot of fights.

Done ,

I almost half of my gifts for the year on the day AFTER Christmas. The deals then are even better than Black Friday, a day I refuse to spend ANY money on.