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Budget Christmas Tips
If not for the fact that Christmas
is a time of laughter and merriment, the yuletide season
can be awfully frustrating especially for people who
have a budget to think of. With lots of expenses for
the Christmas celebration already lined up at your door
— decorations, dinner, gifts — sticking to the family
budget can be difficult, at best! That is, unless, you
are smart enough to come up with creative ideas on how
to spend Christmas with a bang without spending a lot.
Here are some tips:
1) Reuse paper, bows and decorations.
Since Christmas happens every year, it is a good idea
to reuse decorations and other yuletide materials for
succeeding years.
Christmas trees and Christmas decorations, for instance,
may be used over and over again until they wear out.
If the family wants to create something different every
year, they can always work with decorations that are
already there and then buy some new ones to spruce the
old ones up.
Although some families still opt for a real pine tree
during the Christmas season, most use artificial ones,
as they are more cost-effective and practical.
Christmas materials that can be recycled are yuletide
decorations like lanterns, plates, table runners, curtains,
bed sheets, pillowcases and all those home furnishings
with Christmas designs. Using the same things year after
year can however be pretty tiring. What you can perhaps
do is to add a new element every year or to alternately
use the home decors.
When storing materials that you will use again, make
sure that you put them in a place that is easily accessible.
Carefully store them in boxes and put them in a cool
dry place to prevent moisture from coming in.
2) Make your own gifts.
Use your creativity to save money and still come up
with the best celebration. Instead of buying Christmas
pillowcases, sheets and place mats, you can create your
own designs. Take a look at your house and look for
things that you can use. For instance, instead of buying
artificial flowers for a Christmas centerpiece, why
not make use of the flowers that you grow in your garden?
Another idea is to buy some small decors in craft stores
and use them to spruce up curtains, runners and pillowcases.
3) You can make your own Christmas tree decorations.
In fact, some people even personalize
their Christmas tree decorations by putting the photographs
of each family member on the tree. Young children in
the family can also use the projects that they have
made in school to decorate the family tree. Decoration-making
is also a fun way for parents and children to bond.
4) Make your own gift cards, wrappers and table cards
for dinner celebrations.
Why buy when it is easy to make
your own? All you need to do is gather some craft materials
that may be sitting in your attic. You will be amazed
at how fun it is to make your own Christmas wrapping
paper and gift cards. You can coordinate them with each
other and they will be totally unique!
5) Save money on the Holiday Meals.
Going out to eat may pose several advantages, two of
which are, you don’t have to prepare the food and you
don’t have to wash the dishes. Still, eating at a restaurant
can chip away at a major portion of your Christmas budget.
If you don’t have extra money, it is advisable to just
stay at home and cook dinner yourself. In addition to
saving a lot of money, you will also be able to control
the ingredients, making sure that they are not only
delicious but also nutritious.
To economize and add some surprise to the menu, you
can ask your guests to bring a dish. One family can
prepare the appetizer while the other family will take
care of the dessert. This way, the cost of the dinner
will not only be shouldered by the host family but by
everyone in the guest list. And it will add entertainment
and conversation as you lift the lid off the dishes
to uncover the blessing within!
About the author:
David Arnold Livingston loves to share tips and ideas
for stretching the budget. To save on your Christmas
season and still have fun, Visit: http://www.rechristmas.com/
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