In a recent blog I wrote about the brawl that broke out at our local Wal-Mart as hundreds of shoppers fought for the chance to shell out $600 for a new PlayStation 3 game console. Two men were sent to the hospital while others sustained minor injuries. Not exactly a great way to start off the holiday season…
In many cases those expensive PlayStations will be scooped up by parents who don’t want their offspring to be disappointed come Christmas morning. It may seem trite, but the truth is families can have a far more meaningful and satisfying holiday without the high-tech toys with the four-digit price tags.
Here are five ways to create family traditions that will warm your holidays without burning a hole in your wallet:
1. Cheap Eats
Believe it or not it is possible to have a holiday party without footing the bill for a boatload of family members and friends. You’ve heard of the potluck meal, well, how about a “progressive dinner?” The premise: pick an evening around the holidays and move from one friend’s home to another dining on a different course of the meal at each house (logistically this is ideal if you get along with your neighbors). And, you don’t have to stick with the traditional turkey and stuffing holiday menu—get creative and go cheap (I mean affordable) with your menu options (Mexican, Chinese, etc.)
2. Christmas Crafts
You don’t have to break the bank to decorate your home for the holidays. Simply craft your own decorations… and have fun in the process. Consider having a Christmas craft party with extended family members in the days leading up to Christmas. Kids love crafts (click here for easy and festive craft ideas) and the idea that it can act as the centerpiece for affordable family fun is… priceless.
3. The Gift Of Time
Don’t let the season speed by in a whirl of wrapping paper and gift receipts. Give your loved ones the gift of time by creating a Christmas Countdown Calendar. Early each December plan a special holiday event to mark each day of the season–your plans don’t have to be elaborate. For example, you could spend one evening baking cookies together; another night could be spent making hot cocoa and smores in front of a crackling fire. Counting down the days in small, special ways sure beats counting down the shopping days.
4. Holiday Exploration
Open a book… and your mind by exploring the spirit of Christmas around the world. Grab the kids, head off to your local library, and borrow books about international holiday traditions to read aloud throughout the season.
5. Volunteer
I blogged on this particular topic last week. For the most part volunteering is easy, it’s effective, and it embodies what the true spirit of the holidays is all about. What’s more the opportunities to volunteer are endless… you can serve Christmas dinner at a women’s shelter, deliver gifts to homeless families, or buy holiday-themed paper plates and muffin cups, and bake cupcakes for an elderly neighbor.
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