Who says “cheap” is a bad thing? Just because you are trying to avoid a holiday debt hangover doesn’t mean you have to look like Ebenezer Scrooge in the process.
There are a myriad of ways you can make merry this Christmas season without breaking the bank. Some frugal ideas include:
Hooray for Homemade: Use your vast array of talents to make gifts to give this holiday season rather than draining your wallet at the mall. Whether you knit, bake, paint, sew, or you’re a whiz at woodworking, there are plenty of presents you can make that are creative, thoughtful, and much less expensive than store-bought gifts.
Free e-cards: Instead of digging deep to buy boxes of holiday cards and stamps, consider sending free e-cards to family and friends. The Internet is teeming with websites that offer a variety of hilarious and touching holiday-themed cards that won’t cost you a dime to send.
Raid Mother Nature: If you can’t afford expensive Christmas decorations, then trek outside and look to Mother Nature for green embellishments. Collect boughs, pinecones, and holly branches, and combine them with bows, ribbons and jingle bells for all-natural holiday decor.
Host an Ornament Swap: Instead of buying a litany of high-priced ornaments, invite a bunch of friends over to your home and host a swap. Ask your guests to bring along three like-new Christmas tree ornaments and lay them out on a table or place them on a tree. Then, have guests choose three ornaments each from the mix to take home to decorate their own tree.
Cheap Christmas Crafts: A good way to recycle small glass jars is to wash them and scrape off the labels. Next, coat the outside of the jars with clear glue before rolling them in glitter. Finally, place inexpensive candles in the jars. The soft candlelight will cause the glitter to sparkle and will add a pretty touch to your holiday decor.