You want everything to be perfect for your family at Christmas. Once you’ve gotten the presents, the tree, the decorations, the ingredients for a wonderful dinner, you’ve also got quite a bill! So how can you save money at Christmas?
Christmas tends to be a very stressful time financially. Most people grossly underestimate how much they are really going to spend and often take on additional debt to pay for all the extra goodies. With a little planning and forethought, you can still have a full tree without taking on additional debt. Wouldn’t it be nice to not worry about money this holiday season?

GIFTS:

- Plan your gifts in advance – By planning your gifts list in advance, you will be in a better position to establish a realistic budget and you will not be caught off guards on December 23rd, buying anything you see at any price just to make sure you find something for everybody.

    - Give homemade gifts – It might seem cheap to give homemade gifts, but bare with me, they can be quite nice. When it comes to gifts for friends and acquaintances, it’s often the thought that counts more than the gift anyway.

- Buy in multiple – Every Christmas, I try to find one special gift I can give many people on my gift list. Usually it’s a gift that I can give friends like a good book, a collection of specialty teas or coffees, bath products, hand-knitted scarves or a seasonal ornament. Sometimes I give the exact same gift to several or depending on their tastes just similar ones. This tradition helps me avoid overspending and reduces the time I spend shopping.

- Consider joint gifts – One big gift the whole family can enjoy is usually less expensive than several smaller ones. So consider joint gifts like DVD’s, board games, hammocks, badminton/volleyball sets for families on your gift list. This idea also works great in the office since it takes away any gift giving competition between employees. Encourage everyone in the office to chip in a few dollars to give your boss a nice group gift.

- Make use of company discounts – Look into whether or not your employer has retail partners that offer special deals to employees like a percentage discounts at various retailers, movie chains or museums. Always check your company’s policy before going crazy with gift purchases as some discounts may be for employees’ use only and may not be applicable for gift giving.

DECORATIONS:

- Use an artificial tree – you can keep reusing the same tree for many years. If you can’t do without a real tree hold on to the last minute you can usually find a bargain. Or buy a small rooted tree that you can use for a few years by putting it outside in its pot after Christmas and bringing it in again the following year.

- Make your own wreaths, garlands, and centerpieces. .Get the Kids to Make the decorations. Here is how I make my own Christmas silk wreath. I also decorate by wrapping tables and lamps with big red bows, and making my own centerpieces by using Christmas ornaments. Its easy and really does save money.

   - Recycle old Christmas cards into ornaments using some scissors, a hole punch, some yarn, and imagination.

   - Decorate with Energy-Saving Christmas Lights - LED string lights use much less electricity, reduce pollution from power plants and last longer. And they stay cooler, too. While they cost more than traditional strings of lights up front, the electricity savings easily make up the cost difference within a season or two

FOOD:

- Compare prices! I like to buy whatever’s on sale at one store, then a few days later when we need more milk anyways, I go to a second store and get their best deals, it’s a great money-saver!

- Eat In - At Christmas time, restaurants often charge a premium. With drinks, eating out can become very expensive. Unless you really hate the idea of cooking and washing up, eat in. – It is easier to create an intimate atmosphere as well.

- Shop Online – Many of the best foods can still be found online. – It can take some of the stress out of retail shopping. If you order soon you can get all your presents sent in time.