Money-Saving Tips for Memorable Holidays
The holidays are a time for family and friends to gather and share the joys of the season. While many families are faced with the need to scale back their holiday celebrations and expectations, it's good to know that memorable holidays can be both frugal and festive. By doing a little extra planning and reclaiming some of the traditions of simpler times, it's possible to discover that less really can be more. Make your holiday season both merry and memorable with the following money-saving tips:
* Make a plan. Create a plan for holiday spending and gift giving. List possible gifts, how much you expect to pay, what you can afford to pay, and alternatives. Once you determine how much you can afford to spend on each gift, stick to your plan. Always look for sales and pay in cash or with debit cards whenever possible. Compare prices online. Check the shipping charges. For kids, consider buying one nice gift rather than a lot of smaller ones.
* Timing is everything. While the best deals on greeting cards can be found after the holidays, some do go on sale in December. It's also worth remembering that postcards are less expensive and also cost less to mail. And if you're handy with scissors, you can transform last year's greeting cards into this year's festive holiday postcards. In addition, it pays to mail packages early. The longer you wait, the more it will cost to make sure that your gifts arrive on time.
* It's a wrap. Wrapping paper, like most other seasonal items, is deeply discounted after the holidays. If you didn't catch last year's after-Christmas sales, consider using the comics from your local newspaper as wrapping paper. A roll of white butcher paper and assorted sizes of paper bags can be transformed into works of art that double as gift packaging. And last year's holiday cards can be cut into wonderful gift tags.
* Nurture nature. Homemade decorations and ornaments add an old-fashioned touch to the holiday season. You can bring nature indoors with cornstalks, pinecones, dried flowers and pumpkins. Trees can be decked with strings of popcorn and cranberries as well as holiday cookie cutters, ribbons and bows. If you're willing to wait, bargains on Christmas trees can be found in the days leading up to December 25th. You might also consider investing in a high-quality artificial tree, which can save you big bucks in the long run.
* Delicious deals. Some grocery stores offer great deals during the holidays. Check your newspaper and store fliers for deals on items you need. Use store brands when making casseroles and side dishes. In the spirit of sharing, a potluck-style holiday dinner could be a tradition worth considering. It also relieves the host of the entire burden of paying for and preparing the meal. Visit www.GrocerySavingTips.com for additional coupons and hundreds of money-saving suggestions.
* Simple pleasures. Holiday entertainment can be as simple as a drive around town to see the lights. And don't forget to bring along some blankets and hot chocolate for the ride. Pull out the board games you haven't played in years. Learn three new card games and two new holiday songs. Bake and decorate cookies. Make lasting memories.