Does the idea of a credit crunch Christmas make one feel more like Scrooge than Santa? Frugal can be fabulous and cheep can be cheerful - here's how.
Budget for Christmas
It's important to set a budget and stick to it. Presents, decorations and non-perishable food should be bought in advance to take advantage of promotions and special offers. Shopping online is a great way to bag bargains, but presents should be purchased with a credit card to get protection in case of a dispute with the retailer.
Green and Inexpensive Gifts
Those who can sew, cook or make objects/artwork, should unleash their creative juices to make personalised presents. A basket of homemade preserves can be a hit with gourmet relatives or friends - or why not make a gift basket with toiletries or items that appeal to the recipient? For instance, a basket for a gardener might contain seeds, hand tools, hand cream and gardening gloves. If one is part of a big family, why not set up a Secret Santa scheme?
Presents can be wrapped with wallpaper, brown paper or florist’s cellophane paper - the latter can be bought in large amounts at low prices. Cellophane paper is great for gift-wrapping baskets - all is needed is some transparent tape and a ribbon.
Giving the gift of time doesn't cost anything but can be as valuable as a bought present to a loved one. A good ideas is to write IOUs for babysitting, walking the dog, washing the car and other household chores on pretty cards and present them to friends and relatives.
Christmas Food on a Budget
Planning ahead for Christmas meals is crucial. A change of menu might also help if it involves less expensive ingredients. World Christmas Recipes (www.internationalrecipes.net/t/World_Christmas_Recipes/1) is a great site for recipes of festive fare around the world, with plenty of inspiration for alternative menus. Shop-bought desserts can be replaced by a homemade Christmas cake, kids will love helping with baking and decorating it. The overall cost of Christmas lunch/dinner can be lowered by gathering relatives and friends. Each guest can provide a dish and drinks.
Christmas Decorations and Cards for Less
A delicious idea is to wrap up chocolate biscuits and sweets in silver foil and hang them from the tree. Other inexpensive ideas include gingerbread decorations, paper chains with recycled wrapping paper, hanging small oranges studded with cloves... Popcorn is lots of fun, especially if coloured with red and green dye. Popped kernels can be threaded with string and hung in chains on the tree, along the bannisters, etc.
Paper snowflakes look great, too. Older children can cut out a circle of white paper, fold in half, then into three equal sections. Shapes of all kinds can be cut out of the folded edges, taking care not to cut across the whole snowflake. Once opened, snowflakes can be hung from walls, windows and on curtain rails.
To cut the price of cards, ecards can be sent or for traditionalists, they can be made easily and cheaply. Free photos and clipart can be downloaded from many sites. Family photos can be used to decorate them and even children’s drawings.
Search for Inspiration Now
There are plenty of websites dedicated to homemade, cheap Christmas celebrations. It's also useful to pay a visit to a library to read or borrow Christmas craft books. Time is of the essence if one wants to save, so it's best to start as early as one can.
Further reading
More tips can be found in these articles: Cheap Christmas Cheer and Beat the Credit Crunch: Christmas on a Budget.
Articles in the Tight Budget Series
Kitchen Renovation on a Tight Budget How to modernize a kitchen for less cash
Bathroom Renovation on a Tight Budget How to update an old bathroom for less money
Create a Garden Room on a Tight Budget How to build a conservatory on the cheap
