This year, celebrating Christmas will likely be difficult for many families, since money is so tight.  Being frugal is not about missing out on special events, like Christmas, but it is about setting limits and getting more for less.  Even when times are good, It is still a good idea to set limits and plan. Don’t plan on using money you don’t have yet, you never know what your financial situation will be like tomorrow.  Search out the best deals and be as frugal with your money as possible. Here are some ideas that my family will be doing to make Christmas a little more affordable this year.

Use the Internet

The internet is a great way to shop for Christmas gifts.  It will save you from getting out in the cold and on gas expenses.  In my area gas prices have really gone up, so this could be a great savings for you.  I also like to shop around.  While looking at Wal-Mart for something my little girl really wants for Christmas, I can use my cell phone app to search Amazon and make sure I am getting the best price.  One thing people are concerned about when shopping online is the shipping cost.  Many stores, like Wal-Mart offer free shipping to the store.  This year my husband signed up for a Prime account with Amazon.  He got this free since he is a student.  This gives us free shipping and free 2 day delivery on Prime items.  This is a really nice resource to use to buy Christmas and get the best deals.  Amazon has a lot of great mark downs this time of year so you should check the site often.  Make sure when shopping online, that you are buying from sites that you can depend on.  If a deal sounds too good to be true it probably is, so be careful shopping online.

Use Cash

Use the cash you have on hand to shop.  You don’t want to be paying on this year’s Christmas next year.  We wait until we get our Christmas bonus before we shop.  Sure we miss some of the deals but it feels a lot better to wait until we have the cash to use to buy our Christmas.  There are also a lot of great deals closer to Christmas than you would think.  We do shop online for deals, but use a debit Visa card that comes straight out of our checking account.

Homemade Gifts

We have four kids to buy Christmas gifts for, so that means we have less money to spend on other family.  I like to make homemade gifts that cost less.  I have found that my family members really like homemade gifts that I have spent time and thought making.  On years that I actually bought them a gift, they were expecting my homemade gifts.  So, people really enjoy homemade gifts.  This year I am planning on making my family homemade loafs of bread and homemade jelly baskets.  There are lots of great ideas on the internet for planning items that you can make for your family members.  One site I love is Dollar Store Crafts.

Teach Your Kids to be Frugal

Our kids love to buy gifts for Mommy and Daddy.  We never really have a lot of money for them to do this, so last year we set aside a little money.  My husband and I took turns taking the kids to the Dollar Tree. Each kid got to choose one special gift for mommy and one for daddy.  The kids knew they only had $1 plus tax to buy the gift.  They had a hard time a first, but soon learned they could only get one item, I was really surprised by the unique gifts they picked out from the store for my husband.  I think that the gifts my kids gave me were most special because I knew how long it took them to pick out something and I they were things I really liked and wanted even though they only cost $1. The kids brought the gifts home and wrapped the gifts and were so excited to put them under the tree.

Spend Less on Cards

Sending Christmas cards has really become expensive.  There are several things you can do to save money on Christmas cards.  First, you can use e-mail to send a Christmas wish to those who live far away or hand them out to people who live close to you that you will be seeing.   Second, you can make your own cards and save money. Finally, if you really must send cards, go through your list and cut it down considerably. 

Donate to a Charity

I believe that when things are really bad helping someone else out or giving to others can really make you feel good.  We see that we do not have it as bad as others and Christmas really is about giving whatever we have whether that is money or time.  We live on a limited budget but I do have plans to include this in our Christmas this year.  One of our local stores has bundled up some food items for a Christmas meal.  It only costs $4.50 and is given to our local food pantry.  We have $5 to help someone else who might not be as fortunate as we are this year.  I plan to take my kids to help them understand how giving can feel as good as getting.  So, consider taking your family to give service to someone in need or donate something to one of the many organizations who help those in need this Christmas season.