I love Christmas time. I really do. I love Christmas songs, Christmas traditions, Christmas food. Do I hear an amen!? Christmas is one of those holidays that evokes childhood memories and warm and cozy feelings inside.
This can be dangerous because sometimes those warm and cozy feelings allow us to throw our budget out the window and buy for the sake of the season.
With so many pretty, shiny displays in store windows it’s hard to say no to such a beautiful sight. We want our homes to look that pretty. We want our kids to be that happy with those toys. Before we know it we’ve overspent and completely blown our budget.
There are things I don’t buy, and you shouldn’t either, if you want to save money at Christmas. These things are unnecessary. Some are frivolous. And most of them can be bought 50% off or more a few days after Christmas anyway.
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Ten Things To Stop Buying to Save Money At Christmas
1) Expensive, cardstock family picture Christmas cards
You know the ones I’m talking about right? The ones with the beautiful family picture that feel like they’re made out of cardboard. The ones that feel expensive. They feel expensive because they are expensive.
I know, I know, these are so nice and they just don’t feel like those cheap flimsy portrait paper cards. But, you know what? People are going to throw them away after Christmas. That’s like throwing away my hard earned money. I just can’t make myself do it no matter how much I want them.
I do the family picture Christmas cards because I want family who don’t get to see our family see our family picture. I’m just not going to spend an arm and a leg for it to happen. I’m fine with the cheap Wal-Mart cards.
2) Nativity sets or Christmas villages
Not only are they expensive, but they take up much needed space that I don’t have and desperately need. Yes, they’re pretty, but they’re only going to set out for a few weeks a year.
To be totally honest, I do have a half set of a nativity scene. The other half has been broken. I got it at a yard sale for maybe $1. If you ever see nativity sets or Christmas villages in my house this will be the only way they got to my house. (Or from a thrift shop).
3) A real Christmas tree
I’ve been very tempted over the years to buy a real Christmas tree. They smell so good. They’re soft, not prickly like a cedar tree. But try as I might I just can’t talk myself into it. I cannot buy a disposable tree. Because that’s basically what it is.
I use a fake tree, but if I want a real tree I’ll go cut down a wild Cedar tree with my family when they go on their annual Christmas tree hunt.
4) A fake Christmas tree
I’ve been putting off getting a new tree for about 3 years now. Let me tell you the story on our tree we currently use.
I got our current tree at the dump about 14 years ago. Yes, the dump. No, I didn’t dumpster dive.
It was sitting outside at the dump in it’s very new box, so I loaded it up and took it home to take a look at it. It was basically brand new with just two of the light wires chewed into, from someones dog, perhaps.
We’ve used it for 14 years now. It’s getting pretty shabby and losing it’s needles and none of the lights work now. But when I do get a new tree it won’t be before Christmas. It’ll be after Christmas when everything is 50% off.
I’m not a dumpster diver, I promise.
5) Christmas decorations
Speaking of after Christmas sales. I will not buy Christmas decorations before Christmas unless I need Christmas lights. All these decorations will look just as cute next year as they will this year. I’ll like them even more then because they’ll just cost 1/2 as much (or more.)
6) Christmas Pj’s for my kids
Yes, it would be so cute to have my kids in matching pj’s to take Christmas eve pictures. This would cost us at least $50, if I got them at Wal-Mart. I don’t want to think about buying them at a children’s clothing store.
These pj’s will look just as cute the three days after Christmas 50% off as they would have a couple of days before. Probably cuter. If I find some that will fit them next year on sale, all the better.
Maybe I should start doing a Christmas pj New Year’s Eve picture. Just sayin’.
7) Christmas-y clothes
I’ve never done the buying of the Christmas clothing. The only Christmas clothing my kids wear are the clothes that were handed down to them. And you know what? They’re practically new because the kid they came from only got to wear them for a few weeks because you know how fast kids grow and we all know you can’t wear Christmas clothes after the New Year.
If you have to have some Christmas clothes go to the thrift shop. They won’t be worn out, I promise.
8) Cheap, worthless toys
I’ve spent money on cheap, worthless toys. What mom hasn’t? But, you live and you learn. I’d rather spend some extra money on a toy that will last for years than a toy that will last a few weeks or months.
We plan on investing some money in some really good ranch sets that will last a lifetime this Christmas. They’re going to be pricey. But these things can be passed down to our grandkids one of these days.
They’ll last forever. I wish we would have bought them several years ago instead of buying the cheap, plastic replicas of them. We probably would have saved a little money in the end.
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9) Christmas gift sets
You know the baskets with the lotions, loofahs, and body wash? Or the baskets with the cheese and sausages. All Christmas sets will be on sale after Christmas if I just have to have one. I can wait a couple of days for some cheap, smell-good lotion.
10) Anything from Black Friday
I know what you’re thinking, “But these things are on sale!” Black Friday isn’t worth my sanity or my budget. I’ve tried to do it once and I ended up throwing a bunch of stuff in my buggy that I didn’t need.
That thing that I thought I was getting on sale I actually ended up paying more for because of all the extra junk I bought because it was on sale, too.
Saving money at Christmas isn’t impossible.
It just takes a little will power. What are some things you do without through Christmas to save some money?
