{"id":3259,"date":"2024-12-08T14:00:59","date_gmt":"2024-12-08T19:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/?p=3259"},"modified":"2024-12-08T10:42:08","modified_gmt":"2024-12-08T15:42:08","slug":"how-to-afford-a-great-christmas-if-moneys-tight-this-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/?p=3259","title":{"rendered":"How to Afford a Great Christmas if Money\u2019s Tight This Year"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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How to Afford a Great Christmas if Money\u2019s Tight This Year<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\tThe holidays are often a time when financial goals are in opposition with showing people love in the grandest of ways.<\/b><\/i> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Reining in holiday spending could be the absolute last thing people want to do, but during inflation- and debt-related financial struggles, scaling back is a necessity for many. Thankfully, there are ways to celebrate Christmas without breaking the bank.

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\u201cPeople really have to keep it in perspective,\u201d said Tawra Kellam, one of the authors behind the blog Living On a Dime to Grow Rich. \u201cIt\u2019s about celebrating with family. It\u2019s about taking time off work and having fun together. And even doing little things for Christmas can make it special.\u201d

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With the following tips on how to enjoy Christmas decorations, gifts, meals and activities for little to no cost, this Christmas can be undoubtedly unique but rich with meaning and joy. The main concepts are seeing what you have with new eyes, thinking outside the box and learning how to find the best deals.

Decking the halls <\/b>
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Having a festive home is a seasonal mood booster, and repurposing items around your house as decorations is one way to start.

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\u201cIf you can only do something small to make it special, that\u2019s enough,\u201d said Melissa Riker, the creator of The Happier Homemaker blog. \u201cIt\u2019s the little things that are fairly easy and inexpensive to do that can add that special touch.\u201d

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If you don\u2019t have old decorations, try deciding on a color theme then perusing your house for anything in those colors. \u201cYou might not think about them as they\u2019re scattered through the house,\u201d Riker said, \u201cbut if you bring them all together \u2014 put them on your mantel or add them to the centerpiece of your coffee table \u2014 you can really make a beautiful layout.\u201d

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That\u2019s using creativity instead of money, said Jodie Kammerer and Julie Lancia, the creators of The Design Twins blog. If you\u2019re not the creative type, ask your stylish friends \u2014 in person or virtually \u2014 to scan your rooms and intuit what you could use. You might also find inspiration from what social media users share under the hashtags #budgetdecor and #DIYChristmas.

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Shop from nature in your backyard, neighborhood or park, or while hiking. \u201cClip some pine needles or pine branches,\u201d Riker said. \u201cEven just plain branches without leaves can look really pretty if you put glitter on them and they look like ice branches.\u201d Out of garden herbs, pine cones, mistletoe and holly, flowers, and bush or tree clippings, you could make a table arrangement, wreath or garland.

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At stores selling Christmas trees, \u201cask for the clippings that they throw away,\u201d Lancia said. With a bow or burlap tied around it, \u201cit\u2019s immediately a Christmas decoration.\u201d Some of these stores also sell wreaths they have constructed out of clippings for only several dollars each.

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Take advantage of sales and coupons at craft stores, vintage stores, thrift stores and dollar sections, which likely have inexpensive decorations in bulk, DIY projects and boxes of 12 candy canes for $1. \u201cI have decorated entire trees just with things from different dollar stores,\u201d Riker said. \u201cThey have actually a lot of decorations that, when you combine them all together, can look really high-end.\u201d

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Instead of buying Christmas ribbons, you could purchase fabric and cut it into strips, using that to form your ribbons instead. And \u201cif you\u2019re putting ribbon on a Christmas tree, you don\u2019t need to have a whole spool to wrap around it,\u201d Riker said. \u201cYou can take shorter strands and tuck it in so it looks like it\u2019s weaving in and out of the tree.\u201d

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A strand of twinkle lights may be all you need to make a space look festive, Kammerer said. If you have children, make the preparation more fun by getting \u201cyour little elves to work,\u201d Lancia said. They can craft paper chains and snowflakes, garlands out of cranberries and popcorn, and Christmas cookie ornaments.

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For a Christmas tree, look for discounts at craft stores, grocery stores, tree farms or hardware stores. Pre-lit trees may be less expensive than buying trees and lights separately. And don\u2019t think that you have to use ornaments.

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\u201cOne of my favorite things is a natural element tree,\u201d Lancia said. \u201cYou\u2019ve gathered your pine cones at the park. Now you\u2019re going to spray paint them a glittery silver\u201d and put them on the tree, in a bowl or on your table or mantel.

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If you have a printer, look online for free printable decorations. \u201cThat is a really, really easy way to change up your decor without spending any money at all,\u201d Riker said.

Gift giving<\/b>
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Gift giving can be monetarily stressful if that\u2019s how you want to cheer people up after a tough year, but frugal alternatives could show that appreciation, too.

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\u201cEverybody doesn\u2019t need a gift; everybody doesn\u2019t want a gift,\u201d said Judy Woodward Bates, \u201cThe Bargainomics Lady\u201d behind her eponymous blog and author of \u201cA Bargain to Die For.\u201d \u201cDon\u2019t get all upset because you can\u2019t afford to buy gifts for everybody, because the purpose of Christmas is just to let each other know how much you care about each other.\u201d

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Those who want to keep up tradition can try the following for gift giving or alternatives:

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  • Send e-cards instead of print cards, or make homemade cards with materials you already have. <\/li>\n
  • \n Visit thrift and discount stores for low prices on clothes, DVDs, electronics, kitchen appliances, cookware, unique mugs, furniture, bedding, toys and books. <\/li>\n
  • \n Dollar stores have many of the same items, plus candles and makeup. From there you could create small, hobby-related gift baskets.<\/li>
  • \n Give gifts of service, such as an offer to rake leaves, run their errands or shop online for them. <\/li>\n
  • \n Try your hand at one of the hundreds of homemade gift ideas available online, including homemade candles, dry soup or hot cocoa mixes in jars or sugar scrubs. <\/li>\n
  • \n Host a Secret Santa gift exchange. This way, each person has to focus on only one person instead of everyone. <\/li>\n
  • \n Go retro by crafting a book of homemade coupons redeemable for favors or experiences the receivers care about. <\/li>\n
  • \n If you have children, try the customizable four gift rule. Tell them they can have just four presents: something they want, something they need, something to wear and something to read. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    To find the best bargains, options include: <\/b>

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    • Looking for plug-ins, apps and websites that will help you save money on products via discount codes or coupons, or showing you where you can buy something cheaper \u2014 such as RetailMeNot, Honey, Groupon or Student Beans. <\/li>\n
    • \n Buying from the clearance section in stores and online by typing \u201cclearance\u201d in the store\u2019s search bar. <\/li>\n
    • \n Signing up for loyalty (non-credit) programs that award discounts. <\/li>\n
    • \n Only shopping from stores offering free shipping. <\/li>\n
    • \n Purchasing used clothing from peer-to-peer online stores like Depop and thredUP. <\/li>\n
    • \n Walking to the darkest corners of stores to find their greatest sales, which \u201csome stores refer to as the cave,\u201d Woodward Bates said. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
      If you\u2019re embarrassed about giving less this year, \u201cfess up,\u201d she said. \u201cYou will see the relief on other people\u2019s faces, because it just takes one to be willing to say, \u2018I\u2019m strapped this year.\u2019 Because most of these other people, when you just say that, will admit, \u2018Hey, I\u2019m in the same boat you are. Thank goodness you had the courage to speak up because I wanted to say it, but I was just afraid of how people would react.\u2019\u201d

      Wrapping the gifts of Christmas<\/b>
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      Gift giving can get more complicated when you realize you\u2019ll need wrapping materials, too \u2014 but by having realistic expectations and thinking outside the box, you can wrap gifts in creative and attractive ways, Kellam said.

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      You can:
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      • Use newspapers, magazine clippings and sheets from around your house. <\/li>\n
      • \n Buy tissue paper, brown paper, plastic tablecloths, wrapping paper, bows and gift bags from thrift stores, dollar stores, superstores or craft stores. <\/li>\n
      • \n Cut out parts of Christmas cards to use as gift tags. <\/li>\n
      • \n Accept complimentary gift wrapping from stores at which you\u2019re buying gifts. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\nA budget-friendly holiday dinner<\/b>

        \nWith a few tips and tricks, you can still have a fancy feast this season. Cooking from scratch instead of buying prepared foods is one way to reduce costs.

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        Some grocery stores have seasonal donation programs wherein customers buy a prepared bag of nonperishable, traditional holiday foods, which is donated to a food bank where people in need can pick them up. Check around for such programs if you\u2019d like a holiday meal or visit a food bank for food in general.

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        Some neighborhoods have discount grocery stores, and dollar stores have snacks, boxed dessert mixes, frozen and canned foods, and Christmas candy.

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        You could also stretch your food budget by reducing the number of appetizers and sides, or finding pared-down versions of traditional recipes. Brooklyn Farm Girl, a cooking and gardening blog, has an online collection of 30 Christmas dinner recipes that you can make with less than $10.

        Great holiday fun for less<\/b>

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        Limited funds may have changed your holiday traditions, but you can still throw an entertaining, memorable holiday. You could: <\/p>\n

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        • \n

          Enjoy virtual celebrations with extended family if you can\u2019t afford to travel. <\/p><\/li>\n

        • \n Put together a cookbook of generational family recipes. <\/li>\n
        • \nMake hot chocolate and s\u2019mores baskets.<\/li>\n
        • Make a family film with the myriad editing tools available on smartphones and laptops. <\/li>\n
        • \n Make a board game out of a family experience.<\/li>\n
        • \n Read a story on Christmas Eve. <\/li>\n
        • \n Watch Christmas movies while enjoying popcorn and candy. <\/li>\n
        • \n Create a family calendar for 2025 with pictures of everyone on the future dates of their birthdays, graduations and other milestones. <\/li>\n
        • \n Make a popcorn Christmas tree. <\/li>\n
        • \n Bake Christmas cookies on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. <\/li>\n
        • \n Attend or live stream a Christmas morning church service. <\/li>\n
        • \n Play in snow if you\u2019re lucky enough to have it. <\/li>\n
        • \n Listen and dance to Christmas music. <\/li>\n
        • \n Talk about meaningful Christmas memories.<\/li><\/ul>

          Being more intentional about how you celebrate Christmas this year may make the holiday all the more special. And learning how to bargain and celebrate with less can have long-term impact on your life and approach to holidays even once you\u2019re more comfortable financially.

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          \u201cIt\u2019s a fun game to use our creativity and make everything,\u201d Lancia said, \u201cand then also feel good about not needing to shop and not needing to spend money to make a fresh and festive home. \u201d

          Contributors: Sandee LaMotte and Katia Hetter — CNN Living<\/i><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          How to Afford a Great Christmas if Money\u2019s Tight This Year The holidays are often a time when financial goals are in opposition with showing people love in the grandest of ways. Reining in holiday spending could be the absolute last thing people want to do, but during inflation- and debt-related financial struggles, scaling back […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3259","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-events","category-lifestyle"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3259","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3259"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"http:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3259\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3270,"href":"http:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3259\/revisions\/3270"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3259"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3259"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3259"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}