It is the holiday season, the most wonderful time of the year! We are deep into the holidays at this point, and the joy that we want to give to our families comes at a cost — literally. Despite being a wonderful time, the amount of spending required can be overwhelming. Sometimes I find myself starting to let the words “bah humbug” escape my lips as I am trying to make all this holiday magic happen and not max out my credit card.
Here are few tips to move you emotionally from Scrooge to Tiny Tim, and help make your holiday season wonderful and more financially bearable:
Create a holiday budget. Have a clear budget for your holiday expenses. Write down everything that you will spend money on, not just gifts. This can include decorations, entertainment, holiday meals, etc. This can help you start saving early for the holiday season and ensure that extra expenses don’t creep up unexpectedly. Opening a savings account dedicated to holiday spending that is separate from your other accounts will also help keep you on budget.
Wish list. Have each person for whom you are buying create a wish list of items they would like to receive. This helps you narrow down what you have to buy, and helps reduce impulse buying. It will also help you get good deals on the items on everyone’s Christmas lists.
Start early. Start planning and shopping early on for holiday gifts. This allows you plenty of time to find the right deals. Shopping early also allows time for all the gifts to be shipped and received before the inevitable holiday delays. Also, stock up on holiday decorations and gift wrapping on December 26 since most retailers will have holiday items discounted, sometimes as much as 75% on the day after Christmas. 
Make use of E-cards or DIY cards. E-cards are extremely economical. There are quite a few websites that offer free e-cards. Punchbowl, Paperless Post, and Blue Mountain are some of the most popular. You can even make your own DIY cards on the computer and print them from home if you want to send a physical card. Greeting Island has a lot of nice free (with their watermark) cards you can design and download and print from home. You can also get crafty and make some yourself. That is a fun project to do with any of your little artists or bigger kids. 
Host a potluck. If you happen to be hosting the big meals or holiday parties, do a potluck. You can assign your guests items to bring and not take on the entire financial cost of the meal. 
Homemade treats. Give homemade treats to neighbors and friends. Making treats with your kids or even having your little or big chefs make them themselves, creates a fun family memory. Delivering these treats while caroling is sure to create lasting memories. 
Free events. Take advantage of the free holiday events in the area. There are holiday markets, Christmas parades, and Christmas lights that are all free. Another option is to pick one paid event to attend and then enjoy all the free events. Make sure to check out Knoxville Mom’s Knoxville Family Christmas and Holiday Event Round-up to make the most out of the Christmas season in Knoxville. A few of our family favorite free Christmas activities are the Elf on the Shelf Adventure and Peppermint Trail in downtown Knoxville, the Festival of Lights at Cove Park, and the Cookie Crawl in downtown Clinton.
Buy second hand. Not all your children’s gifts have to be brand new. There are plenty of gently used items you can find on websites like Ebay, Postmark, Mercari, and Amazon. Amazon sells items at a discount if the package has been damaged in any way or if it is a return item. Buying second hand books from shops like McKay’s or through Thriftbooks.com is a great way to save money and still get your child exactly what he or she wants. Peruse virtual thrift stores of Poshmark and ThredUp with large catalogues that offer more high-end clothing pieces for your kids and teens.
We all want to be generous this time of year and let the people around us know we are thinking of them. The good news is we can do that. The great news is that we can do that and spend within our means. Spending less does not have to mean having less or having less fun.
