As moms, we’re thinking all the time about how to make the holidays special. This can be very hard when you’re on a budget.
Our first couple of Christmases, we had a whole lot of love, but not a lot of money. I had dreamed of a beautiful home with wreaths on the window and a great fresh cut Christmas tree, scented candles and feasts fit for a King. Instead, I had one shabby little wreath (a purchase I had justified to cover up the F-word that had been carved into our apartment’s front door), a hand-me down skinny tree with half the lights out, and a very sparse, nearly empty pantry.
That particular Christmas ended up being one of my favorites. Without all the hosting, the fretting and the gift-buying, we were forced into gratitude. Our children were so little they didn’t compare their meager belongings to their classmates or friends at daycare – they were just so delighted to be together.
And so we embraced the togetherness: reading books, having pajama days, going to church, lighting old taper candles, and making paper snowflakes. We quickly realized our world didn’t have to look like a Hallmark movie, decked out in red and green and Target Christmas decorations. We had everything we needed.
I learned lessons those few sparse Christmases that seemed to last forever that I’ve carried with me. Today, I realize many families are experiencing difficulties in celebrating the way we’re used to. I want to encourage you with some simple ways to make your holidays special on a budget.
Simple ways to make your holidays special on a budget.
- Make Paper Snowflakes
Instead of spending money on Netflix, going out to a movie, or getting hot chocolate at Starbucks, we sat around the table cutting out snowflakes. The completed work looked so festive in our windows, hanging from our ceilings or used as cheap ornaments in a pinch. - Cinnamon Ornaments This is a great alternative to purchasing ornaments, and they add a little sweet cinnamon smell to the house in leu of scented candles.
- Read Aloud
You don’t have to own a huge shelf full of books. We love our public library! Grab a stack of books to work on during those cold, dark winter nights. Here are some of our favorite winter reads:
The Brambly Hedge Books
The Hobbit
A Christmas Treasury
Little Women
The Bible (The first chapters of Luke)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
I Spy Books - Free Christmas Movies
Can’t afford to take your little dancer to The Nutcracker? You can watch several versions of the ballet on YouTube! We put this on for our daughter and let her dance in front of the TV. (Even W was into the Mouse King’s army.)
Another tip: Public libraries will often keep DVDs of Christmas movies that you can check out! We hit up the library Friday after school for The Santa Claus or Home Alone. - Making Christmas Cards
If you can’t afford gifts for your loved ones, this is a great idea. I purchase large a box of plain cards and envelopes when they go on sale instead of purchasing Christmas cards. The kids and I would paint, draw or cut and past construction paper to send to grandparents, people in the church, teachers and others. The children learn to address an envelope, get to be creative and get endless entertainment. You can save some cash on stamps by hand delivering with a hug. - Candlelight Meals
Even when the panty was getting empty and the fridge looked desolate, I could usually come up with something I could make from scratch. Examples are noodles made with eggs and flour, pancakes from scratch with honey or peanut butter, a half batch of cookies, and let’s not forget the hamburger helper box. Even the most creative meals tasted decent if we had a few candles lit on the table. Scented candles were out of the question, and we often didn’t have a fireplace, but the little flames brought me so much joy! Often you can snatch up tapers for fifty cents to a dollar or two. A hand me down candle holder set does the job. - Pajamas and Blanket Forts
One year we could’t purchase Christmas pajamas for the kids. I would get self conscious at Christmas PJ day at school, sending them in regular pajamas. The kids were just ecstatic to be wearing pajamas to school! We spent many a winter day staying in our pajamas with our tiny living room completely taken over by blankets and pillows and stuffed animals. Sometimes we let it stay that way for a week. When I would get sad, I would just remind myself that we were together and we were making memories. - Stop the Comparison
The old saying “comparison is the thief of joy” holds true. Get off of instagram and Pinterest. Stay out of Target. Smile and be grateful.
Now, I do have wreaths on the windows, but we make our food from scratch. We still eat by candlelight. I do have small box of simple Christmas decorations, but we don’t purchase new decor each year. One night in December, we’ll grab a hot chocolate for the kids from the coffee shop, but we’ll go home and read a book around the fire together (in last year’s too-small, bedraggled PJs).
My prayer for you and your families is that this year, no matter the size of your pocketbook, the busyness of the holidays, or the other challenges that you might be facing, you can take a deep breath and hold your families tightly, that you can remember the coming of our Savior with wonder, joy, and full hearts as you behold the beauty of this season – it’s there if you look for it!
