How to Celebrate Christmas Without Going Broke

Simplify the decorating. While it is possible to buy a lot of decorations for next-to-nothing, they soon add up and they often look crass when strewn all over the house. Have fewer decorations but choose some finer quality ones to place in strategic areas such as a centerpiece for the table, a decoration for the mantelpiece and some simple but elegant pieces for the tree.^[1]

• An alternative is to skip decorating and just rely on the Christmas cards you receive, a table tree centerpiece and the Christmas napkins to do enough of a job suggesting it's Christmas time.
• Reuse old decorations.
• Use a fake tree so that you don't have to buy a live one next year.
• Make your own decorations. These are both a form of getting involved in self-sufficient crafts and a way to save money.
• Do a turnabout and donate decorations you've over-indulged in from previous years rather than upgrading to new ones. Give them to a charity store or a charity organization. Simplifying is about having less but getting more enjoyment from what you do have.

Set a budget. Decide how much you can afford to spend on gifts and food for Christmas and don't go beyond it.^[2] Use the budget to be more aware of the need to reuse, recycle and make do with the things you do have.

• Stick to your budget.^[3] Many people make a budget and then use it as a guideline. Instead, use it as a mandate, a necessity, a stricture. Stick to what you say you're going to spend. It feels good to be virtuous.
• Choose to stay away from the stores when they're crowded. The pressure created by last-minute shopping in crowds can be intense and cause you to buy things that are more expensive than you intended just to escape the place faster.

Limit the gift giving. Agree in advance with family and friends that you won't give each other lots or expensive gifts this year. In fact, set a limit of one gift each and perhaps even set a spending limit on each gift too. Emphasize that Christmas is about getting together, not about outdoing one another in the gift zone.^[4] You may also wish to start doing a 'Secret Santa' tradition amongst your family, so that each person only has to buy one gift.

Make gifts. Whatever your skill, there are lots of possibilities for making items, including knitted and crocheted items, paper craft, woodwork, writing of a poem or short story, programming a special program just for them, creating them a website, etc. Use the skills you have!

• Here are some suggestions for crafts that you can experiment with if the urge hits you:
  • A wine-cork trivet using the leftovers from wine bottles and a little glue.
  • A pet collar using a little bit of extra fabric.
  • A bracelet with hearts or a necklace with beads.
  • A scrapbook or a sketchbook using an old game board.
  • Some bath sachets and bouquets made of fragrant flowers and herbs.
  • Some great homemade ornaments.

Purchase gifts that have been handcrafted by people in developing countries. Use organizations that support fair trade, training programs and self-sufficient savings. That way, you're supporting artisans and their craft and ensuring that they can survive and make a living. Many of these handcrafted items are very unique, making them an ideal gift and most don't cost a lot.

• Buy a donation gift. This consists of a gift that keeps on giving through a reputable charity that promises to deliver the item you buy to those in need. Buy an animal, seeds or other item for a family in need in a developing country through a charity. Donate this gift on behalf of a family member or friend and give them the details of how their gift is helping others to lead a better life.^[5]

Have a potluck for Christmas dinner. Ask everyone who is coming along to bring their favorite dish rather than expecting one person or family/household to do all the work and carry the costs. This way you get a lot of variety in food and you all get to share the workload.^[6]

• It's a good idea to ask for mains, desserts, and other courses to ensure a good balance. Don't specify the recipe, just the course.
• Don't forget the vegetarians, gluten intolerant and any other special dietary needs.
• Have children set the table and clear away as part of their contribution to the Christmas helping spirit.
• Give serious consideration to a restaurant meal. After buying all the different types of food and spending hours in the kitchen, a restaurant meal may prove cheaper and kinder on everyone who is usually responsible for preparing everything.

Help others. Consider volunteering or asking people who seem to be left out of Christmas because of their family situation or being foreigners, etc. This is something that doesn't cost you anything more than time and possibly a few donations but the value far exceeds what you put into it. And for yourself and your family, it's a lesson in giving of oneself, of one's skills and time, and in creating community spirit, all something that can only be passed on to future generations in the doing instead of the purchasing.