Frugal Fun For Cheap Holidays

How to have frugal fun during the holidays. Umm this used to cause me many sleepless nights wondering how I was going to get through the next holiday, be it Christmas, Mothers day, Easter or Halloween, without disappointing the family.

I tried once telling my whole family that I was not going to celebrate any of the holidays this year, as i was really short on money and i just wouldn't be able to buy others any gifts and so didn't want others to buy me any gifts.

Well that went down like a lead balloon and I ended up feeling even meaner. The only solution was to find out how I could celebrate all the various holidays without spending a small fortune and have some frugal fun along the way.

In the following pages I will highlight ideas and tips on how to celebrate all the various different holidays throughout the year without stretching those credit card debts and worries.

Fun or madness?

Have you ever thought about the insanity of the holidays and how everyone ends up frantically rushing around trying to find the perfect gifts and buying decorations that may only ever get used once. It used to be only Christmas that would spark this madness off but now as consumerism spins out of control, every holiday is a whirlwind of spending. Now Easter, Valentines day and Halloween have become a strain on the household budget as well.

STOP!

Ask yourself why am I doing this and what is it really all about. When you give yourself the time to think about what the holiday is really all about, it gives you time to put your money away and think about what is really important.

• Will buying 10 gifts for the children make them happier than if you were frugal and bought them 5 instead?
• 

• Does the cost of the gift make the item more special?

The answer for me has always been no. The kids will always have their favourite toys and how many times have you seen gifts unwrapped and put aside almost immediately?

As for the cost of the gift, the gift that made my mother cry with happiness was a second hand camera that I had bought on ebay for only £10. She was overjoyed that I had taken the time to get her something she really wanted and wasn’t interested in how much it cost.

Plan ahead and have some frugal fun

Waiting until the last minute to make purchases and paying the full price for everything, you will make amazing savings and still be able to have some frugal fun.

• Plan your year’s holiday celebrations a year in advance.

• Decide your budget for each holiday and birthday and stick to it.

• Visit the shops just after a major holiday and buy decorations, costumes, cards etc at a much reduced amount ready for the next time it comes around.

• Talk to the whole family about their expectations and what they want to do at the holidays. This helps you to make a budget for that event. Also my making it clear what everyones expects on their birthdays is also worth discussing.

• Buy gifts when you see them during the sales rather than waiting for the holidays to arrive.

• Involve the whole family in the planning and budgeting. This will give the children especially a sense of the costs involved and will help them to value things.

• Planning big celebrations like a wedding at least a year before the event will help plan your budget to include some savings for this event and allow you to have the wedding you want. A big part of your specail day is the wedding reception and unfortunately this can be one of the biggest costs, however it is possible to do the wedding catering yourself along with friends at a fraction of the cost. Catering for your own wedding dosn't have to be a very extravagant affair and with just a few special touches of your own can be as wonderful as any held at a top fancy hotel.

Holidays and birthdays can be celebrated just as lavishly on a frugal budget, it just takes more thought and forward thinking.

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