OT: Christmas on a budget... share ideas

It's likely that the majority of everyone is on a tighter budget this year. I thought it would be a good idea to share some tips for ways to save money. Budget friendly gift ideas, money saving ideas, etc.

I just finished making out my list of people and $ amounts for each. Most people have a $5-10 limit. Mine and DHs parents and grandparents are each allotted $20 and those are the people we're spending the most on aside from DD. We have a huge family with lots of kids. I've worked the budget the best I can, even cut a few people out (anyone we won't be seeing  face to face isn't getting a gift). Still, we're left with 38 people and a final dollar amount of $535 excluding DH and myself. OUCH! Most years we spend over a grand on Christmas, excluding ourselves and our DD. Now I'm looking at roughly $500 and cannot imagine where the extra money is going to come from! 

I'm doing the whole Black Friday shopping thing, but usually my thought process is to get more gift for the buck rather than spend less than my budgeted amount on that person.

Anyone care to share some money saving ideas? I feel like I've cut everyone to the bare minimum and still it's too much. I feel like a cheapscate for only spending $10 on our siblings! 

What about homemade gifts - I would wager a bet that your parents and inlaws would LOVE a photo of DD or something that she made. You could have a friend take a family photo, print it at somewhere like Walmart or Walgreens for about $1 for a 5x7 and get anice frame. I am doing that for my Dad, and grandparents as well as my hubby. We are on a much tighter budget this year then in years past and are also going with practical gifts. What about making a meal to freeze for a family? Some home made cookies wrapped up pretty or an offer to watch their kids for an evening etc? Are you crafty? 2 years ago I made all the kids I have on my christmas list fleece blankets. Joann Fabrics is running a black friday speial $2.99 a year for fleece - it takes 1 yard to make a kid's blanket. You don't even have to sew - just snip the edges to make fringe and tie them together. Actually I did this for my dad and grandparents too and the love it!

Good luck!

These are great ideas. We do the picture thing every year. This year we're having a nice family photo made, though. I'm really excited because this will be our first one ever thanks to the weight I've lost with my band! Every other year we just give a pic of DD in her Christmas dress.

I do a lot of crafts. I just think I've burned out that option. Last year I made several people PJ pants and a few people rag quilts (the flannel kind where you clip the raw edges of the squares instead of a traditional quilt). I just don't want to become that chick who gives out handmade stuff every year. Grandparents and mothers appreciate things like that but other than that, a lot of people don't.

I could definitely do handmades for the kids... that's a huge chunk of our budget. Our siblings and aunts/uncles have popped out so many kids over the last few years LOL. Christmas went from having three kids to buy for (including my own) to 10!! 


Here are some other things I've done... just to share some ideas with everyone else:
* Cookie mix in a jar with a recipe card attached. You layer the ingredients and put a little fabric scrap around the top. Great for teachers and others you don't want to spend a fortune on... each jar costs under $3-4 if you're like me and have an extra 100000 mason jars with rings and lids laying around along with most of the baking ingredients.

* Hot cocoa mix - same as above except with hot cocoa ingredients instead of cookies. Obviously you'd mix the ingredients together instead of layering them. This is even cheaper than the cookie mix.

Great ideas Liz! I'm sewing-challenged, but those fleece blankets sound great! Do you have a photo or 2 you could send me (or post here)? Maybe if I see it, I'll have a better shot at making something that is close in resemblance.

Thx,

http://www.craftelf.com/Craft_elf_general_no_sew_fleece_blan ket.htm

they are SUPER easy! NO sewing! I did a few of mine with fleece on one side and flannel on the other. On the ones with 2 layers I'd just sew a button or use embroidery floss and tie knots randomly in the middle to keep it from separating.

I can't post pics at work but this link shows several - you can also google "no sew fleece blanket instructions" oh and you can do the same thing with pillows - just buy the pre-made pillow forms at the craft store or walmart and make it around those.

Joanne Fabrics( if you have one) does AWESOME black friday sales and they do them online too - joann.com. If you do them and need help just PM me or get me on facebook

I did these last year. Let me just say I am not at all artistic or crafty. I did 12 of them. I did a few bigger ones since they were for my Dad (6'2") and my brother (6'4") so they would be long. They are so warm. I think I have three of them myself. I have a shorter one for when I am just chilled, a step up and then a really LONG ONE to snuggle up with. I made a few for my nieces that they use as a blanket on their bed along with their bedspread. They just like the colors and when it is cold, it keeps them warm!

Traci

Hey Traci,

Do you remember how many yards of fabric you used for the tall adult blankets?  I know NOTHING about buying fabric, but my DH is 6'2" and I'd love to make one for him.

Thanks,
 

Is there anyway that your family can draw names.  We have a huge family as well on both sides of my family(dad's and mom's) So we just have 2 different drawings on each side.  One for the adults and one for the kids, we do it at Thanksgiving and set a dollar limit for each side.  Usually $25 for adults and $20 for kids.  That way everyone gets a decent gift and I only have to spend around $110.00 per side of family.  It works out great or us maybe you could offer that suggestion.  I still buy a seperate gift for my mom and dad of course.

we do this too - each couple gets 2 adults and 3 kids on my Dad's side and on my MOm's side we just draw 2 adults because there are only 7 kids. Our limit is  Dad's side $20/adult $15/kid and Mom's side $40/adult and $15/kid

I don't know if your family would go for this but in the spirit of Christmas maybe you could donate as much as you can afford to your favorite charity and give out Christmas cards as gifts stating "A gift was donated in your name to such & such charity." I have heard of some people doing that for like graduation gifts for high school students because they get invited to like 30 grad parties in the summer. I have never heard it done for Xmas but it's an idea... There are a lot of people in need right now also.

-Ashlie