With Christmas not very far away, you must be already browsing to search for budget-friendly ways to celebrate it. So here are some of the creative ideas that will help you turn Christmas into the most magical event without burning a hole in your pockets.
- Get your calendar out and start putting in all the Christmas events in the area (switching on the lights, special Christmas fairs). Kids are excited by Christmas lights and watching decorations on people’s houses. A very cheap outing, but they used to love it.
- Make sure you take time out to see all the events at your children’s school. There is nothing more important for children than to share and show parents what they have been up to in school.
- You could organise a Christmas party for your children’s friends at home (this can be inexpensively done with a small roast chicken, crackers, music and a delicious dessert treat from an online cake order app).
- Make a big deal out of small things and get the children involved every step of the way. Give your children (guided!) the responsibility to choose a tree, for instance. Our trip to the local garden centre is always an extraordinary time.
- Get your children involved with planning where to hang the decorations and how to make the house a special place. Buy a few new Christmas ornaments to add to the ones you already have or if you are creative, make them. The kids may want to make some decorations, or you may allow them to buy something special for their own room. There is a kaleidoscope of cheap decorations out there that can make their room look festive. If you don’t already have them, look into buying lights for the outside of your house.
- Buy special candles for Christmas time that make the house smell nice. Small things make a lasting impression.
- As soon as it is December, your kids can go onto www.noradsanta.org to check Santa’s progress and to play some games as each day a new one is revealed. Advent calendars are inexpensive and a fun way to start every day in December, practising days of the week and numbers!
- This is also an excellent time to practise some new recipes for the Christmas holidays. Again, get the kids involved in making it or, indeed, tasting it. They can learn so much from cooking and baking cakes for Christmas with raw ingredients, such as weighing quantities, names of spices, texture/smell of ingredients, etc.
- On Christmas Day, there is no need to go overboard with the food and drink. If you can, get some good quality meat, but get enough rather than plenty for everyone and find a special sauce or gravy to add a spark. Supplement your meat with an array of vegetables and roast potatoes but plan carefully so that you are not throwing pounds and pounds of food in the bin. Cooking yourself is always the most economical way and can be a nice team and family effort. Have a good dessert that is simple and delicious for everyone. For children, opt for a do-it-yourself dessert with ice cream and various toppings (we call these ice cream castles).
- Sort all the toys the children already have. You will find toys your kids love but have forgotten about, and some can be sold or given away. You can make up some parcels for deprived children in the world. Many organisations and churches have such initiatives. Involve your kids so they learn the value of the toys they have and the pleasure they can bring another child by giving things away.
- Decide on a budget. Creating the wonderful atmosphere that can have in the home doesn’t mean that your child has to go without presents. Then decide what you can realistically afford to spend and who to spend it on. Do you want to prioritise the kids, or are there other people you have to buy for? Only spend money you have. It is going only to create more problems as time goes on. You need to be strict with the pre set budget. If there is a special wish your child has and you can’t afford it, then try teaming up with some family members to get the present your son/daughter wants.
- Use any saved-up vouchers.
- For most people writing cards can be a tedious activity. It is as if you are merely sending cards to the people who are likely to send you one. Send cards to say thank you or good luck to someone genuinely. It takes more time but also means so much more. It is also a good activity for the kids to get them to write cards to their special friends or adults in their life whom they appreciate and want to say thank you to. In addition, they can start writing their letters to Santa, which can become a great creative project.