Have a Merry Frugal Christmas

Christmas is a wonderful time of year but not if you have to go deep in debt to celebrate it.  There are many ways to enjoy the holidays without overspending.  Try these tips to save on decorating, gift giving and entertaining.

Decorating

It’s fun to decorate your house inside and out for the holidays but it can also be expensive.  You don’t have to go out and buy everything new in order to have a cheerful holiday home.  Homemade touches and a few decorations can go a long way toward giving your home a warm, holiday feeling.

• Decorate Naturally – Collect pine branches, pine cones and acorns to make your own decorations for indoors and outdoors.  You can make your own wreaths and window and door decorations from pine branches wired together with pinecones and other natural elements attached.  Place bowls of pine cones and acorns around the house for decoration.  You can add cinnamon sticks to these for that wonderful holiday aroma.  Or have the kids help you decorate the pine cones with paint and glitter to use for tree decorations.  Natural decorations give your home touches of an old-fashioned Christmas without any cost involved.
• Candles – Candles placed in bowls or hurricane lamps make wonderful decorations during the holiday season.  Buy inexpensive ones and place them all around your home for an intimate feeling.  You can make wonderful centerpieces with candles by placing one large candle in a bowl and surround it with pine cones, acorns and cranberries or any other natural items you may have on hand.    
• Tree Decorations – You don’t need a lot of expensive decorations to have the perfect Christmas tree.  String popcorn and cranberries for garland, make cookies you can decorate and hang on the tree or have your children make decorations with paper, glitter and a lot of imagination.  Tie bows on branches from scrap material you have around the house.  Find instructions on-line for do-it-yourself ornaments that you make, bake, and paint and will be able to use year after year.  Not only are you decorating your tree but you will be spending time with your children which is what Christmas really is all about.  Don’t have children?  Then invite your friends and family over to make ornaments and decorate and make new memories with them.