Christmas Joy on a Shoestring

It's every parent's nightmare - Christmas during tough times; the expectations, the small expenses that quickly add up, the cost of decorating and the challenge of keeping a happy face through it all. It's tough, but it can be done, and with a little imagination, the happy face will be genuine and the memories rich.

Be a Brave Elf

The first step in making Christmas real when the chips are down is putting yourself in a happy place, and I'm not talking about a fetal position in a corner of your closet. Your family is following your lead, so buck up and decide you're going to have fun and you're going to get creative and make Christmas happen. Believe me, once you get started on getting ready for the holidays, you're going to get into it - trust me on this. There's something about the season that lends itself to cheer and happiness if you let it.

But What About Santa?

One of the biggest stress points in the holiday experience is figuring out how you're going to meet your children's expectations, especially if they're little. Small children seem to have a natural knack for picking the hot toy of the season or the hard to get ones. First things first; if your children are pinning their Christmas hopes on getting that hot toy and that toy is made of shiny unobtainium, you need to start managing expectations now. Find out what else they're really into, and zero in on one of the themes that are available. If they are into popular toys like Star Wars or Bakugan, for example, you're in luck. There are plenty of toys out there and bargains galore, if you start looking early. Starting your shopping on December 20nd is a rich man's luxury; there are precious few bargains to be had in the last weeks.

Clearance Aisles, Close-out Stores and E-Bay Are Your Friends

You must start as early as October if you really want to get ahead; many of the big discounters like Wal-Mart and Target are starting to clear out older stock in preparation for the hot new toys that are going to be in stores for the Christmas season. Look for clearance items on their on-line sites as well. Know where the clearance aisles are and where the toys your children are into are stocked. Right now, for example, our local Target is closing out their Star Trek line of action figures. If your child is into space or Star Trek, the small action figures are less than $2 each, and the Transporter Room is abut $8 - this is a hard core bargain. Toys like Bakugan and Star Wars figures run in series, so that kids are perpetually seeing new characters and new editions. Use this to your advantage and buy the old series as they close out. Until about three years ago when we were going through some very hard times, my wife and I had never considered close out stores like Big Lots, Marshalls or Ross stores. The first few times we went into those stores, we were astounded by some of the bargains we found, even on toys that we knew were hard to get. The bargains for adults were also pretty amazing; name brand leather soft briefcases for $25 and leather shaving kits for less than $10, nice gourmet gift sets, there are some real treasures among the mountains of merchandise; but you have to go there, go there early and you have to look. Once you get into it, bargain hunting is actually a lot of fun; I think it appeals to some primeval "hunting and gathering" instinct.

There is an option that you have, though it is a tough bridge to cross; can you buy your children toys on E-Bay, or more directly, "pre-owned" toys? That same Christmas about three years ago, out oldest had just turned four and was really into the Rescue Heroes. Rescue Hero toys were not cheap, either. We found a "like new" lot on E-Bay for the price of a couple of toys at retail and bought what turned out to be a huge lot. We inspected each toy, cleaned and touched them up where necessary and set up a scene in front of the tree with one or two "store bought" figures in the boxes. The boy went absolutely nuts when he came into the living room and saw the huge display. I don't believe young children have the same sense of pride about that as we do. Can you get away with this with an older child? It may depend on the gifts and the child; several high quality "like new" video games, for example may go over quite nicely if combined with a couple of clearance action figures and books. It's your call, but know that there are options and don't let your pre-conceived notions get in the way of a good time. You can get brand new toys and gifts on E-Bay as well; look for key words like "NIB" - new in box, "NWT" - new with tags and "NWOT" - new without tags.

Become a Tree Expert

The other source of sticker shock are trees. You can easily spend upwards to hundreds of dollars on a tree, but that's crazy, especially in these times. Shop for trees, shop a lot. Visit your local hardware stores and Home Depots, Walmarts and the bigger grocery chains. Ask questions about the different types of trees and get realistic about the size of tree you need in your living room. If you have nine foot ceilings, you don't need a nine foot tree - leave room for the tree topper, and remember that it's actually more aesthetically pleasing to have some room between the tree and ceiling. Finally, practice this phrase: "I can't spend a lot of money this year, but I'm looking for a nice tree for the kids." You're not asking for a favor, you're telling the attendant what you want; if you've ever dealt with the public, you'll appreciate how much easier it makes their job. You're far more likely to find a bargain if you tell them you're looking for one.

Decorating: Back to Basics

Take some time and get back to the old-fashioned traditions, I know it sounds corny, but there is a lot of fun in stringing popcorn and raw cranberries and in creating some old fashioned Christmas crafts. This is really a four-for-one winning proposition; you're saving money, you're spending quality time with your family without forcing the issue, you're encouraging creativity and self expression and you're doing you bit for the "green" cause without being preachy. Follow this link for some great ideas on old-fashioned Christmas crafts for the family. Again, trust me when I tell you that it's not nearly as hokey as it may sound - you'll have fun.

Take Advantage of the Free and Cheap Stuff

If you live in a community of any size, there are probably things going on throughout the holiday season that you may not have been aware of before; things like community groups doing the Nutcracker and other holiday classics, dance studio and company productions and holiday fairs and arts and craft expos. Get off the couch and get out there and enjoy the entertainment - the performers and artists live for this stuff. If you decide to stay on the couch, get the whole family on the couch, pop some popcorn and watch some of the holiday classics on TV; who doesn't like Charlie Brown and his sad little tree or the slightly creepy but always enjoyable puppet animation shows like Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman?

Host a Pot Luck Dinner

Hosting Christmas dinner doesn't mean you have to break the bank - host a pot luck dinner instead and have each guest bring a dish. Yes, you'll have to do some coordination and it will be some work, but what a great way to spend some time with friends on the cheap. Here's a link to some articles about how to make that holiday pot luck dinner happen. Oh, and make sure you let everybody know it's BYOB. You'll be surprised how much fun you can have hosting a pot luck dinner; I haven't done one in quite a while, but I'm smiling just remembering.

Make Some Time for Your Significant Other

Tough times are called that for a reason, and money issues can take a real toll on a relationship. Make sure you plan to spend some time alone with your loved one, even if it's doing something as simple as walking around downtown or driving around looking at the lighted houses. Yes, the kids love looking at the lights and elaborately decorated houses, but go on a scouting trip first, just you two. You'll have fun, and know exactly where to go with the kids.

Relax and Have Fun

The holidays are supposed to be happy and fun; don't let money get in the way of your good time and memories. If you do this right, the holiday season may be the boost and the break that recharges your batteries and propel you forward into the new year. Like they say, bad times don't last, but good people do. I hope the best for you - here's hoping you and your family build yourselves a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.