Enjoy Your Christmas on a Budget

Has the stress of the economy gotten you down in the dumps? Is all the cheer gone to the dogs?

Here are a few tips to enjoy Christmas on a budget.

The cost of presents can be a major source of stress or depression during the holidays. Many people truly enjoy handmade items. They not only receive a gift from you, but something they can remember you by for years to come.

You can also give a gift of favors. You could offer free babysitting, dog sitting or a free car wash. You could even give the gift of a house cleaning. All these things are great gifts and cost you nothing but your time. Think about what your friends and family need or what they do not have time to do for themselves.

To make your time special without having to go out and spend a lot of money, here are some suggestions for activities. Watch a Christmas movie with your family, and enjoy some hot chocolate. Build a snowman, make snow angels, or go sledding. Make your own little hill in your own back yard. The kids may have just as much fun building it, as they will sliding down it. Play a family game. Help the little ones so they can play too. Yahtzee is an easy game for children and fun for the whole family.

Do you have any old Christmas ornaments that just do not look as good as they once did? How about getting out some paint or colored markers and let the kids redesign them. You can let them glue on beads, or sequins or pictures from old Christmas cards.

You could also make bookmarks for everyone. Use old Christmas card fronts and cut them to size. Glue backs together and you will have two different bookmarks in one. Punch a hole in the top and tie a small length of ribbon through it. These make nice gifts for the readers in the family too.

Look through magazines and online to get more ideas for gifts and activities to enjoy this holiday season and leave the stress behind.