How to Use the Recession to Enhance Your Holiday Celebrations

The Recession is going to put a damper on our Holiday celebrations, at least until we embrace the limits of these times and learn to flourish within them. Once that happens, we'll all enjoy the Holidays even more. These hard times will encourage us to look within our storerooms, not just physical, but mental and emotional as well, to take stock and make better decisions.

The Holidays are expensive, and for many, unaffordable. I don't know what your financial position is, so I will try and speak as generally as possible. I will address each of the major areas of concern for most people, the areas where we tend to spend the most money.

The largest area of expenditures is probably gifts. If you're gifting small children, you can buy them small discount gifts for $10 apiece and most will be happy with that, as long as the gifts fall within their area(s) of interest. If you're looking for a site that can provide you with over-the-top, inexpensive gifts for young children, try Oriental Trading, which has been doing this for years. (The link is listed below.) I'll give you an example: you can buy their Rainforest Friends Finger Puppets set, which includes 24 puppets, for $6.49. Can you think of a preschooler who wouldn't go nuts over that?!! Oriental Trading also has "extreme budget" tree decorations. My husband and I bought many of these when our son was small and I was working at home, and they're absolutely beautiful. (We use them to this day.) Click their "Toys and Novelties" and "Holiday" tabs on their website for all kinds of fun stuff.

If $10 per gift is not within your budget, try checking out the Goodwill stores in your area. The quality of these stores varies widely, and you may have to check out a few of them to find good stuff. Last Holiday season my son and I went through his room and sorted through several huge bins of toys for Goodwill that he no longer wanted. This sorting-out included the donation of something like fifty or sixty model cars, most still in their plastic wrapping. It also included boxes of Darda track and tiny Darda cars - again, some of which had never been opened.

Teenagers are difficult to buy for. You might have to sit down with them and have a chat about what your Holiday budget is for this year. It's a tough topic to approach, but it can be done. If you query your kids as to what they want, your gifting will get even less expensive. The same can be said for spouses - the more informed you are, the better gift decisions you will make. I wrote an article last year regarding Christmas stocking stuffer gifts for men, and I have linked that below as well.

I make jewelry, so I try and make as many gifts as I can. Making gifts is a great way to add a personal touch to your gifting and stay within your budget. Even if you're not a crafter, there are always homemade food items like cookies, jams or spiced nuts. If you have kids and you can't figure out what to get for their grandparents, you can't go wrong with a calendar filled with photos of their grandkids, which you can order at print shops everywhere. I see these photo calendars displayed proudly in the stores of many of our neighborhood vendors!

A word on food. The elephant sitting in the corner. May I suggest potluck Holiday celebrations? If every family brings its favorite food item, you can expect an extravagant, blowout dinner that won't bankrupt you or anyone else. This is also a great (and tactful) way to incorporate families into your celebration who couldn't otherwise afford a Holiday dinner. I love dinners like these because it's a great way to discover new food, exchange recipes and meet amazing people.

In terms of the tree, we usually just use our same decorations from year to year, and either buy one or two extra or make them. (Last year we didn't buy any at all.) This year trees will probably be inexpensive, but I've heard that if you cut down your own tree it's even cheaper. There are farms where you can do this. If you want to go "green" and "frugal" this year, consider buying a fake tree, if you can get past the fact that it was probably made from petroleum! Tree decorations are incredibly fun to make, and some are easy to put together. Kids in particular really enjoy making tree ornaments. If you want a great site for this, try the Better Homes & Gardens one, which I have listed below. My favorite tree ornaments are the ones my son made for me, mostly during his preschool and elementary school years. They can elicit wonderful memories in Holiday celebrations to come.

Regarding Holiday cards, this is probably an item you really need to examine. Is it absolutely necessary? With the cost of postage hiked yet once again, a lot of families are probably going to forgo this one. If you really want to send cards, I recommend the photo cards from either your local pharmacy or a big-box store like Costco. They're inexpensive, and if you have kids, a nice thing to send to your relatives. (Shoot your own photo and bring it - it's much cheaper.) If you don't love the idea of making a photo card, consider designing your own and bringing it to your local print shop, like Kinko's. Some people are great at designing Holiday cards. I worked with this one very talented woman who used to make her own cards with origami pieces. Unfortunately, I am not good at this, unless it involves Photoshop and Microsoft Word! Maybe you are, and if so, you should consider sending your friends and relatives your works of art.

In terms of Holiday clothing, try getting together with friends and relatives and seeing if you can swap for Holiday clothing items. This stuff is expensive, and people tend to remember it, which is even worse. ("Isn't that the velvet skirt you wore last Holiday season?") Et cetera. But your friend's coworkers won't remember it. Maybe she can use it! This is also an expenditure that needs to be reviewed. It's wonderful to see everyone dressed in sparkly, beautiful clothing during Holiday celebrations, but it's very pricey. I'll probably be wearing jeans this year!

Sources:

Personal experience

http://www.orientaltrading.com/

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1257011/best_christmas_stocking_stuffers_for.html?cat=46

http://www.bhg.com/holidays/christmas/ornaments/