Tips on Surviving the Holidays During a Recession

This is one of the years where it will be difficult to get things we would like for our loved ones for Christmas or the holidays. With the recession full blown it is time to cut back on spending, and be creative. Here are some tips and ideas to survive the holidays during the recession. The main thing is to have fun with the Holidays, and to make them fun. Pull out your Christmas music and play it while working on projects for Christmas. Use your Christmas decorations and decorate your house to look festive for the holidays. Set up some candles and light them to make the house have a glow about it. Candles and a nicely decorated tree make your home comfy and inviting. While planning what you can afford and do for the Christmas holidays, don't expect to much. Keep your home well lit in the areas you are working, to help eliminate the cabin fever, winter blues, or depression. Making Christmas simple will also help cut down on the depression. Let your family and friends know that with the recession, you have had to cut back for the Christmas Holidays, and you will be having a home made Christmas. This lets them know that you are still planning on exchanging gifts, but that you will not be purchasing everything this year. A homemade gift to me is very special, as it takes more time and love to make a gift then to walk through a store and pick something out. Involve the family with making gifts as well.

My first tip is to make things for Christmas.

Take your favorite cookie recipes, or bar recipes and put all of the dry ingredients in a jar. Put a piece of fabric over the top of the jar and tie on with a ribbon and attach the recipe, adding the ingredients that they need to add like eggs, milk, water, vegetable oil, and give the mixing and baking instructions. You can also mix your favorite soup ideas in a jar (dehydrate the vegetable and layer them in a jar)

Check out the internet for Gifts In A jar

http://www.geocities.com/giftsinajar/

You can make bathsalts with epsom salts, glycerin and food coloring (http://www.allfreecrafts.com/giftinajar/bath-salts.shtml). Once you have the epsom salts, glycerin and food coloring mixed, pour into a jelly or pint size jar. Take a piece of fabric and cut into a circle (using a pinking shears to cut the circle about 3 inches bigger than the lid. Tie the fabric over the cover with a ribbon. Label bathsalts, and how much to use per bath.

Fleece scarfs and mittens

Pick up 20 inches X 60 inches of fleece. Cut the scarf 6 to 8 inches wide by about 50 to 60 inches long (the length all depends on the size of the child, so use your judgement, or use one of their winter scarfs for measurement, when they are not around) Also use their mittens as a pattern for the mittens you will trace on felt (add 1 inch to the pattern) Cut the mittens out adding 1 more inch of fabric. Take your scissors and fringe the ends of the scarf. Then take your mittens and pin them together. Either hand stitch or machine stitch a 3/4 inch seam. You do not have to finish the edge of the top of the mitten as it will not run. You and cut out a design and put it on the mittens and scarf as well. This is so quick and easy to do.

Christmas Dinner

If you can not afford a Turkey this year. Pick your favorite foods and watch for the items to be on sale. Or shop at a whole sale store, Aldi's, Sav-a-lot, etc. And start picking up a few things. Picking up a few items at a time as you can afford them is alot easier than trying to be able to afford everything you need for your Christmas and Christmas Dinner at the last minute. Change your menu this year. There is no need to go with the traditional Turkey and Ham. Go with Chicken breasts, chicken, make Hot Tamales or a favorite recipe of your families. Something you have not made before. You will be surprised to find out that they actually enjoyed it better then the huge Christmas dinner.

Christmas Cards.

If you have the internet. Send E cards for Christmas. Save on cards and postage, and send the cards via email. Just type in Christmas E cards for free. Some sites let you create your own card, which means you can design what it will look like. You can create your own unique Christmas card to send to all your friends and family via email.

If you are crafty or can sew. Take scraps of material and lap quilts or dresser scarfs for the kids. Use your imagination.

Christmas is a time for putting your love into your work for your loved ones.

Christmas Visiting and the Gas Prices.

If you are planning on visiting this year. Plan on tree hopping and car pooling to save on gas. Put a little money aside each week for your gas money for traveling. Instead of traveling several times during the Christmas Holidays, select one day to visit friends and loved ones in your area. Then invite them over to your home to visit during the Christmas holidays, and make a nice inexpensive homemade meal to serve. Being creative, you can take your inexpensive meal and dress it up to look like you spent alot of time and money on it.