Single Parents - How to Save Money on Christmas
If you are a single parent, money is probably tight. Your kids have wish lists a mile long, and you want to decorate your house for the holidays. You can have a wonderful Christmas without hurting your budget.
First, shop for Christmas all year long. When you see a perfect gift for someone at a good price, make the purchase. Don't pass on the buy and count on the gift being there when you go back to get it on Christmas Eve. Be sure that you have a place designated to store such purchases so that you can find the gifts when Christmas arrives.
Make a list of possible gifts that you want to buy for each person on your list. Then, decide a total dollar amount to spend on each person, and decide what gifts you will be able to purchase. The key is to stick to your list and dollar allotment for each person. The store that you will purchase the gift at should also be listed. Then, restrain yourself from going in any stores not on your list. Go to the stores on your list, get the gifts, and get out. Do not browse! It's too easy to get carried away when shopping and succumb to the Christmas-buying spirit, blowing your budget in the process.
Consider alternative sources for gifts rather than heading to the mall. You may be able to find that perfect gift on ebay or at a thrift store. Stores where every item is $1.00 can be a great source for stocking stuffers. Yard sales and thrift stores can be great places to pick up decorations cheaply, especially during the the spring and summer when nobody is thinking about Christmas.
You might want to try your hand at making gifts. Even if you are not talented at crafts, there are simple gifts that can be inexpensively and easily made such as a tin with all of the ingredients to make a batch of homemade cookies or a themed basket filled with inexpensive items from your local dollar store.
As a single parent with only one income, a gift that you want to purchase may be out of your price range. If so, ask other people who are buying gifts for that same person if they would be willing to go in with you on the large gift. Often, people like to do that since it saves them the hassle of thinking of an appropriate gift and having to shop for it.
Ask your family what traditions mean the most to them. You may find that your family would be just as happy with turkey than an expensive ham. Or, they may like only four of the twelve kinds of cookies you typically bake, so you can just bake four kinds of cookies. You might find that your older kids don't care about getting Christmas stockings anymore and would rather just have video games or cash. Concentrate on your family's cherished traditions, and skip the rest in order to save time and money.
If you must purchase a Christmas tree, consider an artificial one. Yes, real trees are beautiful and have that evergreen smell, but an artificial tree can be used over and over for many years. You can buy a real evergreen wreath so that you still have the Christmas aroma without the expense of a tree every year.
Those beautiful Christmas lights can burn up a lot of electricity. Maybe you could scale back on the amount of lights that you put up. At the very least, turn the lights off when you go to bed which also reduces the chances of a fire starting while you are asleep.
Christmas does not have to be a budget-breaking experience for single parents. By sticking to your gift list, keeping only those traditions that matter most to your family, and decorating frugally, you can have a merry Christmas and save money!
