Cheap Christmas Gifts

Outdoor vendors are popping up with fresh Christmas trees everywhere. Indoors, stores are lining their shelves with artificial versions that look just like the real thing. Happily, families are heading out to give a tree a home – happily that is until they’re shocked by the astronomical prices on some of these trees. On top of gifts, wrapping, holiday food and entertainment, it seems that Christmas trees also come with a hefty price tag. Fresh, live trees are upwards of $70+ and artificial trees can cost anywhere from $100-200-even 300. And then there are always decorations to consider.

So how do you get a cheaper Christmas tree?

Well, if you’re looking for something artificial that will last you a couple years then I recommend the large retail stores like Target, Sears, Wal-Mart, etc. They have good-looking Christmas tree options from as low as $50! That’s phenomenal savings for an artificial tree. The key on snagging one of these bargain trees is to purchase it early. It’s a huge advantage to keep an eye open as early as Black Friday for when they go on sale.

However if you’re late in the game for these artificial tree deals (or if you simply prefer the look and smell of the real version), don’t worry. The good news is you can keep waiting. For live, fresh Christmas trees, the best deals come a couple days before Christmas. All of these outdoor vendors will be trying to give homes to the last of their stock since after Christmas, not many will be wanting an evergreen in the middle of their living room. Real bargains come at this time since trees are sold at tremendous discount prices. The closer to Christmas day, the cheaper they will be.

The trade-off with this option is that of course, you have to be patient enough to wait. You won’t have a Christmas tree up in your home until much later, but you’ll be saving a ton of money. Also, keep in mind that these trees have been passed over by other customers for varying reasons (slight discoloration, smaller size, etc) so they won’t be perfect. But really, decorations do wonders and adding them will create the perfect Christmas tree for you.

Remember this Charlie Brown Christmas clip? It’s the one where all of the Peanut gang take Charlie Brown’s beat-up and sad looking tree, spruce it up, and suddenly it dazzles.

Finally, now that you have a Christmas tree, why not save even more money on decorations? Try out these cheap Christmas decorating tips!

• Melt candies together into Christmas shapes and put around the tree. Peppermint and butterscotch are delicious.
• Use ribbon to make bows all around the tree.
• String popcorn to create a classic garland look.
• Use crepe paper in red and white to make more holiday garland.
• Use old gift wrap, back on cardboard and cut into holiday shapes.
• Family photos!

Tags: candy, christmas tree, gift wrapping, home decorating, ornaments

For those celebrating Christmas, we all know that December is the most expensive month of the year. It’s a time when most of us overspend on presents, wrapping paper, entertainment and food since we’re spending a lot of our time with family and friends enjoying the holidays. And make no mistake the Christmas season is a jolly good time for laughter and cheer – the only small problem is when January rolls around and the laughter and cheer fall flat as we moan over astronomical credit card bills and empty budgets.

Make a new Christmas resolution and don’t let this happen to you any more! Follow my budget-friendly tips and you’re guaranteed to keep your Christmas costs down this season. Some of the tips work best after this holiday season, but if you follow them, you’ll definitely be ahead the game on savings for next Christmas!

**Christmas Elf’s budget-friendly tips:**

1. Write a list of all the people to whom you intend to give Christmas presents. Keep this list reasonable (I personally keep it to close friends and family); it’s okay not to give gifts to everyone. Next, write down the maximum amount you’re willing to spend on each person. This gives you a good idea of how much you’ll be spending on gifts total. Adjust until you’re comfortable with the expenditure and most importantly keep to the budget as you’re shopping.

2. A good way to make sure you don’t overspend is to leave your credit cards and checks at home. Bring only the specified amount you’re willing to spend in cash to your shopping trip.

3. So avoid credit cards at all costs. They’re too much of a temptation to overspend.

4. See if you can swap tangible gift exchanges with friends in favor of spending quality time together instead. For example, make a date for tea and you can each bring refreshments or special treats. This gives you time to talk and really show how much your friendship means.

5. Keep a closet of small assorted gifts collected during sales throughout the year. This stash can be used for Secret Santa or White Elephant gift exchanges. It prevents you from running out last minute to grab these gifts, likely paying more than you need to. You’ll have all your future holiday parties covered.

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Tags: gift wrapping, gifts, homemade