Preparing for Christmas | A guest post from a reader
Today's post is an email I received from a reader of mine named Juliana. I was so encouraged when I read her story, I asked if I could share it with the rest of you, and Juliana graciously agreed.
Of course, it's a little bit late in the season now for you to make all the preparations Juliana did, but hopefully her story will inspire you to starting saving for and thinking about next year's Christmas celebration a little earlier than usual.
I've been reading your blog for about 18 months now and I just love it. I rarely comment (sorry!), but I love hearing about your frugal tips - particularly those on budgeting. Money was never really talked about it our family and so when I moved out on my own and was earning an income I'm afraid I had a few (too!) many frivolous years purchases before I started to work out that it doesn't matter how much you earn - it's what you do with it that counts. So I have been slowly trying to educate myself about budgets and saving and your blog has been great to help me learn from it in practice. I see your blog like the money education I never had from my family! Every day I check in a learn something - small or large - about how to help be more frugal. I particularly love your definition of frugal – it's about getting great value for your dollar, and being frugal in most areas so you can save up and spend good money on things you love (like your camera or holidays and vacationing).
Anyway - I just had to write and say THANK YOU! Back in February 2010, you wrote a post on preparing for Christmas with three ways to do so - start saving, buy gifts year round, and think about what I could make for Christmas. I thought your ideas sounded great and I had recently set up an entire savings account for all my bills (as per your post on multiple savings accounts!), so it was easy to add an extra category for Christmas. So I looked at your email and I:
1) STARTED SAVING: I added up costs of all my Christmas expenses (airfares home, gifts, Christmas trim, even the birthdays in late December and early January were accounted for!) and divided the total by 26 paypackets. I then arranged for that amount to be automatically put away each time I got paid. (Automatic transfers are my friend! The money is spirited out of my sight and into an ING account before I even see it. It makes it much easier not to think of it as "my" money, or "money-I-can-transfer-back-and-spend-if-needed". Not that I would ever do that. Ahem.)
Note from Kristen: If you're interested in learning more about how I use ING accounts to save, you may want to read my post about my multiple savings accounts, which Juliana also linked to above.
Anyway, the money had been sitting there, growing, out of sight, out of mind since 4 Feb (the date of your post!), until yesterday my mother called to say there was a sale on Christmas-New Year airfares, and wouldn't it be a good idea to buy my ticket now? I looked – they are reduced and after a few clicks to see the nice little pile in my Christmas account, I was able to buy the ticket at a great price! Such a change from last year when I had the same phone call from my mother - but I had to think "that's a great deal – but I had to wait until I get paid/next week/after the next big bill etc" and by that time the good deal was finished. I just bought my air ticket today and am thrilled at the savings! That's even more saved in the Christmas account!
2) KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN FOR GIFTS: This one was actually a two-part process. After an 11th hour Christmas phone call from my brother-in-law about what to get my sister (his wife!) for Christmas (nothing sends a shiver down your spine like "so what should I get your sister?" on Christmas Eve), I started to keep a list of potential gifts for people – everytime one of my sisters said "that looks good" or "I'd like to read that book someday" or "your nephew is really into trains at the moment" I would jot it down on a notepad in preparation for Christmas.
(An aside: this was easier that I expected! I bought a little notebook that fits in my purse and after any conversation which mentioned an item (or if they told me they had bought the book/train/item in question!) I would jot it down (or cross it out!) for that person).)
By having this in my mind because of the adding to the list meant I subconsciously kept an eye out for those things or other possible gifts when I went shopping each week. It didn't happen often, but when it did it was an easy matter of buying it and I adopted the method you wrote about in your response to the comments on the Christmas post - if it was a few dollars I didn't worry about it, but if it was slightly more I would either transfer less into my Christmas category the following week or go in and transfer that amount back to my account. But it was lovely to see these items (often on sale!) and know that I could afford to buy them, and wasn't taking money from other bills of groceries.
For example: there was a big mid-year toy sale and I bought a few of my nieces and nephews Christmas gifts then. Normally I wouldn't have had the money to take advantage of the sales as much as I did (and for such good prices!), but as the money was specifically allocated to come out the of "˜Christmas Budget' category, and wasn't grocery (or other allocated) money and I didn't feel bad about it! And I got some great deals!
3) THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU COULD MAKE FOR CHRISTMAS: Whilst this isn't strictly within the category you wrote - I still think it's in the spirit of it (making something and starting ahead of time!).
Anyway, I had wanted to make (and finish!) these lovely Santa sacks for my newest nieces (having already made some for my other nieces and nephews, it was high time I finished these before they were old enough to notice they didn't have them!). Last year I tried - but fell woefully short when I started to sew them in the last 2 months before Christmas. Christmas time is so hot here (Australia) and the last thing you want to do in the lead up to Christmas is sew a heavy, hot quilt.
And ummm......they didn't get finished. (Oops!) Your post motivated me to get started early and make it a winter job. So I pulled out all the materials in July and set myself the goal of finishing the last two Santa sacks by the end of winter. It's only a little *cough* - 2 months - *cough* past winter now, and I stuck to my goal and finished the last two Santa sacks last weekend!
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I hope that Juliana's story is inspiring to you! I know how fabulous it feels to prepare for Christmas ahead of time (the saving ahead of time is especially wonderful), so I'm thrilled that someone else has gotten to experience that too. And I must say that I am very impressed with Juliana's quilting abilities!
Do you do any of those things I suggested in my February post (saving ahead of time, buying gifts year-round, or making gifts for Christmas)? I'd love to hear about it!
Today's 365 post: These ponies used to be mine...
Such a great post! Thanks for sharing.
We took Dave Ramsey's FPU class in January and decided we would start saving a bit aside each month for Christmas. We didn't know how much we would be spending, but we made a rough estimate and then padded that with a little bit extra.
We haven't started Christmas shopping or making (working full time and going to school means limited home-made gifts, unfortunately), but when we do start sometime soon, we already have the money and I don't have to stress about "how are we going to afford Christmas this year?"
My parents would say those exact words every Christmas and it can really stress out your kids! I would feel so bad that they were stressed I would offer that they didn't need to buy me anything if that would help. Of course, they never listened, but I always remember holidays being extremely stressful.
It makes me very happy to know that my husband and I are starting early in our plan for holidays so that we don't have to be stressed about something as silly as money!
I LOVE receiving homemade gifts. I don't care about the cost, it just means so much to me that someone took the time to make something special for me. I enjoy making homemade gifts as well but I really need to get better about doing it!
PS Really enjoyed this post from Juliana.
Thank you for sharing, Juliana!
Great follow up post! I love reading about the frugal tips in action. I too took some steps towards making the holidays easier. Just as Juliana had, I started keeping track of what others wanted/needed. Throughout the year I have purchased these items. It is such a great feeling to not feel the crunch of time and money. I am less stressed and enjoying myself as the holidays approach. I am very grateful for both posts. Thank you!
Even at this late date, some of these ideas can be modified for a crash course in saving and getting ideas for christmas. I actually saved a little this year and once the habit is built it makes for an even better christmas next year, so it's not too late! It's not all or nothing, any little bit helps. Signed, Just another Procrastinator.
YES!!! I don't have an account just for Christmas YET (I'm single and only one of my siblings is married,and I only have one niece, so my Christmas expenses don't warrant a seperate account just yet. Plus, I'm easy driving distance from where we spend holidays) but I do set aside money each month for a general "gift" fund.
This money funds birthdays, baby gifts, wedding gifts, and Christmas gifts year round. And I do snatch up Christmas gifts when I find a good deal - the money comes from the gift fund. So this year, I'm already 80% finished with my Christmas shopping, and it's not put a single ding in my wallet!
I am NOT crafty at all when it comes to gifts, so making them (ones that the recipients will LIKE, that is) is kind of out of the question for me, unfortunately.
I've been meaning to set up a "gift fund" and pull money out of my husband's paycheck each week (I'm a sahm), but I never do it. After reading this post, I did some quick math and realized that what we would have to set aside per week in order to afford all Christmas and Birthday gifts is a lot less than what I thought it would be! Starting January 1, I'm setting aside that amount out of each paycheck so that next year birthdays and Christmas are a little less stressful on the monetary front! Thanks for this guest post!
I always have a page in my the back of my engagement calendar where I write Xmas gift ideas.
Some of these are for gifts from me, but others are for when family ask what my husband or kids want. (And btw, for my husband it's home coffee roasting supplies, and my younger son really wants a "Domo" hoodie sweatshirt.)
I have bought a few things here and there, but the main thing I've done over the past few years is to winnow down the gift exchange list. And let me tell ya', my cousins were happy to stop exchanging gifts!
Thanks for the great guest post!
Katy Wolk-Stanley
"Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without"
You have got to hook me up with Juliana. Please, Please, Please! I have got to get that pattern from her for her Christmas sacks or whatever those gorgeous things in the pictures. Please can you help me out!
Sure Robin! They are Christmas sacks for presents to go in (no extra wrapping required!!) and truthfully the pattern is so easy to follow and make, I don't feel I should get any praise for my skills at all!
I can't access the link through your name, but maybe Kristen could give you my email address, or vice versa and I'll send you the details of the place to get it from.
I set up a few extra savings accounts this year ... ours is a general gift fund for Christmas, birthdays, etc. It has been great to be able to get presents and be able to take the money out of the savings account. I also try to buy gifts throughout the year (or at least start late summer/early fall). For us, planning ahead is a must since in addition to Christmas we have four birthdays in December and my in laws anniversary and my daughter's birthday is early January. I think I set up the savings accounts after reading your post as well.
Ok, this is just spooky. I didn't read your post about ING accounts the first time around, I wasn't aware of you yet, but I just got notice that my secondary checking account is going from free to $5/month starting in December. Since I don't really like that bank and have mostly kept the account so I could secret-shop them occasionally, I wasn't too worked up about it, but I've been hemming and hawing about what to do about my savings account. Now I can just close out those stupid accounts and hop online for a significantly better rate! Yay!!
You just made my night, seriously. Plus I know ING, I've had friends who have used them, so I won't be nervous about taking on a new institution.
Thanks!!
Thanks your blog helps a great deal. I came from a family who constantly had huge fights about money and what to buy ect.. They sometimes spent all of their money on crap and then we had very little food. It was difficult. Being frugal is my life and hobby. I enjoy it so much. Have a great week.
I love keeping lists of gift ideas--and I do it for myself as well, since my husband's family always asks him what I'd like (and I like SmartWool socks a LOT better than something else to dust!). People are very appreciative when they realize you've noticed something they might really like and not just gotten them a generic gift. And I think it's fine to give suggestions to friends and family who live far away...but it does cut down on items available for re-gifting!
What a geat post! Christmas is an odd one for me as I absolutely love all the preparation (baking, decorating the tree, writing to Santa, Christmas carol services etc...) and excitement from the kids but hate the advertising (consumerism) and the frantic shopping that seems to accompany it. I know it's a cliche but it really has lost its meaning. I wish that I could just transport my family back years where there wasn't the abundance of imported tat on the shelves. Anyway on a more positive note 🙂 this year I will be making Christmas cakes for friends and family, I had planned on knitting scarves but think I may have left it a little late for that (particularly as I haven't knitted in probably 25 years since I was a child) ... Will definitely be taking a look at those Santa Sacks of Julianas - might be a bit of a rush job but if they look a little amateur I'll just say the kids made them and everyone will love them all the more!
We often exchange small homemade gifts with our neighbors. Nothing expensive, just some homemade candy or small jars of jelly or the like. Last year we saved glass jars and put the ingredients for cookie dough in them (with a note explaining how to make them into cookies). This year we're making homemade candles. As we give out the gifts each year, the kids and I start planning for the next year.
I find that homemade bread is a gift enjoyed by all. (I'm sure Kristen has the same experience.) I made apple challah as "hostess gifts" for several events this fall, and those families are still raving about it. 🙂
Thanks, Juliana, for a wonderful guest post!
I have a large family and we always spend WAY too much on Christmas gifts. I always end up pulling out the credit card to pay for a large portion of the gifts. Every year I stress about it and I still am! However, this year my husband and I (well, really it was just me since I do ALL of the shopping!) decided to have a debt-free Christmas. This will be very difficult since we have not been saving up all year- although we will start doing that this coming year. So, I have been spending a lot of time trolling the internet for homemade gift ideas and hitting up Goodwill for Christmas presents. I haven't gotten very far, but I am getting there. It requires a ton of work and time, but I'm going to be very happy this year when I see that we didn't add to our credit cards for Christmas!
BTW, if anyone has any great non-food handmade items ideas, please post them! I have birthdays, Christmas, and a baby shower to get gifts for so the more ideas I get, the happier I am!
My friends and I were just talking this weekend about our "gift closets." We buy gifts all during the year when we find great sales and we store them in a particular spot in the closet. We designate some stuff for particular people for Christmas, but other items are just there and at the ready for a housewarming, birthday, etc. You avoid the cost of a last-minute gift and can really take advantage of great sales throughout the year!
I start the day after Christmas each year shopping for the next year, when the perfume gift sets go on sale for at least 1/2 price and so many things are marked down that can be put up for the next year. We have such a limited income that we can only afford to buy "nice" gifts for a few immediate family members that include our parents and our brothers and my grandparents. That's still a lot of people, so we have to find creative ways to either find the money to get the gifts (online surveys, selling clearance items we find on eBay for a few extra dollars, etc.) as well as find the gifts whenever they go on sale. Using coupons and shopping at Walgreens and CVS enables me to add to their gifts for practically (or even!) nothing, as I can fill stockings or goodie bags with very nice razors, shaving gel, llotions, and other toiletries that can be pricey. They don't know, and wouldn't care if they did, that I didn't spend a lot of money.
Anyway, cologne and perfume sets can get marked down for as little as 75% off, and even if I can't find any that my family will like I can often find them and sell them on eBay so I can add that money to my Christmas fund. We're both disabled, and my medical costs right now are astronomical with IV medications and weekly doctor visits, so we can't take the money out of our disability checks this year so I am grateful that I started so far ahead last year buying things.
Fellow readers, keep your eye out for Target and Walmart (as well as other stores') after-Christmas sales because some of that stuff will sell on eBay like hotcakes. Honestly I don't feel like eBay is worth selling most things anymore, especially used items, because of high fees but brand new items you find on clearance often sell in other parts of the country or world for a nice profit! Walmart had some Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana) pleather jackets on clearance for $5 last year. i saw some sellers sold them for $40- ours sold for $25. i didn't complain 🙂
There is one thing I do that has not been mentioned. I use swagbucks as a search tool and have made 70.00 in amazon gift cards this year. Not a lot but add it to other frugal ideas, Christmas is close to free to me. My budget is 370.00 for 11 people. Last year I had money left over. I also use my change and turn it in at coinstar to get gift cards that cost nothing. I ended up with 100.00 for Penney's and used many 10.00 off 10.00 coupons throughout the year. Lots of off season clothes for the littlest one and ornaments for all the grands, all free. High end stores (sites) have great sales in January and I use them to purchase high quality gifts for the adults.
I do much more, but these are the things not mentioned so far. I hope they are helpful to some of you.
One more note. I bought a purse at Rescue Mission last year with the tags on (1.99) for a daughter. It was her favorite gift. I also received 5 photo journals for free plus shipping. The bargains are out there. It's my job to find them.