We spent $104.17 on Christmas this 12 months. Sure really, nonetheless as quickly as additional we’ve managed to frugalize what’s presumably primarily in all probability probably the most consumeristic journey of all the 12 months. Mr. Frugalwoods and I routinely disappoint retailers and let down the monetary system, however it completely’s significantly egregious all by means of this season of revelry. Principally, we’re a menace.
Nonetheless, irrespective of this meagre quantity, we’re not skimping on the mistletoe or giving used dental floss as presents. Nope and nope. We’re having a implausible Christmas whereas nonetheless assembly our 65%-85% financial monetary financial savings cost.
I don’t share this to brag. I share this on account of many individuals don’t even ponder it potential to have a contented, thrifty journey with out maxing out budgets and stress ranges. With the spending hangovers and debt that folks rise as much as in January reaching file ranges, I merely should share that there’s one totally different technique. It’s potential to benefit from life the frugal technique.
Correct proper right here’s How We Have pleasant A Merry Thrifty Christmas:
1) With Each Christmas Card I Write: $62.17
I’ll begin with the one challenge we really did spend legit cash on aside from meals: our Christmas postcards! I’m positive you’re shocked to be all ears to that we love taking pictures and sending out picture having fun with enjoying playing cards yearly (sure we’re these cheesy of us whose faces present up in your mailbox). Irrespective of our terribly frugal, hipster tendencies we’ve all the time favored sending out having fun with enjoying playing cards–I under no circumstances talked about we match correct proper right into a stereotype, of us.
Most likely probably the most worth environment friendly technique to ship one factor by way of US mail? Via postcard. The stamps are a mere $0.34 every (vs. $0.49 for normal stamps). Plus, postcards are smaller so that they’re cheaper than widespread having fun with enjoying playing cards and don’t require envelopes–one other cash saver. I all the time use Vistaprint to design our having fun with enjoying playing cards and, correct proper right here’s my trick: I choose a enterprise postcard template and easily delete the whole “business-related” textual content material materials like “on sale now!” (although that actually might probably be related for us…).
For some aim, the enterprise postcards are a fraction of the worth of standard earlier “journey” having fun with enjoying playing cards. No individual will in all probability be capable of inform (furthermore for everybody who merely be taught this). I uploaded our smiling faces to Vistaprint and popped ’em into the spot on the cardboard the place you have gotten been presupposed to report your enterprise data (see our actual card, with just a few Frugalwoods modifications, above).
The having fun with enjoying playing cards worth a cool $18.18 for 100 and the transport was one totally different $9.99 (dang transport!). 100 postcard stamps rang up at $34 for a grande totale of $62.17. Not too shabby for full-color back and front picture having fun with enjoying playing cards!
2) Assembly Smile After Smile: $0
We need to have a Christmas picture taken yearly, however we’ve actually under no circumstances paid anybody to snap it for us. Our trusty trash tripod works like a attraction. Mr. FW fashions it up in entrance of the Christmas tree and functions our digicam to take 5 pictures in a row. Our technique is to repeat that course of till we have now just a few first cost pictures. I then edit the pictures in iPhoto and voila: A Very Frugalwoods Christmas. Self-photography for the win.
3) Correct proper right here Comes Santa Claus: $0
No ought to pay for a go to to Santa! Now we have our personal Santa Paws prepared and keen that can assist you sit on her lap and inform her your Christmas desires:
4) I’ll Be Residence For Christmas: $0
As I shared in my first Woot & Grumble of the month, we don’t journey for the precise Christmas week. Instead, we save main financial institution by flying in the midst of the least pricey journey month of the 12 months: our buddy January. Mr. FW and I’ll be flying from Boston to San Diego for a candy $216/specific individual round-trip versus the exorbitant costs marketed for Christmastime. So we’ll have a comfy husband, companion, and hound journey correct proper right here at Frugalwoods HQ.
5) Oh Christmas Tree: $0
Mr. Frugalwoods and I decked our frugal halls utterly free since we have now synthetic decor that we re-use each single 12 months. The beginning-up worth for our festive tidings wasn’t free, however, we mixed our purchases with hand-me-downs from household for an widespread low-cost value. We’re on our sixth 12 months with our decor and hopefully we’ll be utilizing it for a few years to return once more!
6) Rudolph The Crimson-Nosed Reindeer: $0
Didn’t want to rent a reindeer re-enactor correct proper right here. Frugal Hound suffices alongside alongside along with her antler headband (bonus is that she significantly appears to be like like a deer):
7) Carry Us Some Figgy Pudding: $40
There aren’t any store-bought cookies or desserts on this dwelling. Since we’re not net web internet hosting anybody for Christmas, our grocery prices are nearly on par with our widespread funds. There are just a few exceptions since we’re cooking quite a lot of particular Christmas dishes commonplace to our households: shoo fly pie, breakfast casserole, and sugar cookies. We furthermore procured a bit little little bit of hen from Costco as a strategy to make Hen Spiedini–a recipe from one amongst my most fascinating mates. It has develop to be one issue of our commonplace Christmas meal and, as we not normally purchase meat, that was positively the next expense on our invoice for the month. I estimate we spent $40 above our widespread frugal grocery funds.
8) We Are Santa’s Elves: $0
I actually don’t have one factor intelligent to say correct proper right here, I merely wished an excuse to degree out you this glorious picture from closing 12 months’s Christmas card of Frugal Hound in her little elf hat. She appears to be like mad on account of the elastic was barely tight on her big ol’ hound head (don’t fear, she was solely sporting it for a minute):
9) On The First Day Of Christmas, My True Love Gave To Me: $0
Yep, you be taught that right. We spent $0 on presents this 12 months. And no we’re not Scrooge McFrugalwoods! We gave presents to all of {our relationships}–we merely occurred to purchase all of them by way of Amazon utilizing our Amazon.com money as soon as extra rewards elements. Our Amazon Visa card accrues elements utterly free Amazon merchandise each time we use it. Since we focus most of our spending on this card (the one completely totally different monetary establishment card we have now’s the American Categorical Starwood Hottest Buyer) we’re capable of reap vital rewards. That’s the rationalization I strongly advocate utilizing monetary establishment enjoying playing cards IF you possibly can spend judiciously and protect out of debt. We pay our steadiness off in full each single month and totally clear up with rewards elements. Free Christmas presents, of us. Free.
P.S. Household, I do know you’re likely discovering out this and I hope you might be OK alongside alongside together with your free presents 🙂
10) Santa Paws IS Coming To Metropolis: $2
Frugal Hound is on the “good” report this 12 months, per widespread, and will purchase a squeaky pterodactyl toy we purchased for $2 at Ocean State Job Lot (a retailer even tackier than Wal-Mart in case you have gotten been questioning). We even have it on good authority that her paternal grandparents despatched this gigantic stuffed toucan for her hound delight (affiliate hyperlink). She’ll furthermore purchase just a few bits of hen on Christmas… hound heaven.
11) Gosh Your Lips Look Scrumptious: $0
Mr. Frugalwoods and I aren’t exchanging any presents this 12 months, solely love. Our choice is to keep away from losing quite a few the cash and put it inside the path of a future weekend journey collectively–maybe as so much as Vermont for extra homestead searching and mountaineering. I actually really feel skipping presents is an impressive route to take in a mature relationship. You acknowledge you might be keen on one another, you spend money in your relationship typically, and trinkets are meaningless at this diploma.
We’ve exchanged presents prior to nowand we’d as quickly as additional ultimately, however this 12 months with our homestead aim so shut at hand, we merely should plow each extra greenback into financial monetary financial savings. And we’re not the one frugal of us who adhere to this safety–John at Frugal Pointers isn’t exchanging presents collectively collectively along with his companion every.
I encourage this method with the caveat that it’s one issue each of us ought to agree on and be pleased with. It needs to be a reputation that’s utterly talked about and made mutually. And, inside the event you do agree on no presents alongside alongside together with your honey, don’t be a jerk and provides them a present anyway. They’ll really actually really feel like reindeer poop since they adhered to the settlement and as well as you’ll really actually really feel awkward for breaking their notion.
Mr. FW and I are staunch believers contained in the thought that every half in life is also accomplished frugally. There are prevailing cultural beliefs that you’ve to spend so much as a strategy to have a superb time plenty, and I don’t purchase that. It’s merely not true. I hope you will have a splendidly festive, frugal, and loving journey season together with your loved ones members!
