: Christmas 2010 Simple Ways to Cut Costs at Christmas

:
(514 Words)
Christmas is an extremely meaningful holiday, but it can also be very expensive. There are many different costs, however there are also ways to cut down on these in the difficult 2010 economy without sacrificing any of the joy of the holiday. Consider the following money-saving strategies.
Save on energy costs
A lot of people spend a lot of money on electricity during Christmas and you can save on this. Instead of keeping your Christmas lights on all the time or even for the entire night, get a timer and have them on only for a few hours each evening. In many areas, there are not too many cars out in the wee hours of the morning, so it might not be worth it to spend the money to light them then.
Save money on presents
There are a number of ways that you can save on 2010 Christmas presents. First, there may be someone that you are exchanging with in which it is just hassle for the both of you. You may be exchanging more out of habit or tradition than out of really wanting to do so. If you feel that this might be the case (and that they won’t be insulted) you can ask if they want to just exchange cards this year. Also, if you have a group of people you can do a white elephant gift exchange so that everyone gets a gift but you only have to buy one gift. Also, if you normally spend a certain amount of money on gifts, you can see if you want to lower the amount with people. You can make handmade gifts, which are often more meaningful than store-bought items anyways. You should also try money saving techniques like shopping during the big sales like Black Friday, using coupons and price comparing among the different stores. Instead of buying expensive Christmas cards, make personalized ones on your computer or have your children draw some. It you want pre-made ones look at the less expensive places like Costco.
Save on decorations
You can make some decorations instead of buying everything. For instance, have the children make paper wreaths out of construction paper.
Save money on activities
Skip the expensive galas and instead go to the family parties, which may be more meaningful anyways. Instead of buying a fancy new dress for the Christmas party, wear that dress that you were so excited about a few years ago and which still looks great. Instead of paying a lot to go to a professional Christmas light display, walk around the homes of your neighbors and admire their displays.
You may also be able to save a lot of money on holiday groceries by buying at less expensive places such as Costco and trying to eat in instead of eating out constantly as many people do during the holidays.
Christmas is a lot of fun, but a lot of people simply do not have the money to spend on it in 2010 that they have in past years. Even small money-saving measures can add up.