You Can Have a Wonderful Christmas on a Frugal Budget

Everyone thinks you have to spend a ton of money at Christmas. Gifts, decorations, food, clothes and on the list goes. But these days, it just isn't that way anymore. You don't have to go into debt to have a nice Christmas. You don't have to max out your credit cards buying gifts. You don't have to spend every dime you have!

You CAN have a wonderful Christmas on a frugal budget!

I highly recommend lists! You can't go wrong! They are life savers! I am a list person from way back. They have never failed me and they continually make things easier to orchastrate. Whether you use old fashioned pencil and paper (my personal preference!) or a spread sheet or a PDA or day-timer.... MAKE YOURSELF LISTS!!!

Since they come out first, start with your decorations. Now this might be something that you "start" this year to accomodate your saving next year, but it is never to late (or early) to start! Like everyone, you probably have quite a few boxes of decorations in the garage or attic. Do you know what's in them? You probably have a general idea, but most likely, you don't remember EVERYTHING. So before you go shopping for decorations, go through your boxes and look to see what you already have and make a list of general things you need (like lights, ornaments - the usual stuff) and then make a list of things you would like to get this year (speciality things)

Weed out things you don't really like, or is broken or just something you don't want anymore. You have to make sure you know what you have so you don't waste money buying things you already have. After christmas when you are putting things away, don't forget to add to your list what you got this year. And remember....There does comes a time when you have all you need, so keep your list so you know when that time comes. Storage space could be your first clue that you have all you need! And don't forget, you can throw out broken things, or give away things you don't anymore. You don't have to keep everything for 20 years. Have a yard sale the first week in December and sell what you don't really want, and then you can collect some money to buy new things!