Our modern society puts a lot of pressure on us to spend money at Christmas time. This can be stressful and upsetting if you really don’t have the money for Christmas this year! But don’t worry, you can still have a lovely Christmas no matter how tight your budget is! Take a look at these tips on How to Have a Merry Christmas without Spending a Dime!
How to Have a Merry Christmas without Spending a Dime
1. Make DIY Christmas Gifts
Just because you don’t have money to spend on Christmas doesn’t mean you can’t still give gifts! You could sew, sculpt, crochet, paint, or bake a lovely gift using materials/ingredients that you already own! (Check out my Homemade Christmas Gift ideas.)
2. Give Experiences as Gifts
Gifts don’t have to be material! How about giving experiences instead? For kids, you could give coupons for a late bedtime. For your spouse, you could give a coupon for breakfast in bed, or a day where you do all their chores. With thoughtful gifts like these, you can easily have a great Christmas without spending a dime!
3. Stay In
Instead of going out for entertainment, how about staying in? You likely already own a couple of great Christmas movies, and you probably haven’t seen them in a whole year. Your family could also play board games or card games. You can have a lovely evening without spending any money.
4. Find Fun in Nature
Nature is, for the most part, a free playground. If you’ve got snow, go outside and have fun. The family can make snow angels and snowmen and have snowball fights. And if you’re lucky enough to be by a frozen lake, you could go ice skating! Even if you don’t have snow, that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun playing catch, hide-and-seek, or other fun outside activities.
5. Make Decorations
You can decorate your home for Christmas without spending a dime. All you need is a little time and creativity. Consider making old-fashioned decorations like popcorn on a string. Or use materials you have to make simple ornaments like popsicle stick stars!
6. Make a Christmas Tree
There are plenty of ways to make your own big Christmas tree. For example, you could make one out of a ladder, or cut planks of wood and put them on a wall to create a Christmas tree shape. Then string your lights, hang your ornaments, and enjoy!
7. Use the Book Store or Library
Want to enjoy Christmas without spending a dime? Then skip buying the over-priced Christmas books for kids and read them in the book store, or borrow them from the library.
8. Visit Friends and Family
Want some free Christmastime fun? How about visiting your friends or family who live close? There’s nothing more fun than spending a nice afternoon with loved ones! You don’t even have to get together to do anything that costs money. The adults can have fun chatting, while the kids play with toys and make up games!
9. Visit Free Performances
At Christmas time, there are usually dozens of free plays and musicals to attend. See if your city is hosting any free events, or if there’s anything fun going on at the local schools or churches!
10. Volunteer
One of the best ways to have a merry Christmas without spending a dime is to spend your time helping the less fortunate. Whether the less fortunate are people or animals, your family will have fun working with others for a worthwhile cause. You might even make some new friends!
What free things do you like to do at Christmas time? Let me know in the comments below!
