Each year I try to find ways to save money at Christmas time. With three kids it’s getting harder each year with them getting older. I make sure that I make my list each year and stick to it. It’s very important for me to be able to see who I’m buying for and how much to spend on each person. Stick to the amount that you are going to spend. I will see something and get it for the person that I am shopping for and then turn right around and get them something else in another store.
With our big family we do a lot of gift exchanges and exchanging names. We only like to do that with adults because the kids get so upset when you give one kid a present and the other kids is waiting for theirs to be handed to them. We have also tried one year making gifts for our family. My kids love to make cookies and I felt that it would be a great idea for my kids and I to bake our gifts. They had tons of fun doing it.
We also have an agreement with my brothers, sisters and cousins that if you have kids then you don’t get a gift from us. It works out great. It does save in the long run.
My daughter also loves to make coupons for the family. I think its a great idea for her to use her imagination and she loves to draw so she is good at creating her own graphics.
Share with us some of your tips that you like to use during this busy time of year. I would love to hear about them.
Coupons are a fantastic idea! I still have coupon books my three daughters made for me — and the girls are now in their 20s!!
We give our kiddos one gift and santa brings them 3. Santa’s 3 gifts are 1 thing they need, one thing for their mind and one thing they want. This year they are getting new sheets for what they need, games (hi ho cherry o, candyland) for their minds and I’m making my daughter doll clothes and my son gets a real train ride up the coast.
My hubby and I don’t exchange gifties.
For our extended family everyone over 18 does a gift exchange.
I love handmade coupons. I made these for my parents. I still have some saved in a memory box. Great tips thanks.
Great ideas! Although I realize the importance of sticking to a list, I find it incredibly difficult when I see that perfect gift that is just $5 or $10 out of my targeted price. This is where I run into trouble because if you do that for everyone, what was the point of a budget in the first place.
We also follow the rule about no gifts for the adults = more gifts for their kids. Seeing kids happy makes the adults happy, so everyone wins.