5 Ideas to Simplify Christmas & Save Your Budget

Guest post from Crystal of Serving Joyfully

Simplifying Christmas is important to us because of our family values, but also because of our tight budget. If you’re in a position where you need to (or just want to) simplify Christmas, here are a few tips that have worked for us.

If you get nothing else from this post, know this: You can simplify your Christmas and still make it meaningful.

1. Remember the “Reason for the Season”

If you are a Christian, the reason for the season is the birth of Christ. It doesn’t have to set your budget back to celebrate Him, or even to show love and kindness to those around us.

I didn’t grow up in a Christian home, but I did grow up in poverty. Christmas to us wasn’t about gifts or fancy things. It was about family, traditions, time together, and memories — all of which are free!

2. Celebrate with Kindness

Random Acts of Kindness (RAK’s) are a great way to celebrate Christmas, and they don’t need to be expensive.

There are so many things you can do for others that are free, or very inexpensive, and this is a great way to remind ourselves and our children to focus on others. Charity work can be a great way to celebrate the season together.

3. Simplify Gift-Giving

Wishlists these days seem to have gotten out of control. If you feel the same way, here are a few great ideas to simplify gift-giving:

• Model gift-giving after baby Jesus who received 3 gifts from the wise men.

• Base gifts on the following: something they want, something they need, something to wear, something to read. I love that little rhyme, and I think it makes for a very balanced Christmas list.

• Consider purchasing classic gifts that will last and be valued for years, as opposed to trendy gifts that children will probably lose interest in quickly.

• Exchange names for larger groups and parties — meaning you only need to buy 1 gift to exchange instead of multiple gifts for everyone.

4. Get Creative

You know the saying, “It’s the thought that counts”? Well, it’s true — and sometimes a handmade gift can be the best because you can give a thoughtful gift and save money at the same time.

With the plethora of handmade gift ideas available on Pinterest, you are sure to find some that fit your taste and talents.

One year, I made goodie baskets for my extended family. Each family got a basket filled with nicely packaged homemade baked goods, cookies, candies, etc. It was, in part, because we were strapped for cash. Everyone loved them and said that’s what they wanted from us every year!

5. Focus on Making Memories

One of the most important things about the holiday season is to make memories with the people you love! Baking Christmas cookies, looking at Christmas lights, watching Christmas classics as a family, reading books, making crafts, decorating ornaments… these memories will live on long after their favorite toys have “died”.

Spend time together celebrating the wonder of the season!

How will you simplify your budget this holiday season?

Crystal blogs at Serving Joyfully where she shares about her debt-free journey, real food, marriage, and the adventures of homeschooling her two rambunctious boys. She is the author of the Homemaker’s Quiet Time Journal and Intentional Marriage: A 31-Day Devotional to love your husband well.

photo source

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Next Week’s Book Club Book Pick: Just Show Up by Kara Tippetts

Next week, we’re going to start reading through Just Show Up by Kara Tippetts.

I’ve been reading this book the past few days and gleaning so much and I wanted to share my thoughts with you as I thought it might encourage you as it had encouraged me.

If you have a friend who is going through trauma or heartbreak, this book gives very practical and wise advice on how to walk through suffering and hard times while being a blessing, not an annoyance or causing more hurt.

After trying a few different things, I decided to just stick with scoping through books. That’s very doable for me and I can be a lot more consistent and reliable with that than with trying to scope and blog through books at the same time. However, I may throw a post or two up about a book that we’re going through if I have a chance to write one. We’ll see!

So, starting Monday, I’ll be scoping through Just Show Up every weekday morning next week — sharing what I’m learning, how the book is making me think, and how I want to change my life as a result.

If you’d like to join me, you can download the Periscope app and follow me (@MoneySavingMom). I’ll do a quick 3-8 minute scope every morning after my Morning Motivation show and would love for you to tune in live or watch the replay on the Periscope app.

(Note: The links in this post are affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here.)

CVS: Deals for the week of November 8-15, 2015

Here are the best deals at CVS this week, with a big thanks to Passionate Penny Pincher for her help in compiling them:

Buy 1 Pay Anywhere Credit Card Reader at $9.99, Get $9.99 ECBs (Limit 3) – Monthly Deal
Free after ECBs

Buy 1 Colgate Max Toothpaste at $2.99, Get $2 ECBs (Limit 2)
Use $0.50/1 coupon from the 10/25 SmartSource insert
$0.49 after coupon and ECBs

Buy 1 Softsoap Soap at $1.88, Get $1 ECBs (Limit 1)
$0.88 after ECBs

Buy 2 Tresemme Shampoo at $4, Get $2 ECBs (Limit 1)
Use $2/1 coupon from the 11/1 SmartSource insert
$1 each after coupons and ECBs

Buy 2 Tena Pads at $6.99, Get $2 ECBs (Buy 1, Get 1 50% OFF)
Use $3/1 coupon from the 10/25 SmartSource insert
$1.24 each after coupons and ECBs

Spend $30, Gt $10 ECBs (Limit 1)

*Deal Idea*
Buy 3 Charmin (16 pk) or Bounty (12 pk) – $9.99
Use $0.50/1 coupon from the 11/1 P&G insert
Pay $28.47 out of pocket, Get $10 ECBs
$6.16 each after coupon and ECBs 

Other Deals In Ad

Gold Emblem Bar – $1.49 (Buy 1, Get 1 50% OFF)
Use $1/1 or $2/2 CVS Snack Item printable
$0.12 each after coupon

Palmolive Soap (10 oz) – $0.99
Use $0.25/1 coupon from the 11/8 SmartSource insert
And use $0.25/1 coupon printing from the CVS machine
$0.49 after coupons

Persil Laundry Detergent – $4.99
Use $2/1 printable
And use $1/1 from App download
$1.99 after coupons

New to shopping at CVS? Be sure to check out my CVS 101 post that gives you the full scoop on how to get the best bargains at CVS. See the full list of deals at CVS this week here.

Do you have your shopping trip planned or did you come up with a great deal scenario/idea? Just post about it on your blog and leave your link below. To make it easy for everyone to navigate quickly through the links, your link must link directly to your CVS deals post. Links going to the homepage of your blog or any other part of your blog besides the direct link to your CVS deals post will be deleted.

Starbucks: Buy One, Get One Free Holiday Drinks!

Woot! Woot!

Starbucks is going to be offering their incredibly popular Buy One, Get One Free Holiday Drinks special from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. November 12-15, 2015.

This offer includes: Chestnut Praline Lattes, Peppermint Mochas, and Caramel Brulee Lattes.

Thanks, Freebie Shark!

Stop Feeling Guilty About Asking for Help

I am so glad I decided to extend last week’s book club into this week, because I am absolutely loving Brene Brown’s Rising Strong. It is challenging me personally on so many levels, and I have really enjoyed taking my time and soaking up the words as I read through it slowly.

“Connection doesn’t exist without giving and receiving. We need to give, and we need to need.”

I scoped about this quote yesterday in-depth, because it hit me SO hard this week. When I first read this quote, I thought to myself, “Need to need?” That seemed almost strange to me at first, until I really started reflecting on it.

I was raised by parents who modeled what it means to be a giver. I’m so grateful my parents taught me how to be a servant.

As a result, though, I saw firsthand how draining it can be when people are always needing and taking and asking and are never giving back in any way. I told myself I didn’t want to ever be that person who was constantly taking and needing.

So what did I do? I swung the pendulum to the other side. I decided I wanted to always be the giver — the solutions girl, the girl who has her act together, the girl who is always pouring into other people.

I became what Brene Brown describes as an over-functioner: “Over-functioners say ‘I won’t fail. I will do. I don’t need help. I help.‘” 

I don’t like to feel needy. And if I admit I’m struggling, I usually feel like I am letting people down or being a needy person.

I’m slowly learning, though, that it is equally as important to ask for help, and that letting people into our lives and struggles and needs is a gift we can give to them. It’s being real, vulnerable, authentic, and human.

Chapter 8 of Rising Strong on needing to need really hit home for me in this area.

When was the last time you asked someone to help you?

This is a question I had to ask myself and be honest about. You see — the past few weeks have been a really difficult time for me, personally. There have been some issues going on with situations that I can’t talk about publicly that have left me feeling overwhelmed, hurt, frustrated, sad, and a whole host of other emotions.

I’ve wanted to keep it all together and be okay, but it’s been SO heavy, and it’s been hurting pretty badly. There have been many days when I walked around feeling on the verge of tears — and I’m not usually one to be super emotional or cry.

On Sunday, I shared with my community group a little bit of what’s been going on and asked for prayer. On Monday night, I did the same with out Monday Group. In both cases, those there just cared and listened and prayed for us.

And I’m so grateful. But honestly, it was hard for me to do that, and I came away from it feeling like I was some sort of needy, drama queen. I was wondering if I should have shared and thinking maybe I should have kept my mouth shut, until I read this chapter and was re-reminded that it’s okay to need help sometimes.

“When you judge yourself for needing help, you judge those who are helping. When you attach value to giving help, you attach value to needing help. The danger of tying yourself worth to being a helper is feeling shame when you have to ask for help. Offering help is courageous and compassionate, but so is asking for help.”

Wow. If we act like we never need help, it’s almost a sign or value we wear…”I don’t need help. I’m the person who helps.“

I’ve been saying this my entire life. But the truth is that we all need to need, and there are times in our lives when we all need help.

“In a culture of scarcity and perfectionism, asking for help can be shaming if we’re not raised to understand how seeking help is human and foundational to connection.”

Vulnerability and honesty leads to trust within relationships. It’s important not to be afraid to share your struggles with those closest to you, and I am learning to be better about this as I embrace authentic friendships.

“The bottom line is that we need each other, and not just the civilized, proper, convenient kind of need. Not one of us gets through this life without expressing desperate, messy, and uncivilized need — the kind we are reminded of when we come face to face with someone who is in a deep struggle.”

Just recently, one of my friends was in a really traumatic situation. When I called her up to see how she was doing, she immediately broke down into ugly sobs.

In that moment, I didn’t think, “Oh, what a needy person.” Instead, my heart broke for her and it actually knit my heart closer to hers because of her willingness to be honest and vulnerable with me.

My challenge for you today:

Do you need to ask for help, instead of being frustrated or hurt because nobody is giving it? Or do you maybe need to ask someone if/how you can help them?