Thrifty ideas for happier holidays

Sticking to a holiday budget

Who knew there were so many ways to set and stick to a holiday spending plan? Here are WIRs' top five:

• Make a "365" envelope. Starting the day after Christmas, save a dollar a day toward next year's expenses.

• Don't make a list of people first. Set your spending limit first, then decide who goes on the list.

• "I keep an envelope in my purse while shopping and put all the receipts in it -- that way they're all in one place if I need to do an exchange or return, and I can see at a glance how much I've spent."

• Take all your spare change to a bank or a coin-counting machine. Whatever you have, that's what you spend on the holidays.

• Keep a list (or even a spreadsheet) of gifts you buy and the amount spent. That way you're not tempted to get Mom or Joey "a little extra something," because those extras add up.

Don't shop 'til you drop

There are countless ways to save on nice gifts, from online coupons to asking retailers if they'll match a lower price (many will, if you bring proof). Here are some WIR ideas for great "prezzies" that don't break the bank:

• "I've found eBay to be a great source. The catch is you need to have a specific item in mind, and you need to know the lowest price available to you locally or through regular online retailers (factor in shipping costs!). The gift I gave my husband last year that he still brags about is a 1969 issue of Road & Track that had an interview with a car designer he idolizes. Cost: $8 w/ shipping."

• "Shop at thrift stores for holiday presents. I went to Goodwill and found a shawl for my mother (which I may or may not add beads to) and a clock shaped like a Victorian house (she really likes house stuff). Total expenditure: under $7."

Other ideas:

• Skip holiday shopping altogether and take loved ones on a modest shopping spree Dec. 26 to take advantage of killer sales.

• Homemade gifts are great, but many WIRs warn that unless you're practically Martha, handmade gifts are rarely worth the time, energy and cost of supplies.

• When you must limit your gift list to a select few, take the time to send special notes to people you love, telling them how they've touched your life during the past year.

Extracting the extras

Cards and wrapping paper and overpriced decorations, oh my! Here's how WIRs keep a tight rein on holiday extras:

• Wrap gifts in kids' artwork, pages from the comics or magazines, maps you've collected from highway rest stops.

• Use random boxes (cereal, Victoria's Secret, Oreos) to make opening gifts even more fun.

• Save the picture halves of holiday cards you get and send them out as postcards.

• Don't feel compelled to deck the halls with a lot of lights and plastic. Use cornstalks, nuts, dried gourds, pine boughs, pine cones, popcorn strung with cranberries and other natural items to bring in the seasonal spirit.

• Decide whether it's worth the time and cost of making your own photo cards instead of buying cards by the box. You might even find cards on sale.

Just reading all of these holiday ideas made me realize how much fun I could have without breaking the bank or even braving the mall (themed gift boxes, here I come!). And that's the real point. Now more than ever, you want your money to stretch as far as it can -- and to deliver a load of holiday happiness on the return trip.

Published Dec. 3, 2008

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