Yahoo Finance Don't Blow Your Budget on Holiday Decorations
In the midst of all the holiday madness, it can be easy to let your spending run away. However, with so many other things to devote your hard-earned money towards, such as holiday parties and gifts, there's no need to overspend on decorations for the house. In order to keep your overall Christmas spending in check, consider the following five ways to save money on holiday decorations:
1. Make Your Own Ornaments. An easy way to save on Christmas decorations is by simply making your own ornaments instead of buying them. You can find supplies at your local arts and crafts store, and spend extra quality time with your children as well. You can even use items such as cranberries and popcorn to make garland, or decorate the tree with pine cones that you've painted and added glitter to.
2. Cut Back. Inflatable snowmen and lighted reindeer are nice, but are they really necessary? They don't come cheap, and they also drive up your electric bill as well. Consider going without them this season. Your Christmas will be just as enjoyable with a moderately decorated front yard.
3. Shop at the Dollar Store. No matter how extravagantly you want to decorate your home, you can find much of what you need at the dollar store. Discount retailers typically have plenty of Christmas trinkets and decorations for both the interior and exterior of your house.
4. Plan an Ornament Swap. While people commonly exchange items like kids' clothing and toys, you can apply the concept to holiday decorations. Contact a few families in your neighborhood to see if there's any interest and make an evening out of it. This way, you can get rid of your old decorations and replace them with things you've never seen before.
5. Buy After Christmas for Next Year. Although this won't save you any money this year, you can most certainly impact next year's holiday budget by shopping for decorations during the days following Christmas. You can find items at discounts of up to 80 percent at your local drug store or at other retailers.
Final Thoughts. Once you've closed the books on this holiday season, take a little extra care and package up all decorations still in good shape to be used for next year. While it's important to have fun and enjoy yourself this holiday season, saving as much money as you can will help get next year's holidays off to a great financial start.
What other ways can you suggest to save money on holiday decorations?
David Bakke is a writer for MoneyCrashers.com, a blog that provides tips and tricks related to personal finance. Learn more about how you can save money by making your own homemade Christmas decorations.
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