With the economy struggling the way it is, this is going to be a tough holiday season for a lot of us. This year hasn't exactly been gumdrops and sugar plum fairies, after all.
COVID-19 is still a huge problem, so the weather out there is frightful.
Are you worried you can't afford to spoil your loved ones the way they deserve? Don't despair. Instead, pour yourself a cup of hot cocoa and check out our four tips for saving the holidays:
1. Get Creative
Can't afford to buy gifts? Tap into your creative side. Think about what your loved ones might like and make your own holiday gifts. You don't have to be Martha Stewart, either. It's more about the gesture than making some kind of perfectly crafted artisanal present.
Here are just a few ideas.
- Framed pictures. Look through your digital photos of family and friends. Scope out affordable picture frames at thrift stores or dollar stores. Once you know what size frames you have, get the highest-resolution copies of your chosen photos and have them printed to size at CVS, Walgreens or Walmart. Each print usually costs less than $1.
- Family cookbook. Ask relatives to share their recipes. Maybe Grandma has a box of handwritten ones you can convert. Create an accessible digital version online or assemble your own hard copy. Free and low-cost templates and software are available if you want to do it yourself. With a little effort on your part, this could be a treasured gift for generations to come.
- Knitted and crocheted goods. These are truly one-of-a-kind gifts, too, and baked goods are always welcome. Yum.
2. Cut Your Monthly Bills
If you need to free up extra room in your budget, a good place to start is to cut back on your monthly bills -- like, for instance, your current car insurance.
In most places, it's straight up illegal not to have it, so you've probably accepted that you're going to pay through the nose for it. But you don't have to.
A free website called Savvy will help you find the best rates -- in just 30 seconds. In fact, it saves people an average of $826 a year.
All you have to do is connect your current insurance, then Savvy will search hundreds of insurers for a better price on the same coverage. It'll even help you cancel your old policy and get you a refund from your current insurer. And it's totally free.
3. Save a Little Each Week
Start now and set aside a little bit of money every week -- whatever you can afford.
Everyone's situation is a little different. But if you commit right now to saving a certain amount of money each week, you can scrape together a nice little fund to buy holiday gifts, especially if you take our next tip to heart ...
4. Think Outside the Big Box Store
An increasing number of gift shoppers are staying out of the big box stores and turning to online marketplaces such as Etsy, eBay and the Amazon Marketplace. This holiday season, consumers are expected to purchase heavily from these websites, according to various forecasts and surveys.
It's not just because of COVID-19, either. Online-savvy shoppers can find some pretty sweet deals this way.
You can find handmade or vintage items on Etsy. You can discover unique or obscure items on eBay. You can find just about anything on Amazon's Marketplace. And if something goes wrong with the transaction, each of these marketplaces has ways to protect you.
It's also worth seeing what you can find locally. Keep tabs on Facebook Marketplace and Offerup to see if your neighbors are selling anything for a good deal. Sometimes, you can find almost-new items available for a lot less!
To sum up: Even if the Grinch has stolen your bank balance this year, you can still celebrate with style and show your loved ones you care.
All it takes is some willpower, some forethought and a dash of holiday magic.
-- This story was originally published by The Penny Hoarder.
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