How do frugal people budget for Christmas?
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- Опубликовано: 28 ноя 2024
- Christmas is coming with December at the weekend. How do frugal people get their act together for Christmas? I tell you what we do for Christmas.
Frugal Queen in France
We are a British couple living in Brittany on a budget.
Frugal recipes, days out, home renovations and day to day making do in France.
We’ll give you hints, tips, advice and an insight into our life in France.
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My family got off the Christmas present express almost 40 years ago. We don't do presents. Makes Christmas so much nicer.
That's perfect 👌
@@loritanner4478 It certainly does. 🤗
@@loritanner4478 Freeing isn't loritanner? The world has gone crazy buy buy buy . I can't afford to buy buy buy. Since my family decided several years ago to just stop with all the buying of presents ,except for children , we are all much less stressed at the Winter Soltice / christmas / midwinter holiday time . We just get together and eat and chat with each other . We have to buy food anyway so we just eat together . All say they prefer it this way .
@Zemplex yes, it is freeing. Most of our family is gone now. Or lives away from where we live. So we don't do that much for holidays anymore. My hubby and I both work full time jobs, and we are in our mid 60's now. And to be honest, I just don't have the energy to put into holidays anymore.
We don’t spend on immediate family anymore. We get together with friends and do a fun frugal white elephant gift exchange and have a good time eating. Then on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day I go spend my day volunteering at the animal shelter (I go every week and holidays). That to me is worth more than buying gifts for people. I spend my money on treats for them.
My mother is giving me her Fitbit that she doesn't want any more. A perfect gift for me.
I love my fitbit. It was a Christmas gift from my daughter a few years ago.
Time is so limited so spending time with family and friends is the present.
Love that
Thank you for the video and especially for your comment that frugal means something different to different people. My husband and I are in our 70s and frugal even means something different to us now in our 70s than it did in our 40s and 50s. Like you, we budget for Christmas. Our family knows our budget also. Several years ago, I started a new tradition that I was surprised how much I enjoy. In September, I ask everyone to start an Amazon wish list for me with 3 items in 3 different price ranges. I then start watching for online sales of the items. My goal is get the best bargains possible and it becomes a game to me. As I am also shopping for gifts from my 91 year old mother, the person usually gets 2 of the items from their wish list. I get a thrill when I get something at 50% off and stay below my and my mother's budget. The day will come when I no longer can do this but will enjoy it while I can!
Thank you
That’s such a great idea !
My sweetheart is out of work, but we still have money for Christmas this year. He put some money away into a high-yield savings account every pay period. Our Christmas isn't going to be sumptuous, but we had enough earmarked to afford modest gifts for everybody in our families and for the friends who might as well be family. We've done this for years, our own version of a Christmas club account, and it's helped us keep from feeling a financial pinch after the holidays. Hoping he'll soon find work again; it's hard to be let go just before Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Thanks for sharing
Jane, I was thrifty all year so that I could sponsor Children for Christmas. When I had sales help assist me with clothes shopping.They said what size? Then what price point? When I responded back, I dont care; they looked at me like I lost my marbles til I said, It's for kids for Christmas.! People are watching budgets this year.
In our family my husband and I don't buy gifts for each other. We get what we need or want throughout the year. We stopped buying for our adult children a few years back. We give the grandchildren $50.00 in a card and they can spend it how ever they want. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. Enjoy your day.❤
Thanks for sharing
Christmas and birthdays got so out of hand for me that I simply tossed in the towel. It wasn't really "bad" when my income was acceptable but I noticed alot of dissatisfaction of my gift choices from some of the new additions of family members and when I inquired with one as to a suggestion of preference (clothing or toy)...I was not only answered with which one BUT which store it should be purchased from lol That was the last gift I purchased going forward. Some may look at it as me being cheap...I look at as, I always put alot of effort into getting gifts that were thoughtful and fitting for each individual as well as ensuring that no gift was glaringly more or less expensive than any other one. It absolutely was no longer worth the effort I put into it. I now follow suit with the young generation...send a text! It's free and my words are honestly heartfelt.
Good for you
Same. My family only wants expensive brand names and gadgets, they ask for specific things that I do not even buy for myself. I stopped gifting. When I visit, I give them money, when I don't, I just wish them happy holidays.
This year we decided not to give any special gifts to our adult children. We will have a nice dinner together for sure. We reserved the extra money for people in need, in our home country and abroad.
Save up for next Christmas already. After some strugle last year, I saved up and it makes such a difference
We are 7 adults and 3 kids in our immediate family. Every year on Thanksgiving, we put all the first names of the adults two times in a hat and everyone pulls out 2 names. That are the people he or he will buy a gift for (on a budget we all agree on beforehand). Every adult gets 2 gifts and that is it. The kids go extra but we often buy them one bigger gift together. I also put aside money every month on a special savings account for birthdays and Christmas. We prioritize time spent together, going on adventures like Christmas markets or lightings, baking or making sweet treats, singing, making music or drama and homemade gifts (including tea mixes, preserves, beverages, spice mixes or baked goodies for friends ans colleagues) over buying the Christmas Joy. Our decoration is mainly brought in from nature, homemade or old :) We cherish traditions (including the same Christmas meal since forever) and try to be as generous as possible to charities we care for.
Oh, I love the TWO names idea. Sometimes one name can seem like " not quite enough ". Your idea is simple, but brilliant.
Have a wonderful holiday season.
Thanks for sharing
I give my three english grandkids money, as we wont see them over Christmas. My french grandchild will get a gift and money in his savings account, as we will see him during Christmas week. We will be having Christmas dinner with some english friends on the 25th. It will be a collective effort for dinner. I am providing all the veg and dessert, plus some beer and wine. Another couple providing the starter and snacks, another couple provide alcohol and cheese, and the host is providing the meat and Christmas crackers. We share the cost and the work. Its a really sociable and enjoyable day.
I have already bought most of the veg. I have picked up extra over the last month. Its all prepped and frozen, will just require cooking on the day.
Thanks for sharing
Tomorrow is our Thanksgivings here in the US. Loads of food and drink, parties and gift giving is starting and will go through the New Year. I don't have a budget for the foods, I take it out of my regular food budget, All gifts are budgeted through out the year so in November I have enough money to buy all the Christmas gifts. All our pies, cakes, cookies and candies for the holidays are homemade.
Thanks for sharing
Hi! I save up bit by bit in my Christmas Fund throughout the year. I allot $50 CAD per person per gift for close family, and $25/person for one couple married into the family. We only have one couple that fits the latter category, and insists on gifting to us every year. It is cultural for them. We give them a gift card to one of their favourite stores.
We have one daughter and her hubby that prefer we give to charity in their names. We work with them to decide the charity.
For wrapping, packaging, decor, and some gifts, I visit local thrift stores. I found 2 baskets and a wonderful large canning jar for $1.99 CAD. I also reuse what I have. I had a basket that black ink had spilled in and stained. I bought red spray paint, painted it, and used it as a base for a basket gift. I added Dollar store tissue paper as a filler and Dollar store, thrift store and homemade items in the basket. I usually add one slightly more expensive gift to the basket. Something worth about $10 CAD. I try to stick to a theme, or create a basket of things I know the recipient loves. The cellophane wrap for the baskets was 25 cents a roll at the thrift store!
For food, I dry, can and freeze food. I have a barter system worked out with nearby relatives. One sister gardens. I preserve some of her harvest and mine. We exchange with each other and another relative for delicious food! It works great!
Thanks for sharing
We purchase for 11 so yes we have a set budget for each. Snowbirds are back in AZ so there is a lot of socializing being done here. I up my grocery budget by at least $200. We get invited to many holiday parties and most ask everyone to bring an appetizer or side dish. We also host a lot in our home, and we don't ask anyone to bring food, but they will gift a bottle of wine or flowers. This year for a hostess gift we opted to stick to the same gift for everyone and that is a bottle of sparkling cider with some chocolate. So in October when sparkling cider was on sale I purchased a case.
Thanks 😊
I always enjoy your Christmas treats haul
There's no treats this year. Cost of living crisis
One thing I like to do and it’s a matter of getting greens to make simple Christmas wreaths. They can keep them for their selves or put it on a loved ones grave.
I like that
My daughter has three young children one of them is autistic, a few years ago she found a great Santa clause who comes to her house, but she invited her neighbours with young children to this event. This year she is hosting a party for over forty people, it costs £10 per child to see Santa. I wish you all a blessed Christmas
Thanks for sharing
Thats really sweet, bet the kuds love it
I make my decorations. Usually from fabrics that I get for free or recycle. This yea I splashed out with birthday money and bought a a couple of half meters of really lovely fabric, that I mixed in with the other fabric and made absolutely beautiful decorations that would cost a lot to buy and I will keep them for years 💚 I also really enjoyed sewing them
That's a great idea!
Do much the same as you. I loved seeing the puppies in the snow, so precious. Thank you for sharing, Dolly, Mary, Jane and Mike.
Thank you
Love making turkey broth from the carcass. It’s so delicious! A turkey provides so much food! Great video as always.
So good!
I love your beautiful healthy hair. I do not need to spend much. The youngest son of 38 needed passport fee and TSA clearance fee. Older son was happy to receive some winter gear. He works a lot outside in Denver, Colorado. Greenery is gathered locally and adds a festive air inside and out. I use on -hand ribbon, in shell nuts, cones, oyster shells, cotton pods and anything else I can find using containers, boxes, old skis,antique toys. ( We are the antiques!). I make dried orange slices and a Virginia peanut garland to go on our tree. 🌲
I agree.jane has the most beautiful hair 😊
Lovely
I'm glad that I no longer need to buy Christmas presents or write Christmas cards anymore. Our group was unanimous on this a few years ago, which now also applies to birthdays, although we do still give each other birthday cards. These days we put our money to experiences over acquisition, which I prefer to do. Like you, I do like treats at Christmas and you have just reminded me about Baileys, which I like, but have never had for years. Think I'll be buying the Aldi version which is also very nice. 😋😃
Superb!
I thought I saw 3 little white dogs.
@ that was a very old clip, two of those are long dead
I save £50 per month and that covers everything. We have particular traditional foods, some of those can be prepared in advance and frozen so they come out of my normal monthly budget from September.
Got my Baileys when it was on offer for £10 a litre. I pay for Park vouchers/cards throughout the year & use them for gifts.🤗
I get a small annuity in November. This is our Christmas money. It covers 4 family members in my immediate family and my daughter 's long-time boyfriend. My husband buys stocking suffers and my gift from his small part-time job.
I also budget for 2 charities through our church for children's Christmas gifts and a bit more for food. Everyone else gets a card which I bought from a local thrift shop.
Any credit card charges are paid off by the due date.
I reuse decorations and generally do not buy more. Since 2020, I have gotten rid of many decorations.
I'm getting ready for Thanksgiving in the USA for tomorrow.
🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃
Thanks for sharing
I have 8 grandkids ranging in age from 6 to 25. Each Christmas, I purchase a one-ounce round of silver with the year and a Christmas greeting on it for each one. Each of them receives many larger gifts from extended family members, but I refuse to "compete". As for holiday season meals, many of the components are items that I preserved the previous summer, and the rest are bought on sale and stored until the holiday.
Thanks
We use our Christmas club account and we only give gifts that are consumable and handmade one year we gave pork barbecue rub and then one year we gave chicken rub and one year. It was make your own cookie mix and another was monogrammed dish towels, and last year it was a bar of goat, milk soap my sister-in-law made, and one year it was vanilla sugar. We gave one gift per family, not per person. Everyone happily received their gifts. My husband‘s family even made it a rule that that was how they were going to do Christmas gifts going forward, consumable one per family handmade less than $10 even better if it was less than $5
That's lovely
I do a sinking fund for Christmas and birthdays. In October I start picking up a few extra items that I'll need for the food gifts I make. Nothing fancy but a tradition. If I get low on gift containers I make sure and get more after Christmas at the sales. Some of the containers will be returned to me to be filled next year
Thanks
We are very lucky! We live in a 55 plus park that is a cooperative. we own it! At December each year, we take a vote that allows us to take $400 USD from our rent for the month of December. We save some and use the rest for gifts!! We mail some presents but try to keep those costs down also! Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas to you all! We bought new dog sweaters for our pups on sale. They are so cute in them, just like Mary and Dolly!!
Thanks for watching
I do the penny saving challenge through the year and use that money to buy presents in the January sales. Anything left over goes towards saving for a Post office savings bond, which I try to buy once a year.
Great job
I save some of my clothing budget for the Black Friday sales and after new year sales. I needed some jumpers and trainers this year and got them for half the price. Otherwise, I celebrate the Jewish holidays with a nice meal that is still within our food budget. I stopped doing gifts, accept for my teenage son's birthday, he now earns his own money (we have a dog sitting business together) and he saves half and spends half on whatever he wants.
This year I'm giving Unicef gift cards. A feel good thing. 😅
I saw a post on FB about gifts " I like also a grocerie gift card" . That can be an idea for somebody. Just remember the celebration of the Nativity should be the center of attention not gifts. I prepare a soup I only prepare for Xmas so it always stays a bit special. Stay into budget , that goes for every event.
We dont buy presents for xmas or birthdays. Ive been buying ingredients for xmas cake and pudding and bits for xmas since july. So no big bills. For birthdays the birthday person chooses a takeaway meal the family eat together
That's a great idea!
Very good video ! As a courtesy, for 25 years we gave gifts to extended family and friends at lavish meals where we paid our share. This was a big budget that I planned every month of the year before Christmas. These people had a higher standard of living than ours and I was very embarrassed to receive their gift and such meals me who likes good things but in small quantities. I tried to share my point of view with them but without success. I did a lot of work on myself to learn how to say "no". For 10 years, I have freed myself from this weight, I have refocused on my family (just our children and grandchildren) my priorities. I don’t miss any more holidays to finance this kind of Christmas and since then it’s a pure joy! My most loyal friends always love me and do the same. With friends, we share a meal or an afternoon Tea time gives ourselves a book that we have already read and loved to share it, or homemade jams or a pie or object that we cherished and want to pass on to someone who will love it, with his agreement. Likewise, I sometimes gather photos of my friends that I reproduce in a physical photo and give to each. Merci Jane et Michael !
@@rose-g3l I've had dealings with extended family with that sort of **** it was a release when we walked away
😇🥰 the same
my Christmas budget is £50 per person. I ask for the lists what they would like to get and then I choose not going over the budget. it can be one item or few cheaper ones.I also plan our Christmas Eve, Christmas Day food. On Boxing day we usually go out for lunch.
Thanks for sharing. Businesses here often close Christmas to end of January
I take out each month all year for Christmas gifts, extra $$ to stock up on the Nov & Dec food sales, xtra for the after Christmas sales and I set aside $1.00 weekly so I can donate $52 worth of food to the yearly holiday food drive. I've done this since I got married in 1971. I always stick to my budget. I shop all year for gifts and only buy sales. I am blessed with wonderful neighbors and give them baked goodies. I give my grandchilden an ornament every year and I buy them at the after Christmas sales and put them back till the next year. I'm 70 and my holidays are smaller now and my spending much less but I still keep my traditions alive and stay on budget.
Thanks
Hi Jane. We save every month and set a limit on per person gifts. For quite a few years we did a Secret Santa type thing with close family which worked well. Now we have grandkids we have changed style but still work within our budget. This year we have bought a potted rooted Christmas tree and some battery lights to put up outside to brighten the front of the house. All other decs are existing and well loved and nothing more to buy for indoors.
Thanks for sharing!!
Great video 😊
Thanks! 😊
As a grandmother I love giving presents to my grandchildren. If things get tight I will cut down on adult children but hopefully not grandchildren. My grandmother would put a stick of gum in a card to me and I felt loved. A friend says she is too broke to give to her grandchildren but I think most of us could do somethings small with great love.
Thanks, our family tradition is that parents give to their children not grandchildren. My parents gave me money (usually £10) when my children still lived at home. In turn I'd give that to my children.
We do a secret santa for adults and ask each person 3 items they would like for christmas you pick a name out the hat and buy just one thing on their list of 3.There is a budget limit.
The list is emailed to everyone to see.Instead of buying 10 pressies.
Lovely
I stopped buying gifts. The few family members that are still alive are pretty wealthy and I can;t meet their demand for expenisive items that are beyond my means.
Instead, I now donate to a local children's charity.
Thanks, good idea
I make many of the gifts for our family, and then we give our sons a bit of money to spend how they would like. As far as saving money for special meals during the holiday, nope. I buy with our regular budget. Seems to work as I purchase those items throughout the month leading up to the day.
I buy my gifts throughout the year and when I travel.
I buy token gifts too £5 each for my family and partner. I buy some gifts too for some select friends and don't go mad at Christmas.The pressure is on!
In my family we buy nothing for adults but we do eat together if possible . Only children get a toy or book etc on a modest budget of up to £50 per child (used to be a lot less - cost of living) from each adult but is not expected. Some family members make gifts for the children. The children know that an adult had to work hard to treat them and they value their toys and books . We don't do father xmas either. We just don't do the commercialism . The children are not spoilt and we won't go into debt . We don't actually observe christmas but just get together as the Bank Holidays are free leave from work . We eat in a restaurant all together once for a roast, booked months in advance ,so everyone knows their budget . Noone has the burden of cooking . We also get together and have cold buffet table . All adults bring some food. The expenses are modest and I save through the year for it. Some family members put up the decorations etc some don't . I don't put up decorations in my home. We just enjoy getting together.
We love the mid winter bank holiday with nice food too
I save my nectar points for the year and use them for my Christmas food shop.I also put a few £ on a saving card to buy extras
Thanks for watching
Baileys is my favourite alcoholic beverage. We will be having our Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve too as I am of Scandinavian heritage and that is the tradition I grew up with.
@@CharleneEvenson thank you
I made lots of jam and jelly this year and used your tip on reusing jam jars from store purchases. No one gives back my actual $$ canning jars very often. At $13 a dozen for jars that adds up in loss.
Everyone loves jam
❄️❄️ Snow Pups! ❄️❄️ The last few years we have alternated between not giving each other any large gifts (my husband and I), or giving nothing at all. We have what we want already. Now the younger people in our extended family, I tend to go a bit nuts on, but I have been reigning myself in gradually. A small basket of goodies and a gift card will do this year, except for the very youngest. She gets a new dress and toys. You may think this is a lot, but in the past I have really over done it. ❤🐾❤❄️❤🐾
Thank you 😊
👍👍👍
I get used books for friends. Also, for very close friends, I give them my high-quality jewelry since I have accumulated quite a bit at age 74.
The cost of Christmas stollen has gotten prohibitive to buy. So this year I made my own. I also made the candied orange and lemon peel that goes into the dough. I made 4 loaves for about the cost of one loaf in the grocery store. In addition I now have extra candied peel which I can give as gifts. I may dip a few orange peels in dark chocolate to fancy them up even further. They are a lovely way to enhance a simple dessert of custard, and I made use of something I normally would throw away.
2.99€ each here for stollen
@@FrugalQueeninFrance Wow! Amazingly inexpensive!
I follow your advice from a couple of years ago and look for bargains at the supermarket before the Christmas pictures get put on the packaging. Last week an 800g gammon joint was £6 or 2 for £7 - guess what I have in my freezer? 😂
Love that!
I buy three out the year & I look for gifts at dollar stores & after Christmas clearance / sale
Thanks for sharing your great tips! Happy Thanksgiving 🦃🍁
What bred are you dogs? My millie is a wired hair terrier 😊❤
Bichon frisé
We give money to our grandchildren for birthdays and Christmas to be invested for their future. If we are there we will give small gifts on the day. This year we are having a treat and spending Christmas with our daughter and family, but usually we are on our own as we live far away from our family , and our meal will be pretty much as normal, as we eat very well all year and are not a a fan of Turkey, but we will maybe have some chocolate. Everyone have a great time and do Christmas your way without getting into debt.
Thank you
I start buying for next Christmas as soon as this Christmas is over with. A lot of Christmas decor goes on clearance & you can buy it pretty cheap.
That's great
I stopped buying gifts for anybody at Christmas a few years ago and I don’t want any gifts either. Everybody is working themselves so they have enough money to buy whatever they want. I’m on social security myself so I need my money for real necessities. Christmas dinner is just some chips and some little snacks because I normally don’t eat them, so in a way this is a treat to me or if I do have guests it’s going to be salmon with some chips and avocado. To be honest I don’t think Christmas is about gifts and food.
Thanks for watching
We save 50.00 a month for Christmas extras
Do you have a new pup? I saw 3 white animals playing in the snow
That's an old video, two of them are long dead
I have stopped buying Christmas gifts altogether and Christmas cards. A close friend of mine in America and I were going to exchange gifts but the postage is astronomical so we have decided to just stick to purchasing gifts once a year on our birthdays. My family and I stopped exchanging Christmas gifts a few years ago. I personally do not need anything and Christmas for me is all about the reason for the season which is Jesus Christ so all the material stuff does not come into play. I do cook for one or two people where I live and that is it but otherwise I now enjoy spending Christmas at home with a few treats and to watch a film on Christmas Day but my focus is as I said on Jesus.
Ok, I am a little confused as I now you have your two sweet doggies but sometimes in your videos there are three - hence my confusion🤦♀ Have a blessed rest of the week🤗
Old video, two of them are long dead
I believe we spend similar to you. The only difference is the presents are for the children only.
I often buy John Lewis gift cards, they can buy something they wasn’t or buy food in Waitrose.
Great gift
Hi Jane, we have the same curtains 💚 so pretty. We are the same in our family. It can get way out of control otherwise
So true!
I've never understood the point of giving or exchanging gift cards.
I know people who just swap gift cards on Christmas. What is rhe point?
@@vcmomof3 I think the same way. I have given up on figuring out what the point is
There's no point. It's just tradition.