Holidays have a way of eliciting excitement in our hearts when we think about them. We can’t wait to catch up with family, dig into food we usually only get to enjoy once a year, and celebrate with all the festivities and fun.
But there is nothing that can burst our excitement bubble quicker than thinking about how much it will cost. There is grocery shopping to do for items that aren’t usually on our list. We have a long list of gifts we want to give. And that doesn’t include the extra gasoline for all those trips to the store, an increase in the electric bill due to those beautiful outdoor decorations and all the baking that needs to be done – and that’s on top of the fuel costs for keeping the home warm and toasty.
The needle that pops our excitement bubble is doubly sharp when we think about all the time it will take us to plan, prepare, bake, cook, shop, decorate, and clean. It’s enough to seriously consider taking all our holiday money and escaping to a deserted island!
But before you buy your plane ticket, there are ways to manage your time and money, and still be able to enjoy your holidays. And it all starts with a Plan.
Having a Holiday Plan in place is necessary, because without it, you won’t know where your money or time will be spent.
Your Holiday Plan needs to include things such as where you will spend the holidays – at home or somewhere else. You will also need to know what meals you will be having, whether you are going to be doing all the cooking, or if other family members or friends will contribute.
Keep in mind this doesn’t mean meals specifically for Thanksgiving or Christmas you need to think about. You will also need to feed your family before those holidays arrive, and work those meals into school and church programs, holiday activities, and all the shopping and baking you will need to do. To make it easier for you and your family, that means having enough freezer and quick meals ready to go for those busy days.
You also need to have an idea of what activities you will be attending, and the price of admission. Or in the case of a school play, how much you will need to spend making that tree or angel costume. It helps to have an idea of who you will be giving gifts to, what gifts you will be giving, and whether they will be handmade or purchased.
As far as planning your holidays, we talked in Episode 67 about hosting a Holiday Planning Party. If you haven’t already done so, now may be the time to do one, or at the very least, visit with a friend who struggles with the planning and prepping side of holidays. It is a great way to jumpstart your holiday planning.
Once your plan is in place, you need to design a Holiday Financial Budget.
For this type of budget, you first need to check your regular budget to determine exactly how much money you can comfortably spend this year. The mistake many people make when thinking about how much it will cost for the holiday is they think in terms of gift-giving only.
On the contrary, there is more to it than you think, and some of those expenses are thought of as hidden costs. Hidden costs are things like buying items at the grocery store that aren’t normally on your list – such as cranberry sauce, slivered almonds for the green beans, and extra baking supplies for those holiday cakes and desserts.
Another hidden cost is additional gasoline for the extra trips to functions, shopping, and the visiting we like to do during the holidays. And then there will be a jump in your electric bill as soon as you plug in all those outdoor decorations and the lights on the Christmas tree – not to mention all the gas or electricity you’ll be using to do all that extra baking.
And then there are the expected costs. Those include things like gifts or the supplies to make gifts, ticket prices for activities, charitable donations, and possibly even clothing for special events.
All of these expenditures will need to come out of that amount you determined was available for holiday spending.
To get started on your Holiday Financial Budget, you need to start at the beginning. Make a list of everything you will be spending money on. Once your list is completed, get an idea of how much you have to spend in each category.
Want an eye opener? Here’s a little game you can play. I call it the ‘Can I Really Do It’ Game. It is designed to give you a better perspective on what you want to do vs what you can afford to do.
Take the amount of money you have set aside for the holidays and divide it by the number of items you have on your list.
Now, let’s use a couple of scenarios as an example. This year, money has been tight, and you have decided on having a scaled back simple Christmas. You have $250 set aside. On your list you have 10 items that range from food to gifts. When you divide 10 into 250, you will be allotted $25 for each item on your list. Now, look over what is on that list. You may be able to create decorations for less than $25, but can you purchase or make gifts for all 25 people you need to do something for with $25? If you can, please email me immediately and share your secret!
Even with all the craft supplies, food ingredients, and the deep well of creative ideas I have, there is no way I can average out gifts to $1 per person. Yes – I can make quite a few things with what I have on hand, but inevitably I will need to purchase at least one more skein of yarn, another bag of sugar, or outright purchase a gift.
With an amount like $250 and a long list of things that will need to be purchased, something will have to give. You will either have to up your available spending limit or delete some of the items on your list.
Now it’s time to set game playing aside. The purpose of the game is to help you measure your holiday expectations. When you design your Holiday Financial Budget, you need to be realistic, and pay attention to those hidden costs. You may not pay that higher electric and gas bill in December, but they will come due in January. So, by being smart with your holiday spending, you may save enough to pay that bill a bit more comfortably.
To help you keep costs down, the first thing you want to do is take inventory. When it comes to cooking and baking, what do you already have in your pantry that can cut costs? If you ordinarily bake things that call for ingredients you don’t normally buy, such as mascarpone, candied fruit, and dark chocolate for a Yule Log Cake, consider a simple cookie tray and maybe a pan of Gingerbread instead.
When it comes to special holiday activities and events, consider limiting them to just the necessities (things like school plays and church functions). Instead of large functions, consider smaller activities such as a progressive dinner with friends, or a simple gathering with your neighbors.
As for gifts, handmade is a great way to go. First, a handmade gift is more personal than most things you can purchase in a store. Instead of ‘off the rack’, the gifts you make can take into consideration color, style, and function that better applies to the recipient. For instance, if you love to knit or crochet, scarves can be done in almost unlimited ways through texture, color, pattern, size and more. If you love to sew, consider a personalized Psalm 91 throw. These are simple to make, and depending on the colors, fabric design and that little bit of embroidered lagniappe in the corner, you can make these for every person on your list, and no two will be exactly alike.
And you don’t have to limit your gifts to yarn and fabric. Think gift baskets that are designed specifically for the likes of the recipient. This can be anything from a basket filled with mug, homemade hot chocolate mix, a set of hand woven or crocheted mug rugs and a good book for someone who loves to read. If you have a someone who loves to cook on your guest list, fill a basket with a small bottle of handmade Italian spice mix, a jar of home canned spaghetti sauce, a bag of pasta made from scratch, and a handmade apron.
The beauty of a gift basket is they can be designed for every person on your list. And here’s a little tip: If you are already baking cookies, mini loaves of sweet breads, such as Strawberry Nut Bread, or even peanut brittle, make an extra batch to use as fillers for your baskets. This not only saves time, but also money!
To help trim your budget, it also helps to look back at all those extra errands you will need to run. One of those extra errands probably occurs because you forgot to get an ingredient you need the last time you were at the grocery store. One way to prevent that is to first make a list of anything you want to be baking or cooking for the holidays. Next is to make a list of any special ingredients – or things you will need extra of, such as sugar, flour, and cocoa.
Now, put that list in your purse. During your regularly scheduled grocery run, add one or two items from your Holiday Baking list to your current grocery list. That way, you can spread the expense over several months, and when it’s time to start your holiday baking, you’ll have everything you need in your pantry, freezer, or refrigerator.
Now, there is a caveat that comes with this. If you have started your list and shopping in August, you don’t want to get perishable items, such as fresh fruit and dairy products quite yet. Instead, leave them for the grocery runs that occur just a few days before your holiday baking marathon.
With your lists, you can also start to combine errands. If you have a doctor’s appointment, and there is a crafts store one block away from the doctor’s office, try and stop in before or after your appointment.
If you can’t remember all the tips in this episode, let me boil it down.
Have a Plan. Create a Budget. Be Realistic. Make a list. And keep it Simple. The whole idea behind the holidays is to actually enjoy them – not spend all your time running errands, in the kitchen baking, or searching for that perfect gift. Instead, start now. Work on handmade gifts. Bake as much as possible ahead of time. And learn to say no to the extras, and instead, create meaningful activities you can do at home.
Now – if you are ready to start planning for your holidays, I can help with that. Just text me using the link in the show notes or email me at thevirtualporch@gmail.com and let me know what you enjoy most about living a simple life - and request a free copy of the Holiday Planning eBook I’ve created just for this podcast. Then, be sure to check out my other Have a Merry, Simple Christmas products. When you click the link in the show notes, you can get the Have a Merry, Simple, Christmas eBook, the Holiday Budget Bundle, (an eBook and a spreadsheet for that budget), and if you purchase the Have a Merry, Simple Christmas Bundle, you get all three plus a free copy of the Have a Merry Simple Christmas Bonus eBook with even more tips, worksheets, recipes and DIY ideas to make your holidays the best you’ve ever had!
Plan it. Create It. Keep it simple. Do a little at a time, and when the holidays arrive, you will have most of the work done and can enjoy your holidays and time spent with friends, and family so much more!
If you want to learn more about living a Simple Life, just visit my website at www.thefarmwife.com/ . If you’re enjoying listening to these podcasts, please consider supporting the show by clicking the SUPPORT button in the show notes. Every little bit helps, and when you do add your support, you’ll be helping me continue bringing you fun and helpful ideas for living the Simple Life you love!
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Thanks again for stopping in. I will see you next week on Living a Simple Life with a Back Porch View. And while you are waiting for the next episode, grab that glass of refreshment, pull up a rocker, and sit back for a while. It’s time to relax and enjoy.
