Most people presume that having fun at Christmas time involves having money, however it does not. In the good old days, fun was for free and you didn’t need to be rich to have a good time at Christmas.
Here are some of my ideas on what to do:
- Get the kids to make Xmas decorations. Coloured paper at the local newsagent is still cheap enough. I pay about 80 cents a sheet for a huge piece of cardboard. You can also use bits and pieces you usually keep for recycling. Also buy some glue, sticky tape, and some glitter…It isn’t Xmas without the glitter. If you don’t know how to make anything, Google it…There are loads of free ideas out there.
- Instead of buying gifts, make some. People appreciated anything you give them, well they should, and especially something you have hand crafted. What about baking some Xmas cookies, very cheap to make and look great when wrapped in clear cellofane paper. Photos are an easy gift. You can put a photo into an old frame, decorate it, stick a photo on a magnet, and more.
- Print out Xmas activities for the kids. There are heaps of free printable sheets on Christmas and it keeps the children in the spirit of Christmas just when you need a well deserved break.
- Print out Christmas songs and have a singing competition and give out small prizes for the winners. This can be very funny.
- Make your own Christmas bon bons, you know the things you pull or tug on to get gifts. This is a great way to have a laugh. You can put a message in there, a joke, or even a dare for the person to do.
- Play Christmas trivia, and let the person who answers a question pick a prize from a lucky dip. Prizes can be anything you like…Could be a Christmas message, a small toy, or maybe a chocolate. People do not care what they get because it is fun. You can even find prizes at the $2 shop.
Of course there are so many others things you can do to make Christmas fun, and save money at the same time.