Christmas (Commonwealth Union)_ Decorating for the holidays can empty your wallet. There is no necessity to buy a $200 yard Santa.
Also, after spending all that money on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, you may feel like you are just hanging dollar bills on the tree.
But you don’t have to.
Jill Cowman, also known as “Jingle Jill,” runs a Christmas shop, SBK Gifts.
Buy a few new ornaments
She says that even though people worry that sets of blown glass ornaments are pricey, they remain a great value even today, and can give your tree that extra “pop.”
She says you could usually find them for between $15 and $45.
Cowman says you don’t have to overspend on decorations, like on $200 Santas for outside your front door.
She suggests getting creative by converting a dining room hutch into a full Christmas display for just a few bucks.
She puts some small figurines and trees on the shelves, and says “all that’s in the back of the hutch is wrapping paper!”
Consider D-I-Y decor
Michelle Madhokis an author and shopping expert.
She says there are several ways to make your home feel festive without emptying your wallet.
She said that we can get carried away in the holiday season, and that DIY decorations can look as good as any expensive store-bought decorations.
She said there are lots of things in nature and that you could grab pine cones and greenery and make your own.”
Swap ornaments, decorations
Next, she says, is to consider swapping decor with family, and friends to get something new to you.
That way, without spending a dime, both of you get new decorations.
Madhok says If you do go to the store, to be smart and use a comparison-shopping tool.
“Make the computer gods do the work for you,” she said,
She says that if you can wait, you will find the best deals in January that you can then use next year, but cautions you not to go overboard.
“It’s not a deal if you didn’t need it,” she said.
Time spent together, and memories more important than decor
Paying for services and hiring someone to hang your outdoor lights could seem like a pricey extravagance, but Madhok says to remember your time has value as well.
“It depends on if it’s a fun thing for you to do or not,” she says.
Back at SBK Gifts, “Jingle Jill” says that one or two inexpensive ornaments may be all you need to buy each year to freshen up your decor.
She said glass ornaments are all about memories because spending time with family is priceless.
Madhok said it was the time spent together that everybody really loves about the holidays, not so much the expensive stuff.
That way you can watch the budget, and you don’t waste your money.
