19 Dec 10 Ways to Make Christmas Memories Without Breaking the Bank

Don’t you just love the Christmas Season? I grew up in a home that did the holidays right, so I have some great memories of my childhood Christmases. We never had a lot of money, but I never knew it around the holidays! My father would make a big production about getting a real tree – fake was out of the question. Then came the day-long struggle with the string of lights that had to be untangled and hung before the rest of the tree could be touched. As the children decorated the tree with our hideous school-made decorations and tinsel, my Mom was baking a ridiculous amount of cookies and squares. These would be arranged onto decorative plates and given to friends and neighbors – and there was always a full tray of them out for the family to enjoy. Our home was covered in decorations and Christmas cards sent from all over the world. I loved those cards because they were a yearly reminder of how loved we were.

My Childhood Christmas Memories

Here’s a picture of us kids in 1983. That’s me with the Calligraphy set and ruler. I seriously loved those gifts! I worked so hard on learning Calligraphy, and that ruler actually had a calculator on it, which made me the coolest kid in school. Or so I felt.

Now, many years later, I have my own family and my own traditions. Many of them are straight from my childhood; some I’ve tweaked. We have a fake tree, and the amount of baking that I do does not require an additional freezer in the garage. Our traditions are simple and I love them.

Christmas is not about Money!

So, I have to admit, when a friend came to me recently, feeling sad and alienated because she felt she did not have the money to give her children the “feeling of Christmas,” I was more than a little surprised. When did money become responsible for giving us the “feeling of Christmas?!” Christmas has nothing to do with money! Christmas traditions and creating memories with your children does not have to cost anything!

Here’s what costs money: comparing yourself and your family to others. It costs money to put up more lights than your neighbor, and it costs money to run around frantically, pausing only to take selfies to prove that you went to that expensive ice show. It costs money to buy a ridiculous amount of gifts for your children, who in all honesty will only really appreciate one or two.

Here, instead are 10 simple ideas to help you and your family to create Christmas memories that will not break the bank:

1. Take your own Christmas pictures.

Oh sure, that popular, pricey photographer would be awesome, but guess what’s even more awesome? Taking your family to a local park and playing together! This year, we got dressed up and went to our local nature preserve where my husband and I took pictures of Clark and Luci, and each other. Next year, I may even remember the tripod, so that we can get a family picture, too! Haha!

There are a few big bonuses to this approach. One is that you will actually capture some pretty awesome family moments that tell a relationship story.  I absolutely love pictures that show relationships. Another awesome bonus is that I waited until Christmas cards went on sale – 50% off! – and we got some absolutely beautiful cards to share with friends and family for a fraction of the price that we would have paid otherwise!

2. Take the Family Out to See the Christmas Lights.

Every year, we drive around town, looking at the Christmas lights. I will search local online forums or Facebook Groups to learn where the best light displays are, then we head out with some hot chocolate, popcorn and our Christmas music playing. This has become one of our favorite Christmas experiences, as our small town puts on a great light show coordinated with music.

3. Decorate a gingerbread house.

I have made a gingerbread house every year, for as many years as I can remember. Now that I have my own children, we have made this a fun yearly activity, too! Although I used to make them from scratch, I rarely have the time for that anymore. Last year, we used Graham Crackers, which Clark and Luci loved. It didn’t take a lot of candies either.

This year, I bought a pre-made one.  This one cost $10 at Target and it was worth every cent for the time and aggravation that it saved me.  I got the children some candy (you could also used leftover Halloween candy) and they were occupied for hours. That’s priceless, isn’t it?

A gingerbread house also makes a fun centerpiece and a reminder that you are growing – you really did let go of that obsessive control and need for order. You completely resisted the urge to reposition all of the candy into some sort of logical formation. Oh – and you can threaten to eat it all, if the kids don’t behave…  but I would never do that!

4. Make some Christmas crafts.

Clark and Luci love to make crafts of any kind, and if we’re going to be honest, I do too. My secret is to go to craft stores immediately after Christmas and pick up their seasonal crafts for a deep discount – always for at least 50% off – this way I’m prepared for the next year.

Here is one of my more adult crafts that I did this year. I took some nice-shaped bottles and repurposed them into a decorative centerpiece. Click on the image for more details on this craft. 

5. Bake together.

Christmas baking is a hard and fast tradition in my family. I think my dear Mother made enough squares and cookies and candies to last throughout the entire year – and there nothing wrong with that! We do things on a slightly smaller scale, but these are some great bonding moments with the kids – although sometimes I suspect they’re just hanging around to sample the final product.

6. Organize your own Christmas concert.

We do this every year and the results are just hideous. But it’s fun to do and it’s even funner (yes, that’s a word) to look back on. Here’s one we did in 2013, when we were learning American Sign Language in our homeschool.

7. Make your own nativity scene and / or have the children act out the Christmas story.

We’ve done many versions of this, from simply printing out and coloring the key characters in the story, to Clark and Luci putting on a Christmas play using their stuffed animals and dolls. It’s always sweet and hilarious, and it gets the children working together in a cooperative way.

This year we are each making our own Nativity sets using peg dolls. Clark and Luci cannot wait until they are finished so that they can play with them!

8. Take your children to the Dollar store to buy each other presents with their own money.

Each year, I have each child take some money out of their piggy banks to buy presents for friends and family of their choice.  I want to teach them the joy of giving, plus it gives me some alone time with each child, which tends to be at a premium during the Holiday season.  The kids absolutely love wrapping the presents and when Christmas morning comes, this is the first gift they want to see opened.  Love it!

9. Read Christmas books around the fire.

Seriously there is nothing better than curling up together on a blanket, in front of the Christmas tree, with only the glow of the Christmas lights and the blazing fire lighting up the pages of a book.

10. Watch yourselves on JibJab and laugh until you cry.

I know we’re not the only one who do this, right? Go plug your faces onto some dancing reindeer. It’s ridiculously funny – and there are plenty of previews to watch without spending a cent! This will keep the kids laughing and entertained for hours.