Every year, the holiday season comes around and I get so excited about the idea of decorating my entire house, doing all of these fun activities and buying my friends and family the best gifts. However, once I check my bank account, I am faced with the realization that, yet again, Christmas doesn’t fit in the student-life budget. This year, it doesn’t have to be like that. You shouldn’t have to compromise on not celebrating and enjoying the holiday season based on your budget. Here are a few ways you can celebrate this year without breaking the bank.
DIY Decorations
Wandering the aisles of Homesense to see all the cute decorations for the holiday season is fun, but once you see the price tag it can get discouraging. Luckily, there are ways to decorate your bedroom, house or apartment without the heavy price. There are so many simple and cute DIY decorating projects you can find when scouring YouTube or Pinterest. Even if you aren’t the most creative person, buying a few supplies from the Dollar store can assist in making your space more festive. Plus, creating projects can be a fun holiday activity to do with your friends. Even things as simple as buying plastic ornaments from the dollar store alongside some string and attaching it to the ceiling can create a bit more holiday spirit in your home. Christmas decorating doesn’t have to mean buying hundreds of dollars of decorations, ornaments and blankets. Remember to store your DIY decorations somewhere safe so you can reuse them for years to come and save money on re-buying decorations every year.
Seeing Christmas Lights
Things like the Toronto Christmas Market seem fun in theory, but consumeristic places based on the holiday season are just trying to get you to spend money. Something as simple as driving around with friends to look at lights or walking around your neighbourhood with some hot chocolate in hand and sharing Christmas music through your headphones can be the perfect way to celebrate. There are also a variety of free light shows in many cities, so make sure you look up where these are so you can take advantage of the festive lights.
Baking Christmas Cookies
Baking may not be for everyone, but during the holiday season, it can get you in the spirit on a budget. Finding recipes with things you may already have in your house or few-ingredient Christmas cookies are perfect for those wanting to save money during the holidays. Throw on a Christmas movie, gather a few friends or even bake solo and enjoy the smell of freshly baked cookies filling the room. There is nothing more therapeutic than watching Christmas movies while baking sugar cookies and, by doing it every year, you can create a tradition you’ll look forward to doing annually.
Shop the Sale Section
Buying gifts for friends and family can be difficult to do on a budget but there are so many ways to save money while still getting them the perfect gift. Start by writing out a list of people you need to buy for and set a limit on how much you’re willing to spend per person. With this in mind, jot down a few things they like, a few things that might make their life easier or even things you know they’ve been wanting. Check for holiday sales and don’t forget to check the clearance sections at certain stores; they have insanely good prices for quality items and the person you’ve gotten the gift for will never even know the bargain you got for it!
Appreciate the Little Things
It’s easy to get caught up in the overwhelming aspect of the holidays and we often don’t slow down to see the little things that bring joy this time of year, like the sight of the snow falling, putting up your Christmas tree and listening to your favourite Christmas songs on your walk to school. When you choose to enjoy the little things rather than focus on all the things you may not be able to do, your holiday season will get a lot brighter and happier.
Go put on a movie, make a hot chocolate and enjoy the fact that you don’t have to break your bank account to be festive this year. With the holiday season approaching, make sure you enjoy every little Christmas light and homemade decoration rather than dwell on what may not be in your budget this year. If you choose to make Christmas happy and enjoyable, it will be.