Frugal Christmas Fun | Free Holiday Activities For More Frugal Traditions

'Tis the Season to be frugal (and jolly)! If you're trying to embrace this season without breaking the bank, you have friends in us! In this episode we're talking about how to have some frugal Christmas fun. From participating in traditions, to developing new ones; we explore all the ways to be festive, enjoy time with friends and family, and take advantage of all that the holiday's have to offer while still sticking to those financial goals!!

Sponsors:

Cook Smarts: It's a meal planning service that provides recipes, instructions, weekend prep options, and a shopping list for 4 meals per week.
You can start with 3 free weeks of meal plans if you sign up at frugalfriendspodcast.com/cs
AND use promo code: frugal for 25% off your purchase!
 
Christmas Lights: Christmas lights serve as a beacon of hope to light your way down every street you’re trying to get home by at max speed of 5 mph. Christmas lights serve as the perfect backdrop for your Keke challenge (if people are still doing that) and let you really get to know your neighbors based on the quantity of inflatable reindeer in their yards. Christmas Lights, waste you gas looking at them but don’t leave them up past January 1st.

Notable Notes:

What the Internet has to say:
This article from Money Crashers provides us with 9 easy ways to save money this holiday season. There are some great preventative measures, and even alternative ideas to keep that money in your pocket (or at least being spent where it counts!).

What Jen and Jill have to say:

• We like tip #1 about budgeting - if you do this throughout the year
  it helps to make activities more realistic and can help cover those
  “unexpected” expenses
• Watch your spending on yourself during this time of “GIVING”!!
• Tip #3 reminds us to cut back on 'extras' - focus on the important
  things
• #4 is a great tip for a big family. Consider implementing a secret santa, OR just purchasing gifts for kids.
• Consider changing it up this year, and participating in some cheaper
  traditions (tip #5), it doesn't have to be expensive to be memorable
• Tip #8 - know when to stop! When you have checked everyone off the
  list, stop shopping!

More from the Internet:
This article from And Then We Saved gives us an amazing and comprehensive list of 24 FREE or inexpensive Christmas activities. There are some excellent and creative suggestions to get you participating in the community and spending time with loved ones.

More from Jen and Jill:

• #3 decorate together! Get friends and family together, play Christmas music and ‘deck the halls’
• Speaking of decorating, this doesn't have to be expensive either!
• Make and use paper snowflakes (#7)!
• Tip #6 reminds us to check out local winter parades
• Consider volunteering somewhere this year (#9) and serving others
  with your time and energy
• Check your area for any local parks that have flooded an area for
  some free ice skating (#11)
• Drive around looking at lights
• Make gift wrapping an event (#24)! Get all your friends together and
  wrap up those gifts, it definitely beats doing this alone in a
  closet.

BILL OF THE WEEK  

If you want to submit your bill of the week visit frugalfriendspodcast.com/bill to leave us a bill

Our Frugal Christmas Ideas!

• Gingerbread houses
• Here's a recipe to make your own instead of buying a kit!
• Look up cities in your area for special Christmas activities (Ex:
  Philly has a german Christmas village!)
• Craft shows - Check out local churches and see all the stuff the
  grannies have been working on throughout the year!
• Make DIY gifts while watching Christmas movies. Check out pinterest
  and craftgawker for inspiration!
• Have a ‘winter project’ - treat yourself with ‘time’ instead of
  ‘money’
• Corny Christmas stuff
• Check out live nativities in your area
• Drive around to spot those over the top light displays

Frugal Friends Book Club: It's December! We've begun reading the "The Millionaire Next Door" by Thomas J. Stanley & William D. Danko! - head over to our Frugal Friends Community to join the discussion!
AND We are still giving away 1 book for every 5 reviews we get this month! You can still get a free copy of this month's book!
To enter; leave us a review on your podcast listening device (not just Itunes), screenshot the review, and email it to frugalfriendspodcast@gmail.com
We’ll select the winners for this book at the end of the month

Thank you so much for hanging out with us today! hit the subscribe button wherever you’re listening to this and we’ll come at you every Friday with more frugal goodness. Until next week!