10 Tips to Do More with Less During The Holidays

Every Christmas season, everyone seems to be busy, especially buying and wrapping gifts for their loved ones. Although, Christmas is the season of giving and sharing, this is also the time of the year where each person is stressed out from budgeting, shopping and party preparation among others. They spend more cash than any time of the year, without reservations, more or less. Actually, I’m one of them, spending more than half of our combined monthly income just to please the people I love by giving and surprising them with gifts that I know will make them happy.

But I came to realize that the true essence of Christmas season is to remember how Jesus came to save us, that Mary gave birth to Him in an ordinary stable. I now recognized the hardships that other people have undergone just to support their families and to have something on the table. Even so, they are still happy and thankful celebrating Christmas with their loved ones. I realized that Christmas celebration is not just about spending for expensive gifts and shopping and party and the like.

It dawned to me that there are other things to do to enjoy the Season without spending much.

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Exciting, fun and memorable moments

Instead of spending too much for the kids’ gifts, why not spend some of it to have a fun and memorable experience with your loved ones?

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For instance, if you are around Makati area, you may go to Ayala Triangle Gardens Lights & Sounds Show, or if you are in Rizal area, you can visit a house lit by thousands of Christmas lights in Cainta. These places will surely make your children enjoy the season without much to spend because there is no entrance fee to pay just to see and enjoy the Christmas Lights. Spending quality time with your family and friends while enjoying these shows will surely make lasting memories. You simply can’t replace an exciting. fun and memorable moments with a plastic toy.

Limit Your Budget for holiday gift giving

Before going out to buy gifts, set your budget first and the allotted money to spend for each gift. Don’t forget to become practical and think of an affordable but good quality items. Or instead of buying gifts for everyone, make your own! There are so many DIY gift guides available online that will help you stay on budget.

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Another good alternative to buying gifts: personalized Christmas cards. A personalized greeting card let your friends/families know they were thought of and they are loved.  You don’t have to be an artist to make these incredible greeting cards for the holidays. You may also ask your kids to participate. Ask your kids to draw or you can get them to cut out Christmas trees from different patterned paper then paste it on your card.

Easy Recipes for Leftovers

Surely, during the Holiday season, foods are everywhere, well, leftovers, too! Take note that you don’t need to put them into waste. You can transform leftover chicken, ham and other leftovers sitting in the fridge after the Christmas rush into a whole range of delicious holiday dishes.

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Create Your Own Christmas Decorations

Find a good quality artificial tree after Christmas, especially that after the Holiday season, they will be on clearance sale. Choose the best quality (that you can afford) because they will last for a number of years as compared to cheaper trees.

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Pinecones, which are natural products, can be used for various Christmas activities such as making beautiful decorations for the Christmas tree or a wreath for the front door. You can likewise do some makeover over your old decorations. Wear your thinking cap on and let your creative juices flow and it will lead you to some great ideas!

Take Time to Give back

As mentioned earlier, Christmas is time for giving and sharing. Teach your kids to give back and share the blessings you/they have received for the entire year. Tell them how important it is to give or donate things that they don’t use anymore, such as clothes, toys and books, where other children can still make use of.  Or you may shop for unique gifts with proceeds that go to charity.

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Read the Christmas Story

Children will appreciate Christmas more if they know a story or two about this Season. Make it a family tradition to read a Christmas story before going to bed on a Christmas Eve.

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It will be more fun if dad can read the story with hot cocoa, tree lights on and of course, with matching sound effects!

Online Sale

I’m not talking about buying some more gifts, but to sell some. Decide on what has to go and sell it online. In this way, you can have extra income, while making a space in your place.

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You can enlist them in some online stores for free. Then wait for someone around your area to buy your items and won’t mind picking them up personally.

Less time on gadgets, and Go Caroling

Instead of spending too much time on gadgets, why not join a Caroling group or invite your family and friends and form your own Caroling band. In this way, you’ll have fun while earning extra!

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Use your talents

Sharing is not just for material things. You can also share your talent. It’s FREE! For example, if you are good at organizing, give the gift of a few hours to a friend to help them get organized in an area of their home. If you can sing, make your own music album. Capture your singing talent in a professional recording studio or even at home, then design your own CD and give it to someone  special on your list.

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Moreover, if you are good at cooking, you can invite people to come over and cook a gourmet meal.  Now, I know you get the idea.

X mark on your Credit Card

Take note, when you shop using your credit card, you tend to spend more rather than when shopping with cash. So remember to buy only with cash or a debit card. You will free yourself from paying the interest and have more to spend later!

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Now with these 10 Tips to Do More with Less During The Holidays, I hope you will be inspired to spend quality time with your family and loved ones and build happy memories with them together, instead of spending money.

If you want to Do More with Less during the Holidays, just remember “ELECTROLUX

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Just like the latest campaign of Electrolux on “Do More with Less”. It is about simplifying your life at home without having to spend more.

With Electrolux appliances, we can create a life with more time for family, less time for chores, with more savings and less expenses for household appliance. When spending more time with our family we can have more wellness, less stress and more care, less worry.

This blog post is in support of the #DoMoreWithLess advocacy led by Electrolux Philippines. 

1 comment
  1. Hi Kaye! Dropping by just to say thank you because I got some gift ideas for the next Christmas in your blog. Thanks! Happy New Year!

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