Hey Friend
Can you believe it is the fist day of December?  What a whirlwind it has been!  Did you know that you can keep your Christmas simple and spend less money?  I want you to really think about how it makes you feel when you spend too much money for Christmas just because you feel like you have to. If you just buy your kids stuff they don’t really appreciate it either.
I’m going to give you some super simple ways to spend less money so you can feel good about the holiday and not have regrets.  There was a time when I tried to keep up with other people’s Christmas spending and do all the things and there is so much regret when wasting money on unimportant things!!!!!!  
When you are surrounded by materialistic people, you don’t have to participate with them!  For us, it took a few years for people to catch on, but I grew up making things for people which makes Christmas so much more meaningful and I continued to do that as I got older.  I would much rather get a gift that is homemade that someone put time into than something from the store because it actually means something and it is more likely it will be something we enjoy. I would rather spend my time enjoying the people I am with and there is nothing but pure joy making memories.  
These three tips could be a game changer for you Christmas season.
First, know your values and make a list.  If you want to keep Christmas simple, then find ways to do just that.  For example, if you are a family that gives all the nieces and nephews gifts, think about picking names and doing an exchange.  Kids have more than they need and trying to find things that they will keep long term is very rare.  They might play with a toy for a couple days and then forget about it.  Don’t feel bad when kids get less toys, you are teaching them that material items are not important.  Think about playing a game like the white elephant gift where people bring an item from their home.  Our family has so much fun with this and these memories are talked about for years!  We have also done the siran wrap game and a few others, so check out different ideas you can do on pinterest!
Next, know your budget.  If you have not saved all year for this, I suggest you know how much you spent this year and divide that by 12 and  in January save that amount each month because we have Christmas every year and it isn’t an unexpected expense, so this amount should be in your budget.  You will be so glad you did and you won’t have to stress over money.  Include food, gifts, cards and postage if you send them and decor in that amount because it all adds up fast and is an extra expense each and every year.
Lastly, this may not be something you can do this year, but early in the new year, start making items for gifts for next year.  Even if you are not crafty, there are so many awesome things you can make that people can use.  Make some non toxic hand soaps or lotions-they are as easy as mixing and it is such a great gift that everyone can use!  I’m not sure who listens to this that might be getting a Christmas gift from me this year, but I am making sourdough noodles with an attached recipe of homemade chicken soup and it is something that most people can use, friends love them, and it isn’t something everyone can make themselves, so it will make a nice gift and I know most people will be super excited about them and will appreciate them! I could have made them earlier and froze them, but I am making a few batches every few days because as you heard in the last episode-this year was hard.  It is a process I really enjoy, so it doesn’t seem like work at all even though it does take time. 
I hope you are able to incorporate some of these tips this year so you can save money and reduce the overwhelm this Christmas season, but it is even more important to get ahead on next year if you can -especially on the budget!
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Claimingsimplicity.com
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