Those who do a frugal Christmas

[Anonymous 1]

Thank you! Some great advice in there!

Oh, I definitely ran into that! I will tell you, though, my daughter is now grown. But here's what I did.

Just like your daughter, my daugther's likes changed with the seasons! But there were also constants. For instance, she never stopped loving reading. She never stopped loving theater. She never stopped loving cuddly stupid stuffed animals. And she loves one particular hockey team. She also seemed to fixate on one particular TV show for a period of time.

So...keeping her constants in mind, I'd buy things that tied into them. For instance, I might buy her a Tshirt with her favorite author's quote on it. Or I might buy her book ends with her favorite hockey team on them. Or I might look for tickets to a local musical. I always bought things that tied into her constants because I knew she was using and loving those constants. But I also always reserved about $50.00 for that last minute request of hers that might spring up about 2 weeks before Christmas!

It worked for me for 18 years! Try it!

How old are your children, if you don't mind me asking? I used to buy throughout the year, but DD is 10 now and she may love something in July but be completely over it by Christmas. Have you ever ran into anything like that?

I've got time on my side. I purchase throughout the year as I see things at a reasonable price. I do a lot of comparing prices online before I make the purchase, too.

[leadfoot40]

Make a list and stick to it

[Anonymous 1]

Thank you! I do seem to have offended several, don't I?

I was looking more for ideas on stocking stuffers and shopping tips.

We aren't frugal, but it doesn't take a brain surgeon to spend money wisely if you have to.

I'll try to be helpful, even though we usually don't HAVE to be frugal, and everyone else who answered seems to have a stick up their butt.

Buy throughout the year. Right after Christmas there are often deals on toys or Christmas-themed items. Depending on the age of your children and how "set" they are in their likes/dislikes/hobbies, you might find some good deals. (i.e "Character" items might not be a good idea for younger children who could outgrow their love for it in several months, but if you have an older child you know loves art, then maybe look for discounts on those types of items.) A lot of places do different sales throughout the year (think of things like spring clearance or Christmas in July) that you can take advantage of.

Look for good sales - especially, of course, things like Black Friday. Certain places have kick@ss deals on various things, often with coupons and points/rewards to make it better. Start planning ahead of time and get the best deal possible. One year I used a BF deal to get DS sneakers. I bought two pairs at a good price. One I gave him for Christmas. I bought him the same shoes (they were a bit pricier at the time) in the next size up and gave them to him for his birthday (which is in June.) (This only works if your child isn't picky about fashion. I KNOW mine likes to buy the same design most of the time and his feet grow slow so it worked for me.)

Stocking stuffers - you can use things you know they need anyway. Soap/body wash/toothbrush/etc. Get "fun" items at back-to-school time (cute pens/notebooks/art supplies) that are cheaper in July/August/September.

Remember that things don't always have to be new. Often you can find good deals on sites where people sell things, for things that are in good condition. This works especially well for younger kids with riding toys/play kitchens/etc, but never hurts to look for things older kids like as well. One of the most memorable gifts from my childhood was something my younger brother got. This present was HUGE (to us young kids) and wrapped really weird and we were both wondering what it could be. I remember being kind of jealous that he got this awesome-looking, biggest present there was. Turns out it was a He-Man castle (play-set size, not some life-size "play house" type thing) with tons of little He-Man character action figures. He just LOVED that thing and even I thought it was pretty neat. I thought I heard my mom say later on she got it at the thrift store (which would have been a good deal), but found out when I was much older that she got it for FREE from someone whose boys had outgrown/didn't want it (and He-Man was VERY much all the rage when he got it, it wasn't something 5 years old and "not cool" anymore).

Also avoid the "fad" toys or whatever's new and big that year. I always told my son that I wasn't buying anything he saw on commercials on TV because they were usually junk and overpriced (and us adults know they often quit playing with them quickly when they're not as cool as the ad makes them out to be). And for the "new and big" stuff, those things will often be cheaper in a month or two.

[Anonymous 1]

Thank you! Sounds like you have it down!

I always plan WELL in advance so I know what the plan is and don’t go on amazon or into target blind.
I also break things into categories like books, clothes, toys and stuff that plugs in- I get a few things from each category like a shirt and pants or a couple books or new ear buds or a set of legos.
That makes it easier (for me) to go “I already bought him 2 books, I don’t need to get him this one too.” It also makes it easier to go “he has a epic f**k ton of legos so I’m just getting one smaller set because he does love them.”

[Anonymous 1]

It's as frugal as I can get, but if you'll read other posts, or generally don't live under a rock, you'll know that others are able to do Christmas spending far less!

How do you do it? This isn't a humble brag, trust me, I seriously admire people who spend less, but I can't imagine spending less than a few hundred dollars on gifts & stocking filler for one kid.

Sweetie, a few hundred is as frugal as one can get. We spend that on just two stockings not counting gifts

[mater-three]

I guess it depends on your definition of frugal. I bought my kids two gifts, pjs, and stocking stuffers. I spend $350 for 3 kids.

ETA: my children are 16, 18, and 23.

[Anonymous 1]

I don't know why you and so many others seem to think I'm asking WHY instead of HOW. But I'll say it again anyway.

I never spend a fortune on Christmas gifts, I have always kept it under 3k and that's including a tree, all gifts, stockings, decorations, food & drinks. Most years it's well under 3k.

I just admire people who are very frugal.

Because it's not about the presents. It's about the memories. Why spend a fortune on something that the kids won't even remember, or want to play with this time next year?

[Anonymous 1]

That's very frugal, IMO! Great job!
I probably spend close to $50 just on one stocking. What sort of things do you stuff yours with?

I guess it depends on your definition of frugal. I bought my kids two gifts, pjs, and stocking stuffers. I spend $350 for 3 kids.

ETA: my children are 16, 18, and 23.

[That'swhatshesaid]

Well, when you don't have a choice, you figure it out. There's no tips or tricks, you just do what you have to do.

[Anonymous 1]

That isn't really true though. Several people have given tips in this post. Not all frugality is out of necessity. I'm more frugal than I strictly need to be, but I could still do better.

Well, when you don't have a choice, you figure it out. There's no tips or tricks, you just do what you have to do.