Learn 50+ practical ways to celebrate Christmas on a budget by planning ahead all year. Save money on gifts, decorations, food, and cards while creating memorable holiday experiences.

Disclosure: There are some affiliate links below, but these are all products/services I highly recommend. I won’t put anything on this page that I haven’t verified and/or personally used.  Go here to see my full disclosure policy.

The Christmas season is a favorite of many people, but for others, it brings stress in the form of stretched finances, too-full calendars, and rushed travels to and fro to squeeze in family time with extended family.

The one tried-and-true way to enjoy any season with as little stress as possible is PLANNING.  If you’re a natural planner like me, then you immediately got excited as visions of lists danced in your head.  But if planning really isn’t your thing, then you’re eyes just glazed over.  But please hear me out!

Even a tiny bit of planning can make a huge difference in reducing the stress of the holiday season while increasing your enjoyment.  And I have many ways to do just that listed below. 

Just pick and choose any that fit your lifestyle and celebration style, put it into action ASAP, and start enjoying the holiday seasons more with less stress!

50+ Ways to Prepare for Christmas All Year

Build Up Savings All Year

I know, I know, easier said than done.  Some people still use the Christmas savings club sponsored by their bank and others are able to do a sinking fund, either in cash or digital, where they set aside a certain amount of money each week, month or pay period so they have a set aside amount when it’s time to start holiday spending.

I will admit to not being either of those financial types, and if you aren’t either, maybe one of these ideas will help you get started saving ahead for the holidays.

Save Small Amounts

If you spend cash, save the coins and commit to saving either $1 or $5 dollar bills.  Put in an envelope or special zippered pouch and don’t touch unless you’re buying something for Christmas. 

Go ahead and take it with you throughout the year as you shop so you have the money that has been set aside for Christmas shopping.  It’s also great to take when you’re hitting up the yard sales and thrift stores. 

Just use your self-discipline muscle to only spend it on Christmas gifts or other related items (decorations, baking ingredients, etc) that you have pre-planned for.

Pro Saving Tip: Keep receipts and track spending on the outside of the envelope so you have a running amount you’ve spent to help you budget more efficiently.

If you mainly use your debit card, round up to the next whole dollar amount when you’re putting expenses into your checking account register.  My mom has done this for years and has a large cushion built up in her checking account. 

To save specifically for Christmas, you can open a free checking or savings account (online ones are easy and quick to open) and then at the end of each month, move the extra from your regular checking to this account. 

Not only is it motivational to watch that savings grow, but you can earn a little over the year in interest.  Plus you have something set aside for preparing throughout the year instead of waiting until December. 

If you get the online checking, you can also get a debit card linked to that account that makes it even easier to purchase Christmas items throughout the year.

Take Advantage of “Free” Money

If you use coupons and rebate apps such as Ibotta, consider moving those amounts to your Christmas fund.  Even a $1 off coupon or $3 back in rebates each week will eventually build up.  And if you’re watching all year for sales, clearance and wonderful secondhand deals, then even these small amounts can help fund a memorable holiday!

Using Rakuten for your online shopping can also give you free cash back to set aside in your Christmas fund.  Just go through the Rakuten website or add the Google Chrome extension to be notified when you’re shopping on a site that gives cash back. 

They send you the money every 3 months and it’s an easy way to get free money if you were already purchasing online anyway.  If you’re new to Rakuten and sign up through my referral link, you will get an extra $30 added to your account after your first shopping trip!

Swagbucks is another way to earn rebates, but you can also earn points that you can cash out for gift cards.  Just like with Rakuten, you can shop through the Swagbucks site and get rebates in the form of points, which you then redeem for gift cards.  If you like to keep it simple, I suggest only using Swagbucks.  If you don’t mind doing a quick comparison to see how you can get the highest rebate percentage, then check both rewards sites before placing a purchase.

With Swagbucks, you can let the points build up and redeem anytime you have enough to get the gift card in the amount you want.  The coolest feature with Swagbucks is they have gift cards “on sale” each month so you can actually get more cash on a gift card in exchange for fewer of your points.  For example, I always cash out for Amazon gift cards and they consistently are on sale with a 12% discount every month.  This means I get the same cash amount on the card but “spend” 12% less of my points to get it.  

Unfortunately, they do limit this to 1 gift card per month, so this is a great reason to try to cash out one gift card each month.  If you’re new to Swagbucks and use my referral link to sign up, you can get an extra 300 points for free – that’s equal to $3!

Buy Gifts All Year

Gift giving doesn’t have to break your budget, and it doesn’t have to stress you out!  Here are some tips and tricks to finally start enjoying gift giving!

Start Now

No matter what time of year it is, just start right now with planning for gift giving.  Here are a few ways to start the gift shopping with little to no stress.

Shop after Christmas sales of the current year.  Put it on your calendar and plan now to have at least a small amount of money set aside for this.  Some great gifts can be purchased after Christmas and kept until the next year.

Shop the clearance section all year.  Keep an eye out for small stuff for stockings and even big gifts, such as electronics and big toy sets.  Many stores have year-round clearance sections.  And if you’re a coupon queen, you might even be able to stack these on clearance items!

Consider Shopping Secondhand

Shop for gifts at thrift stores year round.  Plan a trip to your favorite shops after the first of the year when everyone gives away the gifts they didn’t want and again after spring cleaning season. 

Pro Saving Tip: Anytime of year that people are decluttering is a good time to stop in at the thrift stores to see what’s available.  You might also note the sales days so you can get even better discounts.

Hit the yard sales all spring, summer and fall or whenever your area has them.  You can find so much fun and good stuff at yard sales, even new or like-new items.  Shopping secondhand is a great way to fit gift-giving into a small budget.  Just have your list of recipients on hand with types of things each would like and use that to guide you in your yard sale shopping.

Watch for library book sales.  Some have them ongoing in a special location all the time, while others do a huge once a year sale.  This is a fabulous place to get a lot of wonderful gifts that will be cherished and well-used.  The larger libraries might also have stuff other than just traditional books, such as puzzles, games and even reading tablets they have replaced with newer versions.

Keep an Eye Out All Year

Watch for sales all year.  All stores have sales pretty much non-stop throughout the year.  Here are some items you can get on sale that would make great gifts:  

• Small appliances such as air fryers, waffle makers or slow cookers. 
  
• Clothing items are frequently on sale, but since they styles change so quickly, you might purchase as you find them, especially when they’re on clearance.  Make sure you have size requirements noted on your gift list for anyone you might purchase clothing for.
  
• Decorative items such as throw pillows, candles, and wall hangings go on sale all the time.  If you know someone well enough to know their decor style, these make great gifts.  You can also have a few of these on hand for general gift giving for situations like teacher’s gifts or gift exchanges at work.
  
• Useful items like toothbrushes and personal care stuff are always on the clearance aisle at our local Walmart and Walgreens.  This is an excellent opportunity for couponers to get dirt cheap items for gift giving.  Use as stocking stuffers or make a spa basket.  Just be sure to check expiration dates, if needed, to ensure the gift is still good for the next holiday season.

Utilize the BOGO sales throughout the year.  When you find sales that are buy 1 get 1 free or half off, take advantage of them if they will result in a sale-priced gift you know someone would love.  For example, if you’re at a store purchasing something for your household or family and you can get a similar item (think small kitchen appliances, towels, or clothing) for even less, then it can be a worthwhile purchase.  To avoid spending unnecessarily, just make sure you have the exact recipient in mind and it’s a gift you’ll enjoy giving and they’ll enjoy receiving.

Plan Ahead for Stocking Stuffers

Stocking stuffers can get out of hand, and before you know it you’ve spent more on filling a stocking than on most of the gifts you’re giving.  Here are my best tips for curbing the stocking spending while keeping the WOW factor!

Stay Organized

I highly suggest knowing the size of the stockings and having a goal in mind with how much you realistically need to “fill” the stocking.  How full it gets is up to you!  

An easy way to keep the stocking stuffers organized through the year is to have a box for each person and add to it as you bring stuff home.  This helps you see at a glance exactly how much you have and with knowing the size of the stockings, you know when enough is enough!  

You can also keep track of stocking stuffer ideas and purchases in a holiday planner (see next tip!) so you have a list that you can reference quickly to see who you still need stuffers for.

Of course, when you fill stockings, if you have too much, leave items in the box for next year (except for any food or personal care items that might expire before the next season).  Be sure to store these boxes in a safe place from curious little people!

Have a Plan

Focus on the 3 S’s for stockings:  Simple, Small and Sweet!  Stick to small items that will fit easily into the stocking, and look for simple things that will make the recipient smile or think of you each time they use it.

Go for simple items, small things that will fit inside the stocking and things that will bring a sweet smile to the recipient’s face.  

You want them to enjoy the stocking gifts, but let’s be honest – there’s no need to break your budget over the stockings because most people don’t remember the exact items that went in them.  

My older daughter (now in her mid-20’s) actually loves the stocking part best, and I follow the 3 S’s plan each year!

Pro Saving Tip: As with the other holiday shopping, starting next year’s shopping during the current holiday sales makes it easy to put stuff back for next year’s stocking stuffers, especially the after Christmas sales.

Stocking Stuffer Ideas that WOW!

Go for useful items.  These can really fill up a stocking following the 3 S’s principle.  Things like lip balm, gloves, earbuds, makeup, pocketknives, and fun socks are all items that are very useful and would be appreciated.

Add in some food.  In the old days, they gave whole nuts and clementines or oranges (along with a shiny penny!).  You can go old-fashioned for fun or add something more modern such as sale-priced wrapped candy.  Or even make your own homemade candy in adorable wrapping!

Christmas ornaments.  Make or buy a special ornament each year for your children and add to their stocking.  You might even provide a special box for each child to keep their collection in and each can add their own ornaments to the family tree each year.  They will look forward to this tradition every single year and will have a collection of ornaments to decorate their own tree when they have their own home.

Samples.  I’m not great at finding these, but The Krazy Coupon Lady has some ideas on samples to get throughout the year for adding to stockings.  You can also get Money Saving Mom’s emails where she posts deals which includes samples.

Make some small homemade items.  Some things really don’t take a lot of craftiness or skill.  Keep to the 3 S’s and hit up Pinterest to make a secret board for ideas.  

• If you have girls, you might consider hair scrunchies, chapstick holder keychain, or jewelry.  
• For boys, tic tac toe rocks, slingshot with felt rocks, or glow-in-the-dark slime.  
• For anyone, bookmarks, ornaments, homemade chapstick or hand lotion, garden markers, spice mixes, or coupons for thoughtful services.

Use a Holiday Planner

If you like to really plan and keep all of your notes, thoughts, and ideas in one spot, you might benefit from keeping a holiday planner.  If you’re a digital person, just open a Pinterest board, secret if needed, for gathering holiday-related ideas or even a Trello board if you’d like to make notes and save online resources.  

Add to your digital planners all year as you find ideas and make notes and update your holiday planner.  If you’re goal-motivated, put on your calendar one day each month to check on your progress.  

Some ways to effectively use a holiday planner:

• If you’re making some gifts, this is a good thing to schedule throughout the year so you’re not pressed at the last minute.  
• You can plan as much or as little as you need to stay on top of the progress throughout the year.  
• Consider planning at least gifts so you can easily keep track of what you’ve got and what’s still needed. 
• You can also plan ahead for the holiday meals, baking and any special traditions your family has that requires a bit of preparation ahead of time.  

You can search Pinterest for Christmas or holiday planners, and here is a great {and FREE!} holiday planner!

Plan All Year for Holiday Food

 Most of us have traditional foods we make over and over again for the holiday season so why not plan ahead for them?

Gather Ideas

Print out your tried-and-true recipes and gather in one location such as your holiday planner or a 3-ring binder labeled as your personal cookbook or holiday treats.  Then as you try new ones each holiday season, add the ones you want to keep.  I like this even more than keeping them on a Pinterest board since I can lay my hands on them quickly.  (This is also a great homemade gift idea – a copy of your personal cookbook or family recipes in a pretty binder!)

If you like to try new foods, pin ideas to your Pinterest board all year and then set aside time in early fall to pick out some new ones to try.  You can have separate boards for Christmas, Thanksgiving and any other holidays you like to celebrate.  You can even mark the pins you’ve tried so you can return to the ones you’d like to make again. 

Go ahead and print the new recipes you definitely want to try and stick them in your holiday planner or recipe binder (see above tip).

Plan & Execute

Once all of your recipes are gathered, you can make a master list of planned foods for the holidays along with a shopping list of ingredients.  This will enable you to take advantage of these tips:

• Purchase items on sale this year that will keep through the next holiday season.  Many baking ingredients can be frozen, such as butter, flour, and chocolate, and will keep until the next holiday season.  This enables you to purchase at the lowest prices now so you don’t have to pay more later. 
  
• Buy items on clearance at thrift store after the holidays.  If you like to bake gifts, look for holiday-themed tins or baskets for giving goodies.
  
• Check the after-Christmas sales for holiday foods and other related items.  This is the perfect time to buy any of the food gift sets that were too pricey before they were marked down on clearance.  Items like hot cocoa sets, tea samplers, or hot sauce multi-packs can be purchased now and used throughout the year, or if the expiration dates are accommodating, then you might be able to use them as gifts for the next holiday season.
  
• Make ahead things that freeze well, such as cookie dough and pies.  You might even consider making double or triple batches of suppers you make starting in September or October to have during the busy holiday season to help give you time to actually want to make and bake special holiday treats!

Plan Ahead for Decorations & Wrapping

I’ll admit that I’m not a decorator by any stretch of the imagination, and wrapping, for some reason, is always an afterthought for me.  One day I hope to be one of those people who beautifully adorn their homes for the holidays and wraps gift in a swoon worthy manner! 

Maybe some of these tips will help you (and me) level up in the decorating and wrapping departments.

Find After Holiday Deals

Hit the after holiday sales for decorations for your home and tree, as well as holiday themed clothing, gift bags, wrapping paper and more.  This is probably the cheapest you will ever find these items, and it just doesn’t make sense to buy them before the holiday at full price when they’re marked down so deeply just a few weeks later!

Head to the thrift stores for after holiday clearance sales, too.  Just like traditional retail stores, these stores need to move inventory for the new stuff coming in.  Holiday stuff is often deeply discounted, and while some of it is used, you can often find brand new decorations and wrapping items.

Keep an eye out at yard sales for holiday related items.  I see a lot of holiday stuff at yard sales, and it’s usually cheaper than the thrift stores.  Some of the holiday items I’ve seen include tree decorations, yard ornaments, wrapping paper and gift bags, holiday sweaters, and even artificial trees.  If you find a yard sale with a lot of items you like, offer to take everything you like off their hands for a lower price and they’ll probably be happy to take you up on it.

Find Alternatives

Make homemade decorations.  You can find instructions online for many kinds of ornaments, garland and paper crafts.  These can be put on the tree or mantel or hung in extra frames on the wall.  This is a wonderful way to spend a weekend afternoon either during the holidays or anytime of year so you’re prepared ahead.

Go for the old-fashioned look and make it a fun time with your kids.  Try popcorn garland, cinnamon-scented dough ornaments, paper ring chain garland (consider using sale-priced or reused wrapping paper), or check out Pinterest for thousands of other ideas.

Bring nature in.  When visiting natural areas during the year, see if it’s ok to pick up things like twigs, rocks, pinecones or nuts.  If you have a yard or access to a family’s natural landscape, you can gather this stuff all year.  You can spray paint or bleach pine cones for a rustic and beautiful look, paint acorns and rocks, and make ornaments out of twigs. Check Pinterest for ideas.

Put away the wrappings saved from this holiday season.  Smooth it out and fold or roll neatly.  Keep a big bin or one special spot to gather these for reuse.  Add to it as you run across cheap but lovely gift bags, bows, wrapping paper, and gift tags throughout the year at yard sales and thrift stores.  This is a good spot to keep leftover cards, too!

Extra Saving Tip: It’s a good idea to keep another bin for non-Christmas wrapping items, as well, to save any gift bags or other items you receive throughout the year for reuse.

The Christmas Tree

If you like the artificial trees or are considering switching from real, then plan this season to get a tree in the after-Christmas clearance sales.  It’s SO much cheaper! 

While I adore real trees, the artificial pre-lit one we got several years ago to fit our small living room has been a great filler.  We were able to find a narrow style that is large enough to hold all of our ornaments but, again, fits our small available space.

Alternately, if you love the tradition of getting a live tree, consider cutting your own off of your property or asking a family member or friend with property if you can cut from their land.  While you might not find a “perfect” tree, imperfect trees were still made by the same God and can be enjoyed simply for their imperfection!  

If you have a Christmas tree farm you enjoy visiting each year, watch their social media pages for special deals or days they have extra fun (free) stuff to do in addition to getting your tree.  You might even check Groupon and other similar coupon and rebate sites to see if you can find a coupon.

Prepping for Christmas Cards

If you enjoy sending cards out for the holiday season, then check out these tips for keeping this tradition in your holiday budget!

Make it Easy

Plan ahead for what type of card you want to send.  Do you like the traditional cards you buy in boxes at department stores?  Or maybe you have just a few people on your list and like to choose an individual card for each person out of the card aisle.  A lot of people currently have custom cards made with family photos.  These are so cute and personal, and they’re actually very affordable with a service like the Gallery Collection or Shutterfly.

Consider e-cards.  Decide if you’re going to send traditional cards via the postal service or if your family and friends would just as much enjoy receiving an e-card.  (Or do a mixture of both!)  With the price of stamps rising each year, it would be a significant savings to send cards electronically, but some people, including myself, really enjoy sending traditional cards.

Check your list twice.  If you feel that anyone on your list isn’t really close enough to continue sending a card, then decide if you want to stop sending to that person.  The way I decide this is by taking off anyone that I don’t have a personal note to write inside the card.  If I would just be signing my name and popping it in the envelope, then I don’t send a card.

Find Savings

Find clearance sales.  If you like traditional cards, then try to buy them during the current holiday’s clearance at the end of this season.  This is the lowest prices I’ve seen on cards.

Check thrift stores and yard sales.  Christmas cards are an item I have seen fairly regularly secondhand.  The cards are actually new, but there might only be a few.  I don’t mind this, as I don’t have a problem sending different cards to different people in the same year.

An unexpected bonus is that I often find vintage-y cards that were unused, and I love vintage cards! You can make envelopes from paper supplies you have on hand — just search on YouTube for a video.

Find a rebate.  Especially if you’re buying individual cards in the card aisle, or you buy from the Hallmark store, you can often find rebates through Ibotta.

Plan Ahead

The family photo.  If you like to add a family photo to your cards, take one earlier in the year to use or take one now to use for next year’s cards.  Family vacations or outings offer a great opportunity for taking those card-worthy photos!

Order early.  For those who like to order cards online, especially the special printing cards, be sure to order them early so you receive them in plenty of time to send them out.  Consider sending them directly from the printer to save yourself the extra steps!

Stock up on stamps.  Go ahead and buy holiday-themed Forever stamps now because you never know when the prices will go up!  You can get extra this year to have some leftover stamps to use next year.

Final Thoughts

Whew, now that’s a list of more than 50 ways to start preparing for Christmas at any time of year.  What are your best tips for planning ahead for the holiday season?