Wow, we are all trying to save a little money here and there, so I’m offering a few Christmas Hacks. But, it’s so true, counting those nickels and dimes really adds up to significant savings over time.
So, what did we do at Farmhouse Magic Blog to save money this holiday season? Keep reading and I’ll tell you how I saved money without having a cheap-looking Christmas eve celebration.
I picked up this large poinsettia this week where it was marked down to only $2.50. I should have picked up a second one for that price. But, of course, I generally just toss poinsettias out after the holidays.
Meal Planning for Christmas
Saving money during the holiday season does take a little preplanning on my part. First of all, be sure to pick up an extra turkey or two after Thanksgiving. You can serve one for the Christmas day meal. I only paid about $6.78 for a large turkey the store was trying to sell. The only thing is to check the expiration date on the item and make sure it will keep until the next Holiday or when you are going to use it. I have a freezer, so I froze my on sale turkey.
I, also, picked up a bag of cranberries on sale. No, they will not keep in the refrigerator from Thanksgiving until Christmas, however, you can freeze them. Then take them out of the freezer and make homemade cranberry sauce. It’s so yummy. The next day, you can also serve any leftover cranberry sauce on cottage cheese or yogurt.
To save time and money, the cookies were made out of a bag and frozen until today. I take them out at least an hour prior to serving so they will defrost.
Christmas Cheesecake with Recycled Topper
This homemade cheesecake tasted and looked great. If you remember from my previous holiday blogs, I purchased a Noel log one year. I saved all the piece from the cake topper of the Noel log and used them to decorate today’s cheesecake. Also, I added a couple sprigs of fresh rosemary to keep the cake looking fresh and festive. None of my family noticed that I had reused that previous cake topper. In fact, they asked me where it came from.
Holiday Decorations on a Dime
I have a few new things on my holiday tree this year. I picked up the silver chains from a store that was going out of business. I believe they were marked down to about a dollar or two, so I purchased three sets.
After last year’s holidays, I also visited the craft store were I got the red ribbon picks and red plant sprigs marked way down. The red apples ornaments on gold strings are imported from Germany and were also a previous secondhand purchase.
Of course, I also take out and use my nice carving set I paid $10 for at a secondhand store.
This photograph of my holiday tree show the silver chains I purchased at a great discount.
Ending Notes on Christmas Hacks
I hope you will rethink and cut some of your holiday expenses by sales shopping, preplanning, and an occasional lucky find in a secondhand store.
Remember you can save money with these Christmas Hacks and still serve a great meal with a lovely table setting.
The Holiday Season is here. Enjoy the day!