Category: Christmas

Save Over $1,000 for Christmas With A Weekly Plan

Save Over $1,000 for Christmas With A Weekly Plan

Hey there! I have a question for you… and I want you to really think about it before answering.  Ready?

Are you still trying to recover from the holidays?

And be honest… did you dip a little into your savings?  maybe put a few gifts on a credit card?  or what about just feeling like you’re still running in circles?

Most of us would say yes to one of those questions or maybe you just feel that your progress has stalled since the start of the holiday season.  Maybe you were saving more money each month and somehow the funds just aren’t there anymore.  It happens.

When we get out of habits or when life happens, we tend to revert back to our old ways.  That’s why I created a new challenge to help you get your finances back on track.  Plus, this challenge is geared towards the 2019 holiday season, which means you will hopefully be better prepared and quicker to recover.

A few weeks ago I talked about how, on average, a family takes FOUR MONTHS to recover from the holidays.  But here we are in February and most of us (me included) are still trying to make back ground in what we lost through November and December.  We were fortunate enough to have enough money saved to pay for all of our Christmas gifts and even travel, BUT somehow the amount we put back into savings each month has slowly decreased month-by-month.

And I’m not happy with it.

You see, like you, we have big dreams and goals.  I know that without saving the right amount each month that we have our sinking funds set for is a big no-no.  It may not hurt us immediately with our finances, but it’s frustrating when you realize you won’t be able to reach your goals in the time frame you want.

That’s why this new challenge is perfect.  

In today’s video I’m sharing with you how you can save over $1,000 between now and the week before Christmas.  This money could be used for Christmas shopping or holiday travel …. or it could be used to help you get the new year off on the right foot.

Watch how to save $1,000 for Christmas online or down below:

Tweet this video.

As you saw in the video, the goal is clear.  Have $1,000 the week before Christmas.  I try to keep things simple by having one amount that you need to save each week – $22.  Most of us can easily squeeze $22 a week out of our current budget.  Maybe we don’t go through the drive-thru on our busy night and instead start a slow cooker meal.  Maybe we pack our lunch for the entire family for the week and save MORE than $22.

Just remember – you got this!  The goal isn’t to stress you out about your money, but to help you create a workable target.  Keep your goal small – $22 a week.  Don’t focus on having to save $1,000 in a few months that can seem overwhelming.  Just focus on $22.

Need More?

grab 6 month emergency fund plan

Grab our 6-Month Emergency Fund Savings Plan to help you knock out your emergency fund.

How To Save $1,000 Fast + Easy (Weekly Savings Plan)

how to save $1,000 fast, weekly savings plan

A few years back I created a simple weekly savings plan that started in June to help families save a little extra money through out the year. Well that post went viral and it is one of my most re-pinned pins to this day.  Obviously I was onto something.  Families want to save more money without the stress of actually figuring out HOW to save more money.

For years we struggled with getting a grip on our finances.  It took a lot of money dates to get on the same page about our money, which I assume is something most couples struggle with because let’s face it – one is usually the saver and one is usually the spender.  You both have big financial goals you want to reach, but money is tight and it’s hard to get on the same page to start making progress.

Trust me when I say this..

You can do it.

It is possible to save money on a tight budget while paying down debt and still having fun.  If our family can do it then your family can do it.  We are not anymore special than you are, we were just ready for a change and we took a leap of faith.

Watch today’s video online or down below:

Tweet this video.

Here’s how this weekly savings plan works

It’s simple.  Between now and the week BEFORE Black Friday you will put aside $22 into a savings account. That means for the next 46 weeks you be saving money on a weekly basis.  At the end you will end up with $1,012 to use for Christmas gifts, travel or to have in your emergency fund.

Why the week before Black Friday?

Saving money isn’t just about what you keep, but it’s about what you spend.  So by saving over $1,000 before Black Friday then you should be able to use that money to buy most of your Christmas gifts while they are on sale for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.  I usually make my Christmas Budget and Gift List in early November so I can tackle most, if not all, of my holiday shopping while sitting on the couch with my laptop.  I want to encourage you to try to do the same.  Have a plan and you’ll be surprised with how much money you can save!

Not sure how you’re going to find $22 a week for this weekly savings plan…

Most families eat out once or twice a week on average, so if you’re struggling to find the extra cash then cut back on how often you eat out or what you pick to splurge on (sometimes McDonald’s drive-thru is just as good as a sit down restaurant and a lot cheaper!).  You can even put yourself on an No Eating Out Challenge to help kick start you.

Print out the Weekly Black Friday Savings chart to check off as you progress. Having something visual can help keep you focused.

weekly savings checklist

Download your Weekly Black Friday Savings Checklist.

Weekly Savings Plan Tips:

Save More When Possible: if you find yourself with some extra cash at the end of a week, go ahead and put in your stash.  That way if there’s a week later down the road where money is a bit tight you will still be on track to reach your overall goal of having $1,000.

Involve The Whole Family: It’s important to make sure you and your spouse are on the same page with your weekly savings goal.  But more than that, involve the kids.  Let them check off the progress chart, talk about why you want to save this money, and see if they have any ideas to help find the $22 each week.

For more help in creating a weekly goal, check out my Sinking Funds checklist.  This tool can help you create the perfect savings goals to reach all those big financial goals you have.

Holiday Savings Tips

holiday savings tips, money savings tips

It’s that time of year again – time to bust out our naughty and nice lists, check it twice and make sure all of our loved ones are taken care.  But this year, let’s make a deal that we’ll create a plan, stick with it and not do more damage then we can actually afford.

I recently saw some statistics from Chime that I thought was pretty shocking.  The fact that on average it takes someone 4 months (FOUR MONTHS) to pay off their holiday debt is beyond scary to me.  The point of Christmas is to give and to be together, not to dig ourselves into a financial hole that it takes until Spring to get ourselves out of it.  I mean, let’s face it, we all have some pretty big financial goals and if we’re wasting four months a year to just recover from Christmas then we’re never going to get ahead.  If you haven’t heard of Chime before, they are a second chance banking company helping individuals build better money habits.  Check out some other statistics they discovered:

holiday savings tips

That’s why I wanted to share some holiday savings tips with you today.  That way you can become more informed, better prepared and not be just another statistic.  In today’s video I’m sharing my four holiday savings tips to get you off on the right foot this Christmas season.  You can watch online or down below:

tweet this video

Here’s a quick recap of your holiday savings tips to get you started:

MAKE A PLAN

Create a plan for what, who and how much.  I shared last year how to create a holiday budget and planner (or you can grab it over in the shop).  But the basics of any good plan to save money is to know what you need to buy, who you need to buy for and how much you want to spend.  This plan needs to be created BEFORE doing any shopping.

SET YOUR BUDGET

Once you have your plan in place then you can create a budget.  Make sure to include all the small details, too.  Don’t forget about the gifts to buy for family, friends, co-workers and so on.  Include any dishes you have to make, which means ingredients and grocery trips that will need to be made.  Christmas wrapping paper, cards, and labels and such that will need to be budgeted for.

SHOP THE DEALS

This time of year, your best bet to find the most money saving deals will be online – or at least that’s where you need to start.  So once you have your plan and your budget that’s when you need to do your pre-shopping.  Take time to look online for any sales happening or to find the best price for what you want to buy.  Make sure you don’t walk into a store without doing your research because that’s when overspending happens.

UPDATE YOUR BUDGET AND PLAN

The reason I love my holiday planner and budget so much is that it actually works as a checklist.  You’re able to easily see who you need to buy for still, how much money you’ve spent and my personally favorite, a gift tracker – that way you can see what gifts have been bought, shipped, received and wrapped.

Holiday Home Tour

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Take a peek inside for a quick holiday home tour this Christmas season.

It really is the most wonderful time of the year…

Christmas is my favorite holiday for so many reasons.  It’s a time for re-birth, family togetherness, pretty lights, and lots of giving.  If you know me (or have ever been to our home) then you know I’m not much on having a perfectly styled house.  Hello #momlife! But when the holidays roll around my past glory days of decking the halls comes out in full force.

I have to still be careful with what decorations we use and where we put them because of Mr. Grabby Hands. However, now that he’s two we’re having more and more fun incorporating some DIY Christmas decorations into our home.

Our sweet tree…

frugal Christmas decoration ideas, holiday decoration ideas on a budget

frugal Christmas decoration ideas, holiday decoration ideas on a budget

We ended up picking this up on after-Christmas clearance from Menards about two years ago.  It was marked over 50% off and was such a find!  It was pre-lit, which is perfect for me – I hate having to detangle lights.  Most of our ornaments were either gifts from family, hand-me-downs from when we were little or DIY projects.  Of course I let our son hang his ornaments on the tree, which meant a glump on one branch!

Our console table is decked out…

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I found a local business that crafted a seasonal decor box with vintage finds.  I saved for that box and was so excited when it arrived.  Somehow Haley (the sweet owner) was able to perfectly capture our style.  She even found a perfect R to fit in the mix and a tool tray that holds an infinite amount of painted pine cones.  I cleaned off our console table to make room to show off these sweet items. Dent loves the truck and he’s always sneaking up trying to move it.

Renovation Queen is who I purchased the decor from and she is creating a seasonal subscription box filled with decor items.  Check her out!

Our dogs are feeling festive…

frugal Christmas decoration ideas, holiday decoration ideas on a budget

Back during our large furniture purchase a few months ago, I DIY’d this table top for our dog kennel.  It has come in so handy because now we’re actually able to use the kennel.  So of course it got decked out, too.  With some pretty garland, leftover ribbon from last year’s tree and some vintage deer that we inherited from family.

I think next year since our son will be another year older I’ll be able to expand our holiday home tour to include a few more rooms.  Ever since we transformed the guest room into a playroom, I’ve been struggling to incorporate holidays and decorating into the room since everything in there is fair game when it comes to playtime.

Have Christmas on a Budget

While we’re still recovering from an amazing Thanksgiving weekend, I thought it was appropriate to share one of my favorite posts from this time of year…

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How To Create Christmas on a Budget

Create a budget before buying any gifts.  By creating a Christmas budget you’ll be able to determine, on paper, how much you want to spend before actually spending a dime. It’s important to have a plan for your money so it doesn’t control you. Take a few minutes to determine who you need to buy, what you want to get, and how much you want to spend.

Cut out everything that is sucking your time away from family. Your kids, your family and your friends would much rather spend time with you then have another gift under the tree. So try to be more present when you’re with them and carve our special time with each other.

Gifts for spouses. J and I don’t actually exchange any gifts between the two of us. In the past we set a $15 budget for gifts, but with J being back in school we decided it would be easier to just not do any gifts. It works. If we could spend $30 on ourselves or spend the same amount on our son then we always pick our boy. Always.

Shop smart. Make sure to activate your Ebates before doing any holiday shopping. This time of year is when we earn quite a bit of reward dollars. Ebates give you cash back for doing your usual online shopping and even a bigger bonus when you signup.

Sell anything you don’t use. A great trick to help create some extra cash flow is to go through your house and get rid of any unwanted items. You can easily sell items on Facebook Swap Shops, Craigslist, and Ebay.

Don’t be afraid of DIY Christmas gifts. There are some great DIY gift ideas you can make. You might even have everything for a great gift at your house and it won’t cost you anything.

Bake your gifts for neighbors. I love the idea of being kind to our neighbors, trash men, and mailman. However, it doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot of money. You can having a baking day with friends where each of you bake one or two different cookie recipes then at the end of the day you split the cookies. You can go to the dollar store and buy an inexpensive serving tray to deliver them to your neighbors.

Plan to give back. One of the biggest gifts you can give to someone is by helping them out. This time of year is a great way to help local charities and churches. When I was little, I remember my Mom having us go through our toys to donate. We learned so much from doing that and it made us feel so great. You can easily get your kids involved by donating toys or volunteering to help create care packages. Anything so they can understand the bigger picture and the true meaning of Christmas.

Our Favorite Time of Year

our favorite time of year, how to be more present, christmas, meredith rines, merelynne

Christmas is my favorite time of year. Something about the cold air, the bright lights on the Christmas tree, time with our family, and watching our son’s face light up on Christmas morning.

We love being with a family, eating good food and making new memories with our little guy. Last year, Dent was still so young that he passed out half-way through opening gifts and after an hour nap we could continue (ha!).  This year, he loved it. He was showered with way too many gifts, but he loved every second of opening them. J and I stuck to our Christmas budget and was able to buy Dent a few smaller gifts just from us, which meant a lot to us. 

This year I wanted to make a conscious effort to be more present. Sometimes I get so caught up in wanting to take pictures and video so that we never forget this moment, that I don’t actually enjoy myself. So this year was different. Of course I took some pictures, but I wanted to make sure I was right there with him when he opened some of his gifts.  I even asked J to snap a few so I could be in them this year.

our favorite time of year, how to be more present, christmas, meredith rines, merelynne

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christmas morning, christmas pjs, meredith rines, merelynne, budget christmas, being more present, christmas family, christmas time

christmas morning, christmas pjs, meredith rines, merelynne, budget christmas, being more present, christmas family, christmas time

christmas morning, christmas pjs, meredith rines, merelynne, budget christmas, being more present, christmas family, christmas time

As Moms we get distracted by trying to be perfect – the perfect wrapping job, the perfect gift to be given, the perfect picture, the perfect everything.  And it’s to just be the organizer of everything and let Dad be the one in the pictures and the one helping your child open each present.  

But not this year!

This year, I wanted to be right along side him. Of course I still took a few pictures and J was nice enough to take a few of me with our son. I think there is a fine balance between having the pictures to remember those important memories and then making sure you’re apart of those memories, too.

Creating New Christmas Traditions

how to create new christmas traditions, christmas traditions, christmas on a budget, meredithrines, merelynne

I remember special moments from Christmas that my family did every year. My parents were amazing at making Christmas so magical for my sister and I. 

My Mom gave us pajamas each Christmas Eve to wear opening gifts on Christmas morning. I’m pretty sure I still have a lot of those pajamas in my drawers (well at least the ones that still fit! HA!).  

I love being able to make new traditions with J and our little boy. It’s a hard balance trying to keep traditions alive from when I was a little girl and from J’s family. And yet, we want to create our own traditions that are special to us. 

Since our little guy is only 20 months old, now is the perfect time to introduce them to him.

Here are some great Christmas traditions we love:

Singing Christmas songs around the house. I was not born with any musical talent, so we usually keep our Christmas singing to the house and car where no one else can hear us. But our son loves music. He loves dancing, clapping and even jumping to it. So we like to keep music playing around the house since he loves it so much. This time of year is perfect for us to keep our Alexa turned on to some holiday stations.

Looking at Christmas lights around town. There are a few subdivisions in our town that always go above for Christmas. Plus, there is a park near J’s family that you can drive through and they decorate for Christmas with lights, different scenes and even has music playing on a local radio station. We usually pile in the car, turn on some Christmas music and drive around.

PJs on Christmas Eve. Right now, my Mom actually still gets matching Christmas pajamas for everyone in the family. We head over to my Grandma’s house on Christmas Eve and then my Mom lets us open one gift early – surprise! It’s our PJs. 

Decorating cookies together. Even at 20 months having our little boy help in the kitchen is great. He makes a lot of messes, but he loves every second of it. 

Watching Christmas movies together. Every Thanksgiving day we watch Miracle on 34th Street to kick off the Christmas season.  Afterwards we make sure to include some of our other favorites. Now that our little boy is old enough to watch TV, but gets bored watching our movies we make sure to include some animated ones for him, too.

What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions to do with your family?

How To Afford Christmas on a Budget

how to afford christmas on a budget, christmas on a budget, afford christmas, meredith rines, merelynne

Christmas is a magical time. I have the best memories of Christmas morning from when I was a little girl. 

Santa’s gifts were in the stockings at our house growing up. My sister and I would each have our own stocking laid out in the family room. Because of being a working Mom, my Mom just ran out of time to wrap all the gifts.  So it became a thing to have Santa’s gifts unwrapped in our stockings.  Now as I get older I realize just how much work Christmas can be. I love how my Mom found a way to take the pressure off of her and made it so memorable for us! I can pretty much guarantee our son’s stocking probably will have only unwrapped gifts from Santa.

One year my Dad dressed as Santa and ran out our front door with us chasing after him. My Mom barely caught us and told us to hurry to get our shoes on. We couldn’t move fast enough! By the time we got outside we followed Santa’s footsteps until they disappeared at the end of our sidewalk. They literally disappeared! My Mom dragged us back inside and there was my Dad drinking his coffee wondering what had happened.  Years later we figured out Dad had jumped from the end of the sidewalk into the garage, quickly shut the door, threw the Santa suit in his trunk and ran back through the backdoor.  

Those are the memories I remember as a kid – not the gifts we received, but stuff we did together.  That’s what makes Christmas magical.  I love being able to make Christmas such an amazing memory for our son.

How To Create Christmas on a Budget

Create a budget before buying any gifts.  By creating a Christmas budget you’ll be able to determine, on paper, how much you want to spend before actually spending a dime. It’s important to have a plan for your money so it doesn’t control you. Take a few minutes to determine who you need to buy, what you want to get, and how much you want to spend.

Cut out everything that is sucking your time away from family. Your kids, your family and your friends would much rather spend time with you then have another gift under the tree. So try to be more present when you’re with them and carve our special time with each other.

Gifts for spouses. J and I don’t actually exchange any gifts between the two of us. In the past we set a $15 budget for gifts, but with J being back in school we decided it would be easier to just not do any gifts. It works. If we could spend $30 on ourselves or spend the same amount on our son then we always pick our boy. Always.

Shop smart. Make sure to activate your Ebates before doing any holiday shopping. This time of year is when we earn quite a bit of reward dollars. Ebates give you cash back for doing your usual online shopping and even a bigger bonus when you signup.

Sell anything you don’t use. A great trick to help create some extra cash flow is to go through your house and get rid of any unwanted items. You can easily sell items on Facebook Swap Shops, Craigslist, and Ebay. 

Don’t be afraid of DIY Christmas gifts. There are some great DIY gift ideas you can make. You might even have everything for a great gift at your house and it won’t cost you anything.

Bake your gifts for neighbors. I love the idea of being kind to our neighbors, trash men, and mailman. However, it doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot of money. You can having a baking day with friends where each of you bake one or two different cookie recipes then at the end of the day you split the cookies. You can go to the dollar store and buy an inexpensive serving tray to deliver them to your neighbors. 

Plan to give back. One of the biggest gifts you can give to someone is by helping them out. This time of year is a great way to help local charities and churches. When I was little, I remember my Mom having us go through our toys to donate. We learned so much from doing that and it made us feel so great. You can easily get your kids involved by donating toys or volunteering to help create care packages. Anything so they can understand the bigger picture and the true meaning of Christmas.

For more tips on how to do a frugal Christmas check out my Youtube channel where I have plenty of holiday budget help.

Need More Help?

If you’re looking for a great tool to help keep your family on budget, then check out out my budget spreadsheet.  Each month is laid out right in front of you where you can keep track of what you budget and what you actually spend. Now you’ll know in real time how you’re doing each month.

Simple DIY Christmas Gifts On A Budget

diy gifts, diy christmas gifts, christmas gifts on a budget, budget gifts, meredith rines, merelynne

I love a good deal. I mean, that should come as no surprise since I am a budget strategist.  During the holidays budgets can kind of take a backseat with all the stress we put on ourselves. I love the idea of a few simple DIY projects to make for people. You can find a ton of great ideas over on Pinterest that can help take some of the financial stress off you this time of year. I usually make one to two different gifts by hand for family each year. That way I can make sure to give something with meaning all while sticking within my Christmas budget.

For us, especially with J back in school this year, Christmas is more about being present with family. It’s not about the presents we give or how much we spent of our family and friends. To be honest, this year has probably been the least stressful holiday yet. We know how much we can spend on Christmas gifts and that’s it. It has made justifying what we spend (or how little we spend) a lot easier in our heads. We’re able to treat everyone equal – from his family to my family. Everyone has the same budgeted amount based on our gift guide.

Here are a few of my favorite past DIY Christmas gifts:

Personalized Oven Mitts

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Easy Sharpie Mugs

DIY sharpie mug, sharpie mug, easy birthday gift, personalized mug

Personalized Photo Frame

DIY mother's day gift, DIY birthday gift for mom, DIY photo gift

Front Door Wreath

DIY Wreath, DIY Christmas present, how to make a wreath

Personalized Wall Art

DIY nursery wall art, DIY nursery decor, DIY boy nursery

Christmas Photo Ornaments

DIY Christmas photo ornament how to

What are some other DIY Christmas gifts that you love to make for family? Leave a comment below!

The 12 Days of Christmas Cleaning Schedule

12 days of christmas cleaning, christmas schedule

It’s Christmas time! Which means you are probably going to be super, super busy for the next few weeks. J and I switch our holidays between our families.  One year we’re with my family for Thanksgiving and then the next year we’re with them for Christmas.  And J’s family is on the opposite schedule.  That way we aren’t having to drive back and forth for each holiday.  This year we’re with J’s family for Christmas.  So we’ll be headed out of town to celebrate with them for the long Christmas weekend.

There are lots to do between now and Christmas, like buying gifts, wrapping them, visiting with family as they come into town, friends coming over, and so on.  So your household is going to be buzzing.  You might think it’s going to be hard to keep on top of everything, but with a little planning you can make it happen.  

One of the things that always seems to fall to the side during those busy weeks is cleaning. It’s just so easy to put off sweeping and dusting when you have more pressing things to get done.  But who doesn’t want a cleaner house during the holidays? 

It’s hard having dogs, a baby and a busy schedule to keep the house under control. You try to break it up so you do a little each night, but when you don’t get home until late after a long day the last thing you want to do is scrub the toilets (am I right?). So then you’re left with cleaning the whole house, catching up on laundry and running errands during the weekend.

This year, it’s going to be different.  Let’s vow to take the stress off our weekends.  ‘Let’s spend 15 minutes or less night for the next 12 nights to have your house and your Christmas gifts ready for the big day.

Are you ready for the plan? Start the 12 Days of Christmas Cleaning tonight and then each weeknight work on the assigned tasks.  This schedule should have you finished with everything on Friday, December 22nd. Perfect.

12 days of Christmas cleaning schedule

You’ll notice each day focuses on one room in your house.  So you don’t have to feel scattered going from room-to-room.  Just stick to your assigned room, get everything done on your list and then relax the rest of the night. You’ll notice the closer you get to Christmas is when you’re start working on the rooms where guests will be in.  For us, we want to make sure we clean our kitchen and family room last since that’s where people tend to congregate while there over. You can download your 12 Days of Christmas Schedule or click the image above.

Bonus Tip: Make a reminder in your calendar so you don’t forget after the little one goes to bed.