Three Tips for Stretching Your Holiday Budget

THE FARMHOUSE

The Holidays are a special time but they can sure get expensive fast! There are gifts to buy, décor and holiday party outfits to shop for, travel and feasts to plan, and more gifts… So before the season gets started, we wanted to share a few tips for keeping your holiday budget in check.

*this post is sponsored by Tuesday Morning

Psst: if you know us personally you might skip this post so you don’t spoil any Christmas surprises!

In no particular order, here are 3 things we do to keep our budget in check this time of year…

One // Keep holiday décor simple and classic

I like holiday décor that is simple, quality-made, and classic, that way it will look beautiful for years to come. I take a quality over quantity approach to seasonal decor and usually add a few new pieces every year. I look for festive décor that has a nostalgic feel and I try to keep a palette of wood, brass, and green so everything looks cohesive.

But seasonal décor doesn’t have to be labeled “holiday” to have a festive feel. Daphne’s sheets, which I found at Tuesday Morning last year (more on them in a minute), certainly aren’t holiday-specific, but they lend a festive green feel.

And how holiday-perfect would this wood bowl look filled with dried oranges or pine cones?! I bought it at Tuesday Morning as a gift, but I think I might need to go back for one for myself…

Tuesday Morning has so many great holiday décor options, but I try to stick to décor that isn’t specifically holiday and can transition with the holidays – that’s the most useful, timeless, and budget-friendly décor IMO.

Two // Shop For Savings

Shop retailers that offer savings during the holiday season! We recently made some serious headway on our gift list during a trip to Tuesday Morning. They sell the exact same brand-name, high-quality items as department stores, but offer them at 20-60% less. Their no-frills, in store shopping experience is all about the treasure hunt for me and I always walk out with unique and beautiful gifts or pieces for our home. Every store has a constantly rotating inventory, so you never know what you’ll find!

My face on that last photo 😆 Like I said, I might need to go back and get one of these wood bowls for myself (at $24.99 I’m wondering why I ever passed it up?!).

We checked off a lot of gifts from our list at Tuesday Morning, and I’m feeling pretty accomplished that it’s only November 1st! Here’s what we found, and what the gifts cost…

For our art-loving kid: Art pad + Felt tip pens, $17.98

For Nana: 3 photo frames (we’ll add school pictures), $23.97

For Silvi the dog: balls + chew toy + treats, $29.94

For my SIL who just bought a house: decorative wood bowl + kitchen towels, $29.98

For a curious nephew: Discovery Rocketship Reaction Chamber, $24.99

For grandparents who don’t want “stuff”: a basket with edible treats + cloth napkins, $59.40

For family friends: 1000 piece puzzle + red towels $17.98

Three // Think Food

Baking at home is such an inexpensive way to host family and friends or just celebrate the cozy season. And if you’re not adventurous enough to try baking from scratch, try a mix. We saw biscuit and scone mixes at Tuesday morning for under $5.

We also like to gift food! Years ago, my grandparents asked me to only give them edible things for the holidays and the tradition has stuck. We put together an edible gift basket for my parents full of nuts, salty snacks, sweets, jams, and cold-season drinks. Tuesday Morning has a great selection to choose from and we put it all together in just a few minutes for under $60. My parents are going to love it!