save money on christmas give the gift of experience

Christmas is around the corner, and so is Christmas break. It’s a time when many parents shell out cash on winter day-camp or extra daycare costs for their kid’s days off school. This is in addition to the usual holiday costs of travel, special meals, and gifts. The prices add up in your head and you want to provide a special, meaningful holiday for your kids and loved ones. What if you shifted the focus to making holidays more memorable? Here is a short list of favorite holiday pastimes which can be done on a budget!

Experiences on a budget:

-Gingerbread Graham Cracker House. Gingerbread house kits can be expensive, and rarely ever get eaten so why fork over the cash on an expensive kit? Several graham cracker houses can be made for as little as a couple of dollars. Graham crackers can be purchased cheaply at the grocery store or dollar store. For decor think dollar store candy, or leftover Halloween candy. Assemble the house on Christmas Eve so it can be set overnight. On Christmas Day spend some time decorating and be sure to take pictures. Here’s a link to a good YouTube video on how to make a

-Christmas movies based on books. This holiday season entertains the kiddos in a way that nurtures a love of reading. Read Christmas-themed books and follow the book with the movie! Books and movies can be checked out for free from your public library. Most libraries have a service online where you can reserve books or movies, or place a hold if an item is out. OR there are literally thousands of books available to read for FREE in the public domain (over 57,000 books!). Public domain books can be easily found on (download read online!)or (requires an app). Many movies can be seen for free on YouTube. Here is a short list of Christmas Stories which can be found in the public domain & are available as a movie or short cartoon.

A Christmas Carol

Life and Adventures of Santa Claus

Little Fir Tree

T’was the Night Before Christmas (A Visit From Saint Nicholas)

Not Free but good for kids books to movie: Dr Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the 1966 movie is available for free on YouTube), Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer (several stories & books available).

Have fun and remember that your kids will definitely remember the EXPERIENCE!

roller coaster ride