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The holidays are always the most expensive time of the year. With gifts to give, decorations to buy, and holiday lights sucking up the electric bill, it seems as though we always end up spending more than we thought we would, as well as more than we really should have. Add on the expenses of lawyer fees, public notice ads, private investigators, and all of the other hidden costs of stepparent adoptions, and you may find your budget getting not only stretched, but squeezed to the absolute limits. Below are some tips for saving money for the holiday season, to help keep the seasonal expenses down, allowing room in the budget for the extra, and unexpected costs of a stepparent adoption.
1. Turn your Christmas/holiday lights off when you go to bed. Many families leave them on throughout the night, allowing the electric bill to rack up, while the world slumbers and no one even sees the light display.
2. Make new holiday ornaments instead of buying them. Many families buy new ornaments and decorations each year, to replace old broken ones, or simply to add to the collection. By making them not only will you be saving money, but enjoying an afternoon of being creative and having fun with your family. The memories of making the ornaments will last longer than the memory of even the greatest of shopping trips!
3. Make Christmas cards and letters to mail to loved ones and give to family. Again the experience of making them will build lasting memories, as well as teaching the children the value of giving from the heart instead of from the wallet.
4. When having a holiday get together, make it a potluck party. If every guest brings a dish, it cuts down on expenses for the host, and helps to spread the holiday cheer as everyone gets to share their favorite holiday dish with their friends and loved ones.
5. Don’t forget the Dollar store(s), as well as stores which sell overstock items at a discount, such as Tuesday Mornings, and/or Big Lots. These stores are wonderful for stocking stuffers, and small gifts, as they sell brand name items at bargain basement prices!
6. Handmade gifts such as sweaters, quilts, and even child made potholders are highly regarded as treasures by even the pickiest of grandparents, or any family member for that matter!
7. Use electronic greeting cards instead of mailing cards out. There are still many websites out there, which offer free greeting cards, even allowing you to fill them out ahead of time, and picking the date that you wish for them to be delivered to the recipients email boxes.
8. Instead of traveling to see family, ask that family travel to you this holiday season. With friends and family knowing of your adoption related expenses, they should be more than happy to try to travel to you, or forgive the fact that you will be staying home this year.
9. A picture is worth a thousand words, so give them out! A nice family photo makes a wonderful gift for close friends and for family members. Inexpensive, holiday themed frames can be picked up at dollar stores as well as discount stores adding a nice touch at a very affordable price.
10. Remember that less is more. Do not inundate anyone with gifts. The holidays are about togetherness, love, compassion, and being there for one and other, be it family or stranger. Don’t go overboard with gifts, and end up skimping on the most important part of the end of the year, the holiday SPIRIT!
By finding ways to keep your holiday budget in check, you will not have to fret when the first of the year comes, the holidays are over, and you begin to rememeber again that you are in the midst of, or beginning a stepparent adoption, which can become costly. By using these simple money saving tips, as well as your own creative ideas, you will still have money left aside to complete, continue, or begin your stepparent adoption journey.
