101 Ideas How To Do Christmas On A Budget

Well the 20s have certainly left their mark so far, haven’t they?!  Thank goodness it looks like we’ll be able to see friends and family again without worry. 

But now it’s financial pressures that will be keeping us awake at night instead.  And with Christmas notorious for its impact on the pocket, we wanted to share our ideas for how to do Christmas on a budget.

Turns out that the Grinch is probably the best tour guide to Christmas 2022!

It’s such a cliché isn’t it but Christmas really is all about the people and the time we spend together. And we would hazard a guess that if you think back to your Christmases past, you’re most likely to regale the tales of the people that were there, the things that went wrong and the bits that didn’t turn out the way you expected.  Because those imperfect and personal bits make the funniest / most interesting stories.

We can still have magical festive feelings and rose-tinted spectacles about our childhood Christmases but that doesn’t mean they have to be filled with fancy aesthetics, lavish gifts or trolley-loads full of food.

(See Dr Seuss, you’re not the only one that can rhyme 😉!)

1. Have A Pre-Christmas Clear Out

Be sure to give your home a once-over to make sure it’s ready for guests and clear of clutter.

Consider whether any unopened items can be regifted.  And sell items on Facebook marketplace, ebay and the like where you can to add a little more into the pot for this Christmas and beyond.

2. Track Your Spending

It’s all too tempting to ‘worry about it in January’, isn’t it?! 

Far better to keep a close eye on your spend during the Christmas countdown. Budget for each aspect and stick to it.  If items turn out being a bit more expensive than planned, look to reduce in another area.  There’s always next Christmas for the other ideas anyway. 

So be like Santa and check your list twice!

Money Saving Christmas Food Ideas

Get Christmas Food planned early and think outside the box when it comes to festive entertaining!

3. Host Pot Luck Christmas Parties

Don’t take the full cost and weight of organisation of Christmas parties on your own shoulders.  Ask everyone to bring a dish along for a pot luck celebration.  That way you’ll have a table of delicious food as guests can’t help but bring their signature dish!

4. Stagger The Purchases

Spread out the purchase of non-perishables by adding a couple of items to your weekly shop each week in the autumn, taking advantage of special offers.

Prep a box at home to collect your purchases and keep it safely in a cool place out of temptation’s way.  Add a tick-list to the top so you can keep track of what’s still to buy and avoid duplicates.

We love this idea from Kerry in Monmouthshire. 

5. Don’t Be A Brand Snob!

You don’t need to buy the premium brands just because it’s Christmas.  Get what you can comfortably afford.

In fact why not have a taste test party and confirm your guests can’t tell the difference!  They are loads of fun – especially if you ask each guest to bring a different brand product with them.

6. Plan Those Meals

If you’re hosting for a number of days, meal planning is your friend! Be sure to think through each meal in advance so you know what you’re cooking and what ingredients you need.  Then do your shops with a strict shopping list.

Sign up to our newsletter below for access to your FREE Christmas planners and a whole host of other festive printables in our exclusive resource library.

7. Bulk Buy Snacks & Decant

If you’re anything like us, the supersize Christmas snack bags disappear in supersized time!

So by all means take advantage of any extra-large deals but then decant the snacks into their usual portion sizes at home so you can bring out only as much as you need at a time.

8. Utilise Low Energy Gadgets

If you have a slow cooker and/or air fryer, be sure to have them earning their keep.

Look up plenty of warming winter recipes and twists on the festive classics to use these lower energy gadgets rather than cranking on the oven. 

9. Think Ahead With Cooking

If the oven’s going on, make it worth your while!  Is there a stew you can cook on the bottom whilst you cook the evening’s dinner? 

Get things cooked and ready.  You can always freeze and reheat later if need be.

Cost Cutting Christmas Drink Ideas

Turn your party guests into Tom Cruise with our fun cost-saving cocktail creative ideas!

10. Cocktail Taskmaster!

Challenge members of the family to come up with cocktails using whatever’s in the cupboard (could be a fun Taskmaster-style challenge) and use up odds and ends rather than buying lots of new bottles to add to the half-finished graveyard!

11. You Provide The Mixers

For parties, encourage everyone to bring along whatever spirits they have in the cupboard at home and you provide the mixers.

Then have fun googling cocktails (or find a cocktail book at your local second hand book store) and spend the evening creating signature delights!

12. Make Punch In Bulk

A mulled wine or Christmas punch of some sort can be a lot cheaper than providing wine as you can generally use a cheaper wine (taste isn’t so important) and take advantage of bulk buying deals.

It also allows you to prep the drink before the party starts so don’t spend the evening serving everyone.

13. Rent Glassware

No need to buy more glasses or use single-use plastic ones.

Many supermarkets and wine merchants (such as Majestic) loan glasses for free, with an upfront deposit which is returned in full save for the cost of any breakages.

14. Bring Your Own

Don’t be afraid to ask people to bring their own drinks along.  That way you know that they’ll have something they enjoy to drink!

Budget Christmas Dinner Ideas

All the trimmings without all the expense!  Here are our top tips for managing the cost of Christmas dinner.

15. Share The Load

Divvy up the responsibilities for Christmas Dinner, spreading cost and managing workload. Don’t be scared to allocate different courses, drinks and tableware out between you and your guests. 

Most people want to contribute anyway and it’s much better to have them bring something specific than *another* box of chocolates.

16. Shrink The Turkey!

Let’s face it; turkey is expensive. And probably in short supply this year too.  So supersize the cheaper sides (most people prefer them anyway!) and reduce the size of the bird.

Or try our cheeky ‘Christmas on a budget’ trick and cook a sneaky (cheaper) chicken alongside – once it’s all smothered in gravy, we bet they won’t notice!

17. Make your own Pigs in Blankets! 

Ever noticed how much more we get charged for those pre-prepared bites? 

Buy a pack of good value chipolatas and some regular streaky bacon and you’ll have your piggies ready in no time!

18. Prep From Scratch

And speaking of prepping from scratch … that doesn’t just go for the pigs!

In fact nearly all the sides are cheapest when made at home so don’t be tempted by the prepped packets in the stores!  Yes it takes a bit longer but you’ll get so much more bang for your buck!  

But whilst we’re talking sides … don’t feel you have to prepare enough for royalty!  Just pick your family’s favourite 2-3 and focus on making these in bulk.

19. Use Your Freezer

If you’re going to be prepping all those parts, don’t feel you have to do it at once!

Spread cost and effort by using your freezer effectively.  Kate from The Full Freezer is a total genius at saving money with her freezer geek tips.

20. Reduce The Course Number

Don’t feel you have to go for 3 courses. Chances are no one will be able to finish them anyway. 

Scrap the starter and/or serve the puddings as dinner.  How often do we dream of dessert as a meal anyway .. it’s Christmas, let’s make the dreams come true!

21. Join Forces With The Neighbours

Only cook what you need.  If you’re only cooking for a small number, consider joining forces with a neighbour and share the food between both households. 

22. Use Your Leftovers Fully

Christmas leftovers can last for days! Search online for leftover recipes for every item in the fridge.

Be sure to boil those turkey bones for a great stock / soup. A Twixmas tradition in our household … after lots of rich food actually a meal or two of turkey broth is just what you fancy and costs next to nothing! Nothing need be wasted!

23. Share Anything You Can’t Use

Free My Meal is an amazing organisation that matches spare food with people in need.

Make sure your leftovers don’t go to waste by advertising them for free through the network or reach out if you need help covering your own Christmas dinner needs.

24. Reusable or Homemade Crackers

Invest in reusable crackers (savings for the future) or make your own. The latter doubles up as a low cost Christmas activity.  And there’s no need to buy treats for inside.  There’s lots of ideas for cheap or free cracker fillers online!

25. Cracker Alternatives

Alternatively, simply remove or replace crackers completely.

What about asking everyone to bring a silly (makeshift if necessary!) hat with them and pop inside their favourite Christmas joke and two Christmas charade suggestions on a card inside?  Then tell them to add it to someone else’s place name as they arrive. 

That way everyone still has a crown to wear, joke to share and you’ve got a fun free no-stress game to play too!

Christmas Gifts On A Budget

According to YouGov, last year us Brits spent an average of £388 on gifts.  As well as having less to spend this year, thanks to inflation our money isn’t going as far either.  But it’s still important to keep to budget or January will be seriously painful!

So prioritise the gifts you have to buy, cut back the rest of the list as far as possible and get creative about how and what to gift. 

26. No-Gift Pacts

Make no-gift pacts with friends and family early in the season before any shopping has begun.

As money-saving expert Martin Lewis says, sometimes giving people the freedom not to feel they have to reciprocate is the best gift you can give.

27. Manage Expectations

Everyone is feeling the pinch in some way so you’ll probably find others are relieved if you bring up the subject of Christmas expense.  Just be honest and follow through on what you agree.  It’s all about managing expectations. 

28. Set A Budget

Set a budget and stick to it. The hard and boring bit but do keep track of your spend and be strict with yourself.  Your 2023 self will thank you!

29. Rule Of 4

Use the rule of 4 as a guide for the children’s gifts: something they want, something they need, something to wear, something to read.

Be open and honest with them about what you’re doing (again manage those expectations).

30. Stock Up Those Stockings

Everything is more fun when pulled out of a stocking. So think ahead with your stocking stuffers and refill those toiletry and underwear drawers with things you’d have to buy anyway.  They literally will stuff that stocking!

31. Secret Santa

For the adults, try Secret Santa or Pollyanna style gifting instead.  And set hard limits on spend.

Go for a theme (most silly, most practical, most personal) or encourage everyone to make the gift to keep cost down and make for more interesting gift reveals.

32. Ask For Ideas

Whilst we all love picking out those treats we’re sure they’ll love and popping a surprise under the tree, when times are tough buying something you know they’ll really use is worth its weight in gold!

33. Start Shopping Early

Prep a detailed list of what to buy and then watch out for deals and discounts.  Grab the items when you see the price drop.  Use price trackers and Google shopping tab to help you find the cheapest price.

Take full advantage of Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals but companies often have earlier sales now too which can be very valuable.  Do sanity check discounts though to make sure you aren’t being sold a marketing ploy!

34. Newsletter Exclusives

Sign up for email newsletters as they very often give a discount on sign up and special offers (such as free postage) during the Christmas countdown.

35. Minimise Postage

Look for free click-and-collect options. Try to coordinate your purchases and make one trip into town to collect from all the stores.

36. Cashback Sites

Consider using cashback sites for purchases to get a little bump in January.

37. Set Up A Christmas Drawer

Keep an allocated Christmas drawer, box or cupboard. How many times have we found a gift in January that we’d put in a safe place?!  Set yourself one location to gather purchased items so that you don’t lose them or forget what you’ve already bought.

Then when you see a perfect gift at a great price during the year, grab it and add it to the drawer.

38. Split Deals With Friends

Work together with friends to take advantage of deals. Those 3for2 offers can be very attractive.  But sometimes we end up buying the extra item just for the sake of it. 

So join forces with friends and shop together to ensure everyone gets the best value deal without unnecessary extras!

39. Gift To Families Rather Than Individuals

Make family hamper gifts instead of gifting to individuals.

Include a mixture of homemade items, carefully selected purchases and items found at charity and second hand shops (it’s much easier to gift unsealed items in a hamper).

E.g. A pamper night hamper could include:

• homemade foot scrub and wax melts
• a cute handmade wooden sign
• candle holder and book/puzzle from second hand shops
• a candle
• homemade hot chocolate cones
• some loose chocolates and toiletries from a multibuy purchase deal

40. Group Gifting

And speaking of group gifting … you can do it the other way around too. Group together with siblings, friends, etc. to give one larger gift.  Chances are you can all contribute a bit less and make the money go a bit further too!

41. Make Use Of Preloved

Make the most of second hand shops and preloved online groups. After all, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure!

And as well as being cheaper, preloved items are best for the environment too.  Win win.

Preloved works especially well for the littlies.  You’d probably open, build & add batteries to toys before the day anyway so they may never know.  And they won’t care anyway.   

For the rest of your family and friends … it’s all in the presentation! 

42. Preloved Stocking Stuffers

Preloved items are perfect for stocking stuffers. Movies and books nearly always show unwrapped gifts in stockings anyway and they definitely don’t have brands in the North Pole. 

So save a few pounds on wrapping paper as well as on the gifts themselves and gift unwrapped, unpackaged items in your children’s stockings this year.  They will fit better as well.  

You could always leave a message from Santa saying that even in the North Pole they’re doing their bit for the environment now too! 

43. Make Homemade Gifts

Whilst these aren’t guaranteed to save you money, making DIY Christmas gifts in bulk often can save money due to economies of scale on purchase of equipment and ingredients. And the thought will win you big on the brownie points too!

Check out our growing collection of Homemade Gift ideas to get you started. 

44. Personalised Gift Certificates

Create personalised Christmas gift certificates instead of physical gifts and give the gift of your time instead. Who wouldn’t enjoy a coupon to Breakfast In Bed one Sunday morning or an evening’s babysitting?!

45. Photo Gifts

Photo gifts can be great value homemade gifts. With printing costs for photos often only a few pennies each, there’s a virtually endless stream of photo gift ideas online!

46. Get Creative With Gift Wrap

Paper shopping bags, old magazines and newspapers, fabric squares from old sheets, etc. can all be repurposed as wrapping paper.  So see what you can find to use rather than buying new paper.  Check out our ideas here.

47. Save Old Paper

Save wrapping paper, ribbons, bows etc from this year’s Christmas celebrations ready to use for next year’s.

And keep other ribbon and gift embellishments that you receive during the year to have some creative fun decorating gifts this Christmas.

48. Use The Kids’ Artwork!

Overflowing in your kids’ artwork? Repurpose it as gift tags or wrapping paper. 

Or buy cheap frames for some of the items and gift to family and godparents. 

49. Plan Delivery Early

Post gifts early or be organised and pass along when you’re visiting during the ‘ber months to keep postage costs low.

Check costs of courier companies against those of Royal Mail – you may find a cheaper alternative.

50. Use Surface Mail For Overseas

Post gifts early or be organised and pass along when you’re visiting during the ‘ber months to keep postage costs low.

Check costs of courier companies against those of Royal Mail – you may find a cheaper alternative.

51. Give Your Card List A Trim

Cut down your Christmas card list to the bare minimum and share some daily Christmas challenges/jokes/recipes on social media instead – after all the point is to reconnect with friends and family. 

We’ve got lots of fun alternatives to traditional Christmas Cards here.

52. Make Homemade Cards

For those remaining Christmas cards, make them instead of purchasing. Save money and create a special festive activity too.  Homemade cards are far more likely to be treasured by their recipients as well!

53. Make Christmas Postcards

Make upcycled Christmas postcards out of cards you receive this year’s ready to send next year.  See idea number 3 in this list for more.

54. Upcycle Cards Into Gift Tags

Surely we all remember making gift tags out of last year’s Christmas cards as kids! A perfect January weekend family activity. And perfect way to eliminate unnecessary cost and manage Christmas on a budget.

55. Make Use Of The Post-Christmas Sales

Don’t forget to make use of the post-Christmas sales too.

My mother-in-law and I love going to the supermarket first thing on Boxing Day morning as there are always fantastic bargains to be had on wrapping paper, cards and gifts.

Stock up ready for next year, it’ll be back around again before you know it!

Cheap Advent Ideas

It’s so much fun to celebrate the countdown to Christmas but it can feel like just another added pressure to spend money.  Here’s a few ideas to enjoy the magic without the cost! 

56. Replace Calendars with Jokes

Replace advent calendars with daily jokes or riddles.  Or set up a WhatsApp group with friends and divvy up the days for people to share something fun and festive through the group.

57. Activity Calendars

Fill an advent calendar with activity tokens instead of treats. Download our free activity tokens here.

The activities don’t have to be big or flashy.  Anything is made more special when it’s included in an advent calendar with time set aside to enjoy it together!

We’ve also got a whole month’s of mini challenges for the littlest members of the family to enjoy in a very special free printable advent calendar here.

58. Complete A Kindness Advent Calendar

Instead of giving treats, why not enjoy daily Christmas cheer tasks instead?  Download our free kindness advent calendar to pop on your fridge & inspire you with ideas.

59. Enjoy A Book Advent Calendar

Bear with us on this one!  Yes, shelling out for 24 books is not very wallet-friendly.  However we’ve got a whole host of ideas for minimising the cost whilst still enjoying 24 days of cuddles and reading. Check out our complete guide and suggestions here.

Cheap Christmas Activities

If you’re struggling to think of low-cost alternatives to the more pricey entertainment on offer at this time of year, check out our suggestions below for some cheap Christmas activities.  Great fun for Christmas on a budget without compromising on the magic.

60. Look Out For Local Activities

Of course it’s fun to take your family to the Panto at the London Palladium but your local amateur dramatics group may well be putting on a panto of their own and it’ll probably be just as much fun at a fraction of the price! It’s a great way to get to know your local community better too. 

Free local charity Santa visits and tree lighting ceremonies are perfect ideas for Christmas on a budget too. 

61. Take Drinks Along

Days out to see the Christmas markets and the lights don’t need to be costly. Heat up hot chocolate (or mulled wine!) before you go and carry in a flask to save shelling out £3-5 per mug. 

62. Go For A Winter Walk

We’ve got 15 fun ideas to festive-fy your stroll and encourage the whole family to join you outdoors.  There’s activity course ideas and free scavenger hunt ticklists to download and much more.

63. Replace Restaurant Meals With Winter Picnics

Rather than going out for meals with friends and family, why not have a picnic in the park at dusk?!

Take flasks of hot chocolate, some glow sticks and a little camping stove if anyone has one to make s’mores.  The kids will love the excitement of being out in the dark and it’ll save money too.

64. Have A Quiz Night

Everyone loves a Christmas quiz. Perfect for multi-generational groups!  There’s plenty of free or low cost Christmas quizzes online.  Don’t forget to check out our Jolly Festive Christmas Food & Drink and Christmas Movie quizzes to get you started!

65. Parlour Games

Parlour-style games are perfect for larger groups at Christmas, easy to set up and often free or very low cost to prepare. Check out our 15 fun family Christmas games for ideas.

66. Family Christmas TV

There’s an abundance of Christmas TV to enjoy. Review the daily options together online and take it in turns to pick the family viewing for the evening.

67. Make Use Of Free Trials

Take advantage of 30-day trials (or equivalent) on streaming services to maximise your viewing selection! Just do set diary reminders for January to cancel!!

68. Play Christmas Movie Bingo

Up the ante on your movie watching with our free Christmas movie bingo game as you watch. With boards for up to 8 players and a family-friendly version and one for a more grown-up audience, there’s something for everyone!

69. Christmas Kitchen Disco

Download free Christmas playlists and have a Christmas disco at home. Show off those tinsel boas and hang baubles from your ears!  The sillier the better!  You could play some good old-fashioned games too – musical statues, guess the lyrics, etc.

70. Write To Father Christmas

The Royal Mail are acting as Santa’s official delivery service once again and for the price of one second class stamp, you little one will get a reply from the North Pole delivered directly to them.

71. DIY Christmas Eve Boxes

Christmas Eve Boxes are a wonderful invention but can add pressure to buy even more things. Don’t!

Just repurpose things you already have at home or spread out the gifts you were already planning.  Grouping them together will make it magical enough!  Check out our guide to a quick, easy cheap DIY Christmas Eve Box.

72. Watch Out For Santa

Santa Trackers entertain little ones for hours on Christmas Eve and cost nothing.  We love the Google tracker but NORAD is superb too.

Make it even more special when you link up seeing the International Space Station in the night sky.  Provided the evening is clear, the space station is nearly always visible at some point and doubles up wonderfully for a glimpse of that magical sleigh!

73. Talk To Alexa

If you have Alexa in your home she always has festive activities up her sleeve.  Just ask Alexa about her Christmas skills and she’ll send you in the right direction.

74. Make Reindeer Food

Reindeer food costs next to nothing (and you may already have the ingredients in the cupboard). A perfect Christmas activity for believers and such special fun sprinkling on the lawn or local park come Christmas Eve!

Check our our bird-friendly reindeer food recipe and free printable poem labels here.

75. Make a Christmas Journal

This is one of my family’s most treasured traditions!

Any notebook can be turned into an annual diary.  So snuggle up on the sofa or around the table and fill in this year’s entry together.  We promise it’ll be a cherished heirloom within a couple of years!

Head here for all the Christmas Journal details.

76. Organise A Christmas Jumper Swap

These work particularly well at schools where you can pass along jumpers your children have outgrown and get a nearly-new jumper for this year!

77. Make Christmas Jumpers

Doubling up as a fun activity too, find some old plain sweaters and have a competition to see who can make theirs the most merry with odds and ends of decorations and wrapping embellishments that you find at home.

78. Look Out For Preloved Christmas Clothes

Sniff out Christmas jumpers and pyjamas at your local second hand store. Because they are usually only worn a handful of times, they’re likely to be in great condition!

79. Rent Christmas Clothes

There are some great clothing rental services available now and it makes financial and environmental sense to just rent the pieces you need for this year’s season.  You’ll be able to try items you would never consider paying out for in the stores!

We love Borro for beautiful eco-friendly baby clothes!

Money Saving Christmas Travel Ideas

Even if you aren’t hosting Christmas, getting to friends and family can be costly in itself.  Check out these tips for keeping Christmas travel costs low.

80. Book Early

The early bird nearly always catches the worm when it comes to travel. So to keep your Christmas on budget, plan early, do plenty of research, take advantage of advance purchase deals, put flights on price watch and join forums to get tips on what’s a good price.

81. Use Loyalty Points

Check whether your loyalty points will give you any discounts on travel. Many of the loyalty schemes are affiliated with travel companies.

For example, Tesco Clubcard points can be used for Eurotunnel, National Express, Railcards, etc. and you can often get far more value from the points this way than using them towards Tesco store vouchers too.

82. Use Railcards

Consider investing in railcards. Often the cost of the railcard is more than offset by the discount available when using it.  Do be sure to do the calculations and check.

83. Use Cheap Rail Ticket Tips

Check out this link for more clever tips on cheap rail travel.

84. Be Honest 

If you can’t afford to join people in person, just be honest.

These days we’re all well-versed in virtual get-togethers.  So find some fun online activity ideas and get comfy on the sofa for a catch up!

Christmas Decorations On A Budget

Make your decorations work hard for you this year and be creative with repurposing your regular decor for the festive season.  

85. Go Foraging!

Forage for greenery and pinecones etc for garlands, wreaths and table centrepieces.  There’s a wealth of beautiful decor outdoors ready to be enjoyed.  Just be sure you’re in a permitted area.

Check out our guides to wreath- and garland making.

86. Make Decorations From Food

Dry your own orange slices to use in wreaths, garlands and table centrepieces.  They will smell amazing and last for years too if properly dried. 

String popcorn garlands to decorate your tree.  And everything looks more festive when sprinkled with frosted cranberries.

Even putting apples and clementines in a pretty bowl with a few pinecones makes for a beautiful decoration.  And decant your Christmas chocolates and biscuits into glass jars to show them off too!

87. Make Paper Decorations

Environmentally friendly and inexpensive, paper decorations are bang on trend this year!

Make paper fans from small paper bags, tissue paper, etc.  And decorate your windows with homemade paper snowflakes (it’ll take you right back to your school days!).

88. Have a Paper Chain Competition

Get some old paper – newspaper, wrapping paper, old artwork, etc. – and cut it into strips.  Grab glue sticks or staplers and have a competition to see who can make the longest paper chain in a specific timeframe. 

A brilliant family activity and you’ll end up with enough paper chains for the street if you do it right!

89. Make Wrapping Paper Into Art

Switch out pictures in frames for pieces of wrapping paper, or print/write Christmas quotes on card to make instant seasonal wall art.  You’ll be amazed how professional it looks especially if you group a few frames together.

90. Make Rag Wreaths

Put old fabric pieces to use to make a festive rag wreath.  Full tutorial here.

(Tip: bend a wire coat hanger into a circle shape to make the frame rather than purchasing one and you’ll have an inbuilt hook for hanging it up!)

91. Rent Your Tree

Use a tree rental service to reduce cost and minimise tree wastage.  Simply search online for rental services in your area.

92. Invest In a Living Tree

If you have access to a garden, consider buying a potted tree that you can plant in the garden and dig up to reuse in future years.

93. Find An Alternative Christmas Tree

Convert an existing home plant into a “Christmas Tree” or get creative with a tree alternative – very on-trend for this year anyway!  We’ve seen everything from Christmas cacti to foraged bare branches and even books stacked high as a Christmas tree too!

94. Christmas Jumper Cushions

Cover cushions with old Christmas jumpers to make instant Christmas cushions without need for added expense.

No need for sewing, check out our simple idea here.

95. Repurpose Existing Home Decor

It’s amazing how gathering all the sparkly things together on a shiny tray or adding a candle / fairy lights to something can instantly add a touch of Christmas.

So have fun making your home décor look festive with a few embellishments here and there. 

Ideas for our blue and gold Christmas makeover here .. and plenty of these ideas can be applied to other colour palettes too.

96. Repurpose Other Decorations

It’s not just the home decor that can be repurposed.  Anything goes at Christmas! 

So grab those pastel Easter decorations and the colourful birthday pieces, turn the signs around as needed and get them up to celebrate once more.  (Pastel and merry & bright are spot on for this year’s Christmas trends anyway!)

97. Host A Christmas Decorations Swap

Host a Christmas decoration swap at school or your workplace. Everyone brings in decorations they no longer want and swaps them for pieces from others.

Perfect for Christmas on a budget: freshen up the décor without spending a penny!

98. Embrace Snuggle Season

Christmas is the season for snuggling. And given the heating bills this year, there’s no doubt going to be plenty of snuggling going down! 

Grab all the blankets you can find and lay them out on the sofas / chairs.  That way when guests start feeling chilly you can break out the blankets instead of the radiators!

99. Switch To LED

As you upgrade your Christmas lights, be sure to buy LED for a significant reduction on your energy bills.

It’s hard to give a precise figure for the cost of running Christmas tree lights with so many variables and energy prices in such a state of flux (eek!) but most experts seem to agree it’ll be around £1 total for 6hrs a day of LED Christmas tree illumination from 1 Dec – 6 Jan. 

If you are still using the older style filament lights then you’re probably looking at £6-10 for the same period.

100. Use A Timer

Invest in a timer for your lights and think about the hours that you really want to have them on.  Lots of lights these days have a 4- or 6 hr inbuilt setting feature anyway.

101. Have a Christmas window competition with your street

Set everyone the challenge to decorate their front window for £5 or less (or even for free if you really want to up the ante!).

Set a date for the official reveal and join together for mulled wine and a wander to enjoy the sights!

Encourage sharing of spare decorations, snow stencils, etc.  Perfect for some festive community spirit!

You could even make it into a Living Advent Calendar if you wanted.