Decorating for the holidays can empty your wallet. And after spending all that money on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, you may feel like you’re just hanging dollar bills on the tree.
But you don’t have to. Jill Cowman, known as “Jingle Jill,” runs a Christmas shop, SBK Gifts. She has some great ideas for refreshing your holiday decor without blowing your Christmas budget.
Buy a Few New Ornaments
She says people worry that sets of blown glass ornaments are pricey, but says they remain a great value even today, and can give your tree that extra “pop.”
“You can find them usually for between $15 and $45,” she said.
Cowman says you don’t have to overspend on decorations, such as on $200 Santas for outside your front door.
She suggests getting creative and converting a dining room hutch into a full Christmas display for just a few bucks.
She puts some small figurines and trees on the shelves, and says “all that’s in the back of the hutch is wrapping paper!”
Consider DIY Decor
Michelle Madhok is an author and shopping expert. She says there are a lot of ways to make your home feel festive without emptying your wallet.
“We can get carried away in the holiday season,” she said.
She says DIY decorations can look as good as any expensive store-bought decorations.
“There’s lots of things in nature,” she said. “You can grab pine cones and greenery and make your own.”
Great ways to save money on Christmas decorations
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Swap Ornaments and Other Decorations
Next, she says, is to consider swapping decor with friends and family, to get something new to you.
That way, both of you get new decorations, but you don’t spend a dime.
If you do go to the store, Madhok says be smart and use a comparison-shopping tool.
“Make the computer gods do the work for you,” she said,
If you can wait, she says, you’ll find the best deals in January that you can then use next year. But Madhok cautions you not to go overboard.
“It’s not a deal if you didn’t need it,” she said.
Time Together and Memories Are More Important Than Decor
Paying for services and hiring someone to hang your outdoor lights can seem like a pricey extravagance, but Madhok says to remember your time has value as well.
“It depends on if it’s a fun thing for you to do or not,” she says.
Back at SBK Gifts, “Jingle Jill” says one or two inexpensive ornaments may be all you need to buy each year to freshen up your decor.
“Glass ornaments are all about memories,” she said.
That’s because spending time with family is priceless.
“It’s the time spent together,” Madhok said,” that really everybody loves about the holidays, not so much the expensive stuff.”
That way you can watch the budget, and you don’t waste your money.
By John Matarese, WCPO
John's goal is to help as many TV viewers as possible save money, avoid bad deals, know a rip-off when one comes their way, and be educated consumers. His informative weekly consumer segment "Don't Waste Your Money" now airs on 45 TV stations from San Diego to Tampa to Houston and Cincinnati. More.
