Our family of five – myself, my husband, and our three boys – enjoy having fun on holidays just as much as anyone else. But we don’t like to break the bank while doing it. Check out this round up of all the fun, frugal, and creative things we do here at CMO central for various holidays.
Celebrating Holidays The Frugal Way
Fun & Frugal Valentines Day
Valentines day is an awesome day to save money. Check out how personal finance folks from around the web celebrate, and  the awesome homemade Valentines and sugar cookies we had planned for the holiday.
Easter
Around here Easter is a bit of a rough time. My grandmother passed away the day after Easter several years ago, and when my husband almost died of septic shock, he was unable to come home for most of Easter. But despite all that, I still try to make it an awesome and fun holiday for my boys. Check out this post for amazing fun and frugal Easter ideas!
Mothers Day
As a mother, I can definitively say I would much rather have financial freedom than expensive flowers. Most mothers would prefer you be thoughtful rather than spend money. So honor your mom by gifting financial freedom. Stop by this post to see how!
I’ve also written on other sites more about this day – check out some of my bad Mother’s Day Gift Ideas and how to get back to the real meaning of mothers day.
Fourth of July
For the Fourth, we like to have a lot of fun, but not spend a lot of money. Whether it’s having a cookout, going to a free fireworks show, making red white and blue sugar cookies, or other things, the Fourth is always fun around here! In this article I talk about nine things you can do to celebrate frugally.
Halloween
Homemade and consignment costumes, dollar store decorations, and homemade Halloween cookies – we have a blast and don’t break the bank. Even with three boys running around, you can be fun and festive while still being frugal.
You can also check here for more about spending – and ideas for saving – for the holiday. Halloween can be one of the most fun and frugal holidays around!
Thanksgiving
This is by its very nature one of the most frugal holidays around. Just sit home and eat! But in recent years, Thanksgiving has become tied to excessive spending on Black Friday. Why don’t you check out what personal finance bloggers REALLY do for Black Friday.
Christmas
Christmas doesn’t have to break the bank. Here I spill the tea on four fun frugal family Christmas ideas.
And I once created an amazing Nintendo Christmas World in my front yard – learning new skills and having fun at the same time. And then next year I did it again. Stay tuned every year around Christmas to see what gets added!
Buying secondhand is second nature in my house, but is a secondhand Christmas a frugal bridge too far? I don’t think so – in the right circumstance it can be a perfect, thoughtful idea.
Christmas clubs were popular in the past – and they can still work today. See how I use a Christmas club like process, but with a regular online savings account, to save for the holiday all year long.
And if you’re stumped for a gift for the grandma (or grandpa, or other special person) who has everything, why don’t you make them a memory book? Honestly, the memory book is the best idea I’ve ever thought of. It was personal, meaningful, and a comfort to my grandmother in her final days.
New Years
Ringing in the new year is a blast here at CMO central. Check out how we celebrate with our own little “party” at home.
Or if you’re feeling nosey, Â you can check out what other personal finance bloggers do for fun at the new year!
More On Money Smart Kids
Interested in more ways to raise money smart kids? Want to learn how to teach kids money values, learn about allowances, or generally help ensure the next generation is totally money-savvy? Â Check out my Family Finance page for more.
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