Is A Debt Free Christmas Possible?

Are you ready for Christmas yet, are you doing it without going into debt? I am getting there and I am close to being done with my shopping and I am doing it all without any debt! Christmas this year has been my personal challenge. This year since we DO NOT use credit cards anymore, I had to figure out a way to pay for Christmas this year up front and in cash. The credit cards were sooo much easier to use, I just shopped, put my items in my cart, took them up to the checkout and whipped out my handy, dandy card, I rarely thought twice about what I just did, but I certainly did when that lovely credit card bill came the next month!

Planning Ahead
So this year I really had to plan ahead, this way took so much more work, but I know in the long run it will all be worth it! I first had to make a Christmas budget and I saved this year like crazy, now remember were still getting back on our feet and still have a lot to do at the new house, so I was not sure how I was going to save enough to pay for Christmas for my family, my hubbies family(we only buy something for his parents and we draw on the kids, we have 3 nieces this year with a $20.00 limit), my family(my parents and my brother and his family with a $15.00 limit per person, and my Aunt and Uncle). I saved, saved, saved like crazy and then in October I started going through all that junk, lovely stuff that was in my garage, some I donated, actually a lot I donated but some I knew had some value, so I turned to my local craigslist and ebay and have been selling as much as I possible can! I mean to the point my kids are getting worried about their stuff and even themselves! Seriously though, so far and this is just in one week, we have made $500.00 and I still have stuff to sell! Not to bad if you ask me.

I am very careful in doing this though and I always make sure that someone is home with me, I never let people into my house and I carry my cell phone just in case, but so far everyone I have worked with has been great and no problems.

I was also fortunate that at the end of my job in September, I won a $200.00 money card and that has been wonderful, I have only touched a few hundred dollars of the money I have been saving and like I said I am almost done.

The 3 Gifts
For our kids and to keep cost down and gifts more manageable we do what is called the 3 gifts.  The 3 gifts represent the 3 gifts given to the baby Jesus from the 3 Wise men(gold, frankincense and myrrh).  For our kids this means that they get something they want(usually the Santa gift), something they need and something we want to get them.  We also do a book(this year I made a memory book for each child), pj's and stocking items.  Santa also brings a family gift which usually has things in it for the entire family, this consist of board games, books, movie tickets and a book on CD.  Santa also fills the stockings.  We also let each child draw a siblings name to buy them a present which we pay for($10.00 limit) and give to them on Christmas Day!
I cannot tell you how much this has helped and has curtailed the amount of presents we buy and how much we spend.  You see they also get gifts from their Grandparents, Great Aunt and Uncle, Aunts and Uncles and then each other.  It ends up being quite a bit and I just finally decided they did not need so much stuff!  We help both sets of Grandparents to keep things down on that end too.

I figure I will have probably spent a total of $700.00 for 20 people and a dog and cat(have to get something for them for all they put up with).  Not to bad actually if you ask me and I wont have the buyers remorse because there will be no credit card bills coming in the mail, that is the best part!


A Few Other Suggestions
A few other things I have done to curb cost is:

• Look for sales
• Look for free shipping when buying online
• Look for online coupons
• Buy a package deal that you can split up between people(I did this with a Star Wars Figure package)
• Stay with the limits you have set and don't go over that!
• Make a list and stick to it
• Have your kids make a list to give you some ideas and alternatives
• Use coupons or price match when you can

These are just a few suggestions, how do you shop for Christmas and how do you keep your cost down?  Most of all do you use credit cards to pay for Christmas?