An Affordable Christmas: Strategies to Keep the Joy When Money is Tight

We all long for it: the magic of Christmas. And while enjoying a Christmas train ride with Santa sounds enchanting or savoring a meal in a life-size snow globe is delightful, at times I wonder if in our search for merriment, we risk losing our peace of mind. Email marketing, Instagram reels, and (dare I say) our own expectations allure us on a quest for new and magical holiday adventures. Perhaps you’re hosting and feeling the pressure to paint the perfect holiday picture with your home, or you desire to keep up with what your child’s friends are doing. Allow this year to provide a pause and think about what feels reasonable this holiday season.

For many of us this year, we feel the sting of decreasing discretionary budgets. Our “play money” sits on shelves in refrigerators, contributes to college tuition, or is being saved up for an unpredictable new year. If you, too, are worried about how to maintain joy this time of year when the budget seems tighter, start here.

1. Focus on what you can do over what you can’t

It’s easy to feel like your holiday is “less than” when you can’t experience everything you see. You’ve more than likely saved up some creative ideas for a magical Christmas this year. And they are great ideas! If finances feel tight, however, then accept the invitation to choose a few simple traditions that help anchor the season.

So much of what our hearts long for this time of year is creating memories for our families, moments that will shape their futures one day. However, not every holiday is suitable for everyone. Decide on what traditions to keep, then save the others for next year. Focusing on what you can do allows you to maintain joy without compromising your peace.

2. Lean into the unexpected

If it feels unwise to celebrate in grand ways this year, try something unexpected for your family. Create snowflakes and hang twinkling lights above the table to create a holiday dinner in your own snow globe. Find a simple craft that highlights this stage in your child’s life, like having a make-your-own ornament night. Host a bake-off in your own family, with a medal for “best baker” that is up for grabs each year.

One of my favorite memories from a particularly difficult Christmas for our family was rummaging through my parents’ basement boxes, filled with packed memories from our childhoods. Instead of buying new gifts for the adults that year, we each found one preserved vintage item to rewrap and give. Old crafts, toys, and pictures provided a nostalgic and memorable holiday that year, and the cost was absolutely nothing. Lean into your creativity and offer up the unexpected.

3. Invite others to help

Let each family member contribute one small, reasonable idea to make this Christmas special. Ownership often brings joy and fosters deeper connection. Perhaps it looks like a special breakfast, a nightly candlelighting while reading a story together—simple things that bring everyone together and focus on presence over presents.

Try putting each person’s suggestions in a jar and have someone pick one out each week for a fun surprise. Adding one new thing may help add to the magic of the season without breaking the bank. Go for ice cream on a freezing-cold night, then snuggle inside for a movie. Invite friends over for a shared meal to add to the joy of the season, and then sing carols together afterwards. Inviting each person to contribute and allowing others to help is sure to make for memorable moments while keeping things affordable.

Overall, let’s not forget what our hearts truly long for beyond the lights, movies, and music. The joy and peace that surpasses anything from this world comes from Christ alone. If this year has felt challenging, this holiday season invites you to experience deeper joy in simplicity, yes, but even more through intentionality.

Remember, Christmas is the time to celebrate the lavish and extravagant love of God as demonstrated by his unfolding rescue plan through Jesus. Therefore, we are freed from needing to create more magic by spending more money.

Rejoice! Emmanuel is with us, and as we draw nearer to him this holiday season and remind ourselves of how our greatest needs are met in his abundant provision, our hearts are invited to rest from wanting more. May we walk through Christmas with a posture of praise as Paul instructs in Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, rejoice!” And may we look back on this Christmas as one where we didn’t allow money or less-than-ideal circumstances to steal the true joy of the season.