Friday, September 13, 2013

It's Time To Do Some Planning...Join the No More Christmas Crap Campaign!

For the C Word, yes, that's right, Christmas!  Yes, it is still over 3 months away but you need to start planning now.  If you have been a follower of this blog for a while you might be familiar with the "No More Christmas Crap Campaign" which is now the fourth year.  See the original post here and last years post here.

No More Christmas Crap Campaign

Before you jump to conclusions and think I am rather Scrooge-like read further.  This Campaign is about having a wonderful Christmas by not spending anything more than you need to.  




The Guidelines:


1. Save your money strictly for gifts and food items for the Christmas entertaining season. This also means if you want to buy Christmas crap for another person as a gift - it is permitted. If you make gifts you would be permitted to buy supplies under this guideline.


2. If you feel you must buy some Christmas decorations - they should be obtained free by way of freecycle, nature, family, or purchased second hand at garage sales or thrift stores to pay a fraction of retail cost. Our local thrift stores have a great selection of decorations, lights, and even Christmas bows, wrapping and bags. Nature is also a great supplier - leaves, branches, shells, driftwood, get your CREATIVE on.


3. After Christmas each year recycle wrappings, bows, baubles, baskets, and ribbons for use the following year. Re-make Christmas cards into gift tags. Re-use all gift bags. Obviously if this is your first year you will have to plan to do this-although you still have a couple months to save up. Throughout the year save ribbon, packing materials, boxes, wrapping paper and bags for use. I have done this for four years now and have no intent on buying any more NEW wrapping paper or bows EVER! If you are consciously thinking ahead on saving these items, you will be surprised at what you end up with at the end of the year. On your first year of the campaign try and use up what you have - or buy at thrift stores.


4. You are permitted to attend Christmas related functions - even when they cost money. Try and limit the cost to only what the actual cost is to attend. Rather than running out to buy a new outfit for the Christmas Party use what you already have, borrow something from a friend or family member, or buy it second hand at a thrift store or consignment store. Save your money!


5. If you just completely fall in love with something Christmas related - make it known to those who are buying you gifts as receiving Christmas crap as a gift is allowed.

6. The Out. If one hopes of complying with this campaign there has to be at least one GET OUT OF JAIL FREE card. If you must - you are permitted to buy one single new item valued at less than $15 CAD. In years past I have purchased holiday themed paper napkins as had a very large family to feed and don't have enough cloth napkins. This might also include a package of reduced wrapping paper after Christmas for next year's campaign or that special something handmade off of ETSY.



Those are the rough guidelines. You will be amazed at how much you save just by not buying wrapping paper!


To give you an idea of how this works, over the last few months the following items have been saved for this Christmas-ribbons, bows, boxes recycled from my Mother's downsizing, the white ribbon came off packaging of two new hand towels I purchased a few weeks ago. The gigantic pink box was part of a freebie sampler I won, and although not Christmas themed yet, with a little imagination it could be. The silver elastics holding the blue box and the red containers came off a chocolate box earlier in the year. Most ribbon is easy to recycle with a quick ironing.







So what do you say, are you joining the no more Christmas Crap Campaign?


23 comments:

  1. I'm in! Since we don't buy anyone gifts except our daughter and my dad, it's easy to comply. Most everyone we know is going through tough times and has already agreed not to exchange gifts. If anything, I will bake some of my special cookies as gifts and I have some nice white bakery bags for those.

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    1. That's what we are doing too. Last year I got really awesome bakery boxes christmas themed for 75% off after e new year and baked goods are our plan :)

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    2. Clamco: baking is a wonderful gift. I look for pretty glass jars at the thrift (If you don't already have some) to package them in.

      mrs4jachi: Bakery boxes are a great idea!

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    3. I will not say that I can be included in this idea as I have done this for many years previously. It`s all second nature to me here in Britain. I wish everyone that partakes the best of Christmas and loads of fun working towards it. I`m already ahead of most of you as I have started in June to save bits and bobs for decorations, and have already completed one Christmas hamper for a dear friend. Our grown up kids get a little money in a home made Christmas card each year and my first grandaughter will get some handmade soft toys from me. Our cat will get a small treat on Christmas day by being given in a small meal made up from scraps that will fall off our roast dinner. So, our festive meal shall not have any waste left over if we cleverly portion off and freeze any surplus for convenience meals on other days. I`m going to make home made decorations and use saved decorations from last year. I`ll bake cakes and home made mince pies as well, so treats will be cheap and cheerful, too. We do have a rule though to avoid giving grown ups any presents. Christmas gifts(home made) shall only be received by children. Hence us giving money to our grown up kids. I hope everyone will have a frugal and fun Christmas this year!

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  2. We have been buying gift cards recently and I think that is the way to go for us. It might have to be a little more frugal this year but it saves time and clutter for sure. In the end buying, wrapping and shipping suck up a lot of time and money!

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    1. We do some gift cards, some cash and some small stocking stuffer type items, especially now that we are flying back to Alberta for Christmas.

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  3. I'm in as well!

    I am starting my own challenge to save $25 per fortnight from our food budget to put aside for Christmas food.

    Presents are covered as I have the money put aside for this.

    A friend who has just moved into a new house expressed a desire for a big Christmas tree full of decorations. Can't help her with the tree but was going to go to the $2 shop and start getting her some decorations. While it might seem like a lovely idea to get her started, I think I will check out the thrift shops first and see what I can find (I don't have any decs to give her as ours have been refined over the years and I now only have special ones for my tree).

    No more Christmas cr*p!

    xx

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    1. I am starting to buy the odd bit of food for Christmas too. I have a turkey in the freezer although that might get eaten for Thanksgiving but if so I will buy another on sale. I am so not crafty but if you are making some Christmas decorations for her might be the ticket.

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  4. I've been complying for years practically to the letter! I'm too practical to go into debt and love thrifting too much to buy decorations full price. I've always used last years cards to make tags and saved bows and ribbons because my mother did! Remember the Christmas Clubs of Yore? Now that we downsized a few years ago and are living below our means we actually set aside a monthly amount for our birthday and Christmas gift money and these occasions have become stress free. I applaud your No More Christmas Crap campaign!

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    1. I can't believe until recently we didn't save all year for Christmas - but fortunately had higher incomes to cover it. Now that we live on about a third of what we used to make (by choice, self employment and some parttime work) it is out of necessity.

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  5. What a great challenge! We need a new tree. Or a new used tree. If I start looking now.... maybe I can find one. We have money put aside for Christmas so hoping no new debt when the holiday rolls around.

    Lisa @ Happy Girl Thirft

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    1. I highly recommend Craigslist or Freecycle as it seems often people are looking to get rid of them, especially if you look a few months before Christmas. Cheers!

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  6. What a great idea! I always shop the secondary market, and am a saver anyway, so I'm getting onboard! :)

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    1. So glad you are joining Pam - I love vintage Christmas decorations - Cheers!

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  7. I try to pay for Christmas with only the free money that I get throughout the year. I'm afraid this year that won't be happening. Sad face. I don't think that I'm going to get enough money with all of the credit card points and all. SO I guess this means that I will have to cut back in other areas.

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    1. I think everyone is in the same position this year. We cut back a bit on our Christmas gift budget last year so this year will remain the same although we are no longer buying for some Nephews who are now adults. Our cost has risen as we have air tickets and car rental to deal with as well as a few meals out when travelling back to Alberta.

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  8. I save loose change through the year and cash in credit card reward points to help pay for Xmas. I "buy" gift cards at Rite-Aid drugstore that give Ups Rewards so for buying presents for xmas giving I get free toiletries....so there is always an angle to work.lol
    I have enough wrapping paper to prolly last me the rest of my life and if I need bows/boxes I wait til it's on deep clearance in Jan. I also make furoshiki cloths to wrap gifts which can be reused.

    Last year I spent just over $1K on ALL Xmas spending.....gifts for kids, hubs, a few family members, all food, an experience as a family, postage, charity and a secret santa exchange. I even figured in the electricity for the xmas tree lights.lol

    On our income this amount is very low but I want to cut it a bit more this year. And it is all paid for with cash we have(or put on a card which is paid off in Jan.).

    I love the challenge of seeing how little I can spend and still have a good experience.

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    1. I don't think anyone even noticed we cut back our gift giving expense by 10% last year. We tried to cut a little off everyone's gift and buy items on sale. I like you love living rich on the cheap!

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  9. I make a lot of my Christmas gifts but have definitely cut back on money spent. It seems the kids all have more than they need and when it gets to be a burden, it takes so much of the spirit out of the holidays. So, I think a lot of us have cut back.

    I am your newest follower. Come visit.

    Judy

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