Low-cost Christmas decorations may be the way to go, if you're finding this Christmas to be a bit more of a strain on the finances than usual.
This is often a time of the year when money matters hit a crisis point, and people turn to credit cards to see them through, so let's have a look at how you can save some money on the decorations this year.
Christmas decorations are, luckily for most of us, one of those things that you seem to be able to buy and they last for several years. They also don't really go through that much of a fashion trend as most of them are fairly traditional, so, old is good. However, from time to time, we do need to replace them, and that's where low-cost Christmas decorations come into their own.
Now, before going on too much further, it has to be pointed out that what may be low-cost Christmas decorations for one person, could still be quite expensive for another; you have to tailor your expectations to the budget you have.
The first thing to do, when considering a low-cost Christmas decorations solution this year, is to look at what you already have. You've probably still got many of the decorations from last year, so may not have to replace them. Are they starting to look a bit old and tatty? Why not come up with novel ways to revamp them?
If you have some decorations that aren't seen as often as others - due to the location where you normally put them - then why not make up a plan of where they have been in the past and start switching them around each year? Also, mixing and matching existing decorations is a great way to make them look new.
If those changes aren't going to do the trick, then it's time to go shopping.
If you know which decorations just aren't working then you can buy like for like, or if you go for low-cost Christmas decorations you can replace the old worn out ones and get a few more into the bargain.
Start by having a look to see if there are any yard sales on in your area. People are always looking to make some additional money to cover the costs of the Christmas period so there's a good chance that you'll find a few yard sales nearby.
If the yard sales just don't seem to be happening then have a look online at some of the auction sites. Here are a couple of things to keep in mind when buying your low-cost Christmas decorations on an auction site:
Makes sure you know the full retail price first, it's too easy to get carried away and pay more than you would in the shops for it. Set a strict limit on the amount you're prepared to spend, and don't go over it. Find out if you can pick it up, if not how much will it cost to have delivered? And, will it be delivered in plenty of time for Christmas?
Visit the high street shops to see what they have on special offer. In the days when 'credit crunch' were two words that had no chance of sitting together in a sentence, we used to see the sales after Christmas Day had come and gone - now they start at least a week before Christmas arrives.
Some of these sales are a great way of picking up some low-cost Christmas decorations. While they may not be as cheap as getting them second hand, they still offer a great way to pick up some very nice ones that are close to your budget.
There are also a lot of budget shops that offer a fairly impressive range of decorations. While they may not be your first choice to go in the prime spots around the house, if you mix them in with a few of the classier ones you have most people won't realise that they're low-cost Christmas decorations.
How about making your own? There are plenty of craft shops around that will have all of the things you need to create some low-cost Christmas decorations of your own. Take a night to get the family in one place and set them the challenge of coming up with their own decorations.
If the kids normally have decorations in their rooms, and you can replace them with some that they've created themselves, then you can redistribute the others around the house.
There we have it; how to brighten up the house with low-cost Christmas decorations.
Only replace what you have to, and look for yard sales before trying online auctions, and then sales. Switch around the decorations you have so they look different, and mix in any cheaper ones you have so you don't have a clump of low-cost Christmas decorations in one place. If you can, then repair the ones you have, or, get the whole family involved in creating their own.
They may not be glamorous, but there's no need to look cheap with low-cost Christmas decorations. Alan Paterson
