I can’t tell you how exciting it is to have our first christmas in a real house together! It almost erases all the crazy freak accidents that happened to us this year in the house and the weird sewage smell in the front yard (what IS that??)
Since we bought the house, I’ve been thinking a lot about buying things that are more sustainable for us. Up until this year, we’ve been slowly growing up, moving away from our single days, our rental ways, and into what I want to think of as more permanent residence and buying things we want keep for longer than a year. I guess buying a house has accelerated this process. All of the sudden I wanted to have a house full of furniture that I loved and would want to keep for 6-10 years at least, where in the past we’d bought things for under $100, kept them for right around a year, sold them when we moved (majority of the time for a profit) and started over in each new place.
I bring this up because it’s time to decorate for Christmas and I want to buy things I’ll be able to keep forever. I’m not completely empty handed, because the first year we were married my mom gave me a neatly organized box of ornaments for christmas. She’s one of those very thoughtful kind of people, and I’ll never never forget opening it. I have those beautiful ornaments for our tree but I want to buy more decorations that we can use for a long time. How do you do this on a budget? Maybe the first hear will just be a little sparse?
One thing I love about christmas is the joyful feeling I get when I walk into someone’s home and the whole home has the smell, the look, the feel, the lights, and the warmth of christmas. Those memories are the ones that stay with me the longest. I am on a mission to make our home christmasy on a $50 budget. Ideas welcome and I’ll keep you updated on the progress!
A favorite Christmas CD or music playlist. Be patient. It will all come. Can you start any new traditions? A meal? A gift of an ornament to each other?
One thing that seems to happen is that in no time at all you have TOO MANY Christmas decorations. So I wouldn’t suggest spending $$ on ‘good’ decorations. Buy one item, perhaps, like that — to celebrate the first year in the house or whatever. For everything else, ask relatives if they have extras (I still treasure the ones my Aunt Margaret gave me…they weren’t fancy or expensive, just her ‘extras’…but now that she is gone, they are the ones I want to keep.)
Then fill in with things from Goodwill or make some items.
We have a tradition (started about 5 years ago) that everytime we “take a trip” (loosely defined as anything more than a long weekend and not visiting family) we buy an item for the Christmas tree. Often you have to be a little bit creative to get something that can hang on the tree (e.g. a keychain) but now I think of all of our great memories from those trips around Christmastime. Also, we make a point not to buy ANY souvenirs except for this one item each trip, so that saves on a lot of clutter/unnecessary spending!
Stealing this idea!
My husband and I have done this for 15 years (since we married) and I love unpacking the ornaments. My mother has also given me “meaningful” ornaments every year for the last 20-25 years. I can tell all my phases of growing up, hobbies, etc. through my ornaments. If the house was burning, the ornament boxes would be the first thing I would grab! This is a great tradition to start!
I try to pick up things on clearance after Christmas, for the next year. Do you have a Ross store in your area? They have good prices on decorations.
I think you’ve already got all the suggestions I have.
1 – You just need to start sparse – it naturally adds up over time with gifts and souvenirs (I have a lot of friends who do that too – the souvenir thing when they travel).
2 – We buy all things Christmas on clearance AFTER Christmas. It might be REALLY sparse this year but you can maybe even cut that $50 budget down if you wait to shop in the off-season.
3 – Just slow down and take your time. I’ve absolutely never understood the mindset to furnish or decorate a home the minute you move in. We have been in our home for 12 years and I would say we are just getting there. Why? Because when we bought this house ate age 24 we did not have the means to completely furnish the home with our “forever” furniture. We bought used and took hand-me-downs and lived with what we had. We just updated our living room furniture last year with exactly what I wanted. My home feels complete. But, you do appreciate things more when you take your time. I share because I think it’s an important concept to practice or understand for a debt-free lifestyle. & when it comes to Christmas decorations? We started quite lean and now we have more than we need, for sure. But is never something we spent any amount of money on – just a few decorations here and there on sale, and it starts to add up over the years.
4 – P.S. Do you have a Michaels? I just eat up their after-holiday sales.
Good Luck!
Great suggestions!
We’ve been in our house 3 years and still haven’t fully decorated. I wait and buy things as they strike me and by doing it this way, we have a thoughtful and nicely eclectic decorating style that flows. I’ve incorporated my very favorites from the past 15 years, of course:)
I second the Michael’s suggestion! Just picked up a ton of ribbon to re-do our tree this year for pennies!! We also buy Christmas ornaments while on vacation and everywhere we were stationed in the military. Our tree really tells a “story”.
Hi from Sydney (Australia) Yes sales at good stores is usually the way to go I need a new Christmas tree and will look for a large white one (normally quite expensive) on sale. Because it is hot here we don’t have as many real trees but we try to look after our fake ones and they pay us back because if you are lucky you can get years out of them
Do you have a septic tank? If so it might be time to pump it out.
I’ll second the septic tank pump out idea although if it is smelling, around here that means 1) you are too late and 2) your weeping field is failing.
As for Christmas (a much nicer thought!)….
1. Ask parents for extras. I’m downsizing this year and next year will be in half my space. I have a tree, lights, etc. to pass on. My daughter’s husband doesn’t want a big Christmas explosion at his house (their first place where they are feeling settled after 5 years of marriage) so my daughter only took her decorations (as a child she received one each year) and a few extra things. She didn’t even take my extra tree – she wants it, but he doesn’t.
2. Slow and steady. Don’t rush things. Start traditions like one great ornament a year. Remember if you have pets to buy non breakable ones if you want to keep them forever. Same goes for small kids. I had only non-breakables on the lower branches but that didn’t save the breakable ones when my 15 month old son managed to topple the tree.
3. Look around at things you already own. If your Christmas colour scheme is tradition, scour your possessions for things in red/green/black/white and group them together. For instance, red candles and placemats on the table (and red can be reused for Valentines and a red table cloth could be the base cloth for a red/white/blue themed table on July 4.) Red towels, paired with white towels and a peppermint candle can decorate a guest bathroom.
4. Use bows. I put red cloth bows on the lamp shades, picture frames and valances to dress up a room.
5. Invite people over for dinner or a games night. Most of my Christmas gift towels, candles and baskets have come from hostess gifts! I have a couple of serving dishes that came into my home carrying food but were part of the hostess gift (btw: for those of us downsizing, this is a great way to get rid of extra dishes!)
6. You live in the country. I’m not sure if Texan Christmases have the same sort of decorations as northern ones do but I suspect not (I saw a lot of chile wreaths when I was in New Mexico at farmer’s markets.) Use things on your property to make decorations. I’m northern so I cut cedar and fur boughs to lay on my mantle. A little spray ‘snow’ and some red ornaments and it looks very festive. I’m sure you could do the same but Southwestern themed with vegetation from your property.
7. Candles. Oh, and while you are in the northern area, go for a walk and gather up some pine cones. Combine to make a decoration.
8. Mirror on the table and a glass vase/bowl with glass balls (this is where you could make use of old balls your mom’s been saving that have broken bits where the hanger attaches.)
Start slow. Each year you can add to it.
Always think multipurpose (green for St. Pats, red for Valentines) and go for plain items, not coloured. You only need a seasonal accent piece here or there, combined with plain things (for instance my chairs will have a red or black blanket on it with a Christmas throw pillow.
Be patient, people will give you things.
Think ahead. If it is something you think you will cherish for years, make sure you have a way of using it that allow it to survive children and pets.
BTW: I’m another one who collects something to hang on the tree each major trip (our criteria is that it has to be a country or area of the US/Canada we haven’t visited before.) Because I travel all the time, that’s why we have two trees! The ‘travel’ tree is a joy to put up because I remember each trip as I decorate it (but my home isn’t overrun with souvenirs the rest of the year. The best part about this is that something South African, next to a Pueblo Indian dream catcher, next to a blown glass Czech ornament, next to the clean lines of a Danish brushed aluminum ornament, next to a mini-tin teapot from Morocco, looks great on a tree but if I had something from each of those countries out on a bookcase all year round, it would be jarring.
Do you have pine trees, boxwoods or cedar on your land? Go for free natural elements enhanced with the sale ribbon form Michaels or Hobby Lobby. Branches, pine cones, etc Lights are also inexpensive and add a great punch. Go Slowly. Now after 20 years of marriage, I want to change some things up, so I would not go with expensive except for a statement piece or 2. (My Lenox and Humel Nativities are mine, but a beautiful Santa or Snowman is also a nice idea.) Also, don;t forget thrift stores. I have given the stuff I no longer like to then thrift stores. You could get some ornaments and pile them in a bowl. Fruit and nuts make nice center pieces. Be sure to post pictures!
So exciting to see you turn the corner! A few times this past fall I’ve thought, “are they really on a mission to erase the debt?”! I was meaning to write a comment after the He Said/ She Said post of yours last week and say YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anyways, I bought my home almost 6 years ago now and I STILL have one entire bedroom that’s completely unfurnished. So many times I’ve thought about just spending the cash and getting it over with but then I am able to talk myself out of the nonsense too. There are just two of us and we already have one fully furnished guest bedroom. Whenever we have more than one person over, we just lay down an air mattress.
I like the keychain/trip momento idea.
I find a lot of great ideas on Pinterest. I am making most of my Christmas presents this year. Over the last few years of home ownership, I’ve justified spending my Black Friday money on a little tablesaw, router table, compound sliding miter saw, air compressor and nailer, etc. (not all at once, it’s taken 5 years to get here, one piece at a time). Now I have enough scrap wood (beadboarded the living room and put up crown molding and chair rail) that I’m making an American Girl Doll farmhouse bed for my 7 year old neice!
Check out Ana White’s blog for inspiration on how to make ALL your own furniture for the house!!! (I am totally in love with that lady!)
Our first year of marriage, we had a new puppy that chewed everything. We didn’t want to buy expensive ornaments that would get chewed or broken so we went to the Dollar Tree and bought some beads and a few ornaments. We still have them 15 yrs later and still use them. Great memories. We also put the tree up on a card table so he couldn’t get to it.
Such an exciting time…first Christmas in your new home. Congrats! I wouldn’t worry too much about décor but since you are hosting, I know you want it to look great. Here’s what I’d do:
1) Use as many natural elements as you can from your property-if you have an evergreen tree, you can trim a branch or two, add a ribbon and make a swag for your front door. There are a lot of resources on the internet on how to do these things. You can also google Christmas décor on a budget for more ideas.
2) Get some clear glass vases at Goodwill-you can get some square ones for a modern look-fill them with acorns and twigs from the property (You could also use popcorn kernals for a natural look.) . You can also find a ton of clear glass votives or any candleholders-don’t worry just purchase all clear ones and everything will go together. You’ll fill the votives with some white candles and for any of the candles, you can add a pretty ribbon around it. Just put a bit of tape to tape it on the candle holder or vase and then wrap it around and tape it again-you put the tape side in back. You can use some taller ones and just fill them with ornaments for a pretty look. Group them in groups of three and it’s nice if you vary the heights. Also, look for some unconventional things at Goodwill…maybe you purchase a scrabble game for $.50 and use the wooden blocks to spell out the word Christmas. Check Craiglist for free Christmas items….just buy what you love and use that as your guide. For other décor ideas, you could stencil wood blocks with a letter and spell the word “joy”. I also saw Pottery Barn’s Christmas catalog and they painted the words, “ho, ho, ho” on the ends of the wood for the fireplace. Use your painting skills to make your Christmas décor special. You could also paint your door red for the holidays.
3) Pick you favorite color and purchase all ornaments in that color. So if your color is red for Christmas, purchase all red ornaments, some ribbon in a red check, etc. and things will start coming together. Go with white lights for the tree and candles.
4) If you need a quickie tree skirt, get a red soft throw for $5 and put it around the bottom.
5) Buy one special ornament for your first year. Maybe it’s a house or something. That’s your splurge. You can add a special ornament every year. You could also ask everyone coming to bring one ornament. Just pick a color and tell them to bring one ornament in a specific color or if you like the variety, you don’t need to tell them anything. Everyone would love to do that.
6) There is usually Christmas music on the radio so no need to spend money on that.
7) Bake or make your Christmas smells. Cinnamon rolls are excellent on Christmas morning. Fly Lady has a super easy Cinnamon roll recipe you can make. You can buy the rolls and you sprinkle the toppings on it and leave it in the refrigerator overnight and bake it the next morning. It’s really good. I make my own bread for the rolls but don’t stress over this. You can buy Rhode’s frozen rolls and use them. It’s easy peazy. Also, she has a Holiday Control Journal (www.flylady.net) that is great-it helps you plan everything for the holidays, from decorating to budgets, stress free. You can make a lot of things ahead of time-you can freeze cookies, etc. Whatever you do, do the best you can and don’t stress if it’s not all homemade, etc.
8) Lastly, on our first Christmas as a married couple, money was tight. My husband purchased a set of my good china as a present for me and had it gift wrapped in a beautiful green foil paper with a pretty red ornament on it. I loved it. It was special to me and I remember it with such fondness because he made the effort to get me something I really wanted. My point is to make whatever you do special.
As for furnishing your home, you already know you can purchase some good used furniture for a song and make it into something special. Take your time, it will all come together.
And finally, when you do spend money on your home, whether it’s Christmas time or any other time of the year, buy only what you love. If you do that, everything will go together.
Love the idea of a blanket for a tree skirt! Simple, reusable, affordable.
agree!