At the stroke of midnight on Halloween, many people immediately begin to think of Christmas. The decorations, the gifts to buy, and the magic of the season.
But for frugal planners like us, we can’t forget about one important step between those two holidays. And that is, of course, Thanksgiving!
Those of us who love Thanksgiving enjoy the simplicity of the season. It’s a time to pause and give thanks. And the only thing we need to really plan for is one meal.
But that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to save money on this holiday!
Let’s talk about some simple ways to save on Thanksgiving dinner!
This week I managed to spill coffee on the top of my head.
That’s not relevant to saving money (I mean, ok, I did brew it at home!), but after a week of being sick, that seemed like a good mental image to show the kind of week it’s been. 😉
Luckily it wasn’t all awful. I did manage to find a few ways to save money!
Being in debt puts a damper on a lot of things. But the holidays can seem especially hard!
Between feeling obligated to participate in every tradition, event, and gift giving opportunity and the fact that most of your friends seem to take part in every one of those things, it can make the season feel depressing.
Time to reframe that attitude!
The holiday season is the best time to put on your attitude of gratitude! Christmas should be about so much more than just spending money!
And if you can raise yourself up this time of year, imagine the great things you are setting yourself up for! A fresh new year with less debt (especially if you have a habit of financing gifts on the old credit card).
And, if you can beat that debt, your future Christmases can be times of less stress.
Some weeks are just rough. Life decides to take you for a ride, and you have no choice but to follow along.
That’s been the last few weeks for us. We’ve dealt with a quickly scheduled surgery, a funeral a couple of states away, a birthday party, school functions, and the chaos of regular life.
There was a time when the fact that I couldn’t find ways to save money during the hustle and bustle of life would have added an extra layer of stress.
And to be sure, I don’t enjoy wasting money on things like fast food and other conveniences. But I’m so glad it’s an option available to us when life is tough!
Looking for cool gift ideas for everyone on your list? This gift guide has ideas for all of them! Affordable options they’re sure to use and love!
Finding just the right gift for the people you love the most can be so hard! You want something they’ll enjoy, that won’t become clutter within weeks (or days!), and affordability is a must.
That’s why I pulled together this list of cool gift ideas! Everything here is something I will give to a loved one this year.
Reading through gift guides filled with $100 (sometimes $500!) ideas is always discouraging. I don’t consider spending $100 on one gift to be affordable…and I bet you don’t either!
No, this list is more realistic. But it’s also filled with interesting ideas, so they don’t already have 3 versions of the same thing!
Ready to go? Let’s check out these awesome gift ideas!
Finding the right inexpensive Christmas gifts that still show how much you care can be tough. But this list of unique ideas makes it easy!
Remember in the Little House on the Prairie bookswhen Laura receives the inexpensive Christmas gifts of an orange and some candy? One year she even got her very own tin cup to use!
And the year that she received her rag doll was obviously special to her.
Think about that. Do you think your kids could even tell you what they got for Christmas last year?
The season has morphed from a simple celebration to an over the top holiday. Even if you don’t long for those Little House on the Prairie style days in your home, you probably like the idea of cutting back a bit.
Your Money, Your Marriage is the perfect book for couples who fight about money. Don’t risk your marriage! Put the practical advice in this book to work.
Tackling debt is a subject near and dear to my heart. Our family used our #yearofno motto to help us destroy tens of thousands of dollars worth of credit card debt. So anyone else who has fought hard against debt feels like an ally!
That’s part of what makes me such a fan of The Queen of Free. Cherie Lowe and her husband paid off $127,000 (!) in debt! And they managed to stay lovingly married through the fight.
You probably know that money fights are one of the leading causes of divorce. In fact, it’s likely something you’ve struggled with in your own marriage at one point or another.
There’s a new (to us) vehicle sitting in our driveway right now, which means I’ve official started baby shopping. 😉
With baby number 6 on the way, we’ve been on the hunt for an affordable 8 passenger car. It’s almost like seeing a unicorn to find something that seats 8 on a used car lot!
That means I’m feeling a bit of sweet relief over having this chore behind us.
Although…now we have to sell one of our other cars. So there’s that.
I'm Jamie, and I want to help your family learn how to save money without that "martyr" feeling. Learn more.
Get the Book That Will Stretch Your Budget!
Click Here To Get Your Chart
Medium Sized Family is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
Want More Money Saving Tips?
Get ideas that will stop frustrating money leaks so you can get what you really want out of life.
Your information will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party.
I'm Jamie, and I want to help your family learn how to save money without that "martyr" feeling. 
