Frugal Winter Fun, How to Save Money this Winter

By Jill (Staff Writer), on December 21, 2009

As we approach the holidays and end of the year, many people are finding their wallets just a little thinner than normal. If you’re trying hard to stay within your December budget, consider some of these winter activities to save money this holiday season. Who said frugal activities cannot be fun and enjoyable?

• Enjoy movies or games by the fire: Staying in with your significant other or a group of friends is one of the very cheapest ways to enjoy a Friday or Saturday night at any time of the year. Doing it in Winter when you can avoid the cold is just extra cozy! It’s often more fun too, since you can actually talk instead of shouting in a crowded (and expensive) bar. For a bonus, you can whip up some homemade hot chocolate. Don’t have a fire? Watch this instead.
• Go caroling: Gather up a group of friends, and maybe a guitar or two, to spread some old-fashioned holiday cheer. If you’re uncomfortable caroling to strangers, you can pile in a few cars and drive to carol for family and friends. But you can make this truly free by skipping the gas and walking around your neighborhood or apartment complex. You might even be invited in for a winter treat or two!
• Volunteer: Yes, volunteering can be fun — and rewarding too. Gather up your family or friends and make a day or evening out of it. You can volunteer to wrap gifts, cook meals, hand out food/presents, spend some time with a child, or many other activities. If you’re not sure where to start, check with your church, community center, or local newspaper for ideas. If you have the money to sponsor gifts or meals for a disadvantaged family, that’s great — but the gift of your time can be just as valuable, and allows you to contribute even when you don’t have money to spare.

Photo by MGShelton via Flickr

• Host a cookie swap: Invite several friends over, and ask each to bring a batch or two of their favorite homemade cookies. Spend some time tasting each, then swap and take home a few of each kind. For the cost of a few ingredients, your guests get to spend time with friends AND take home a variety of festive treats.
• Party at home: Instead of going out for holiday celebrations, host your friends for a potluck or “bring your own” cocktail party. Guests can bring their favorite food and/or liquor. You can end up with a GREAT meal for much less than the cost of a fancy meal out. And just like the game night, you end up having much better conversation in the relaxed setting of home.
• Group gift exchanges: If you get together with several groups of friends over the holidays, and everyone exchanges gifts, your holiday budget can expand quickly. Suggest a Secret Santa or White Elephant instead. In a Secret Santa, everyone draws names and buys a gift for one specific person. In White Elephant, each guest brings one gift. During the party/exchange, everyone draws numbers and selects a gift in order — but you can also “steal” from people who have chosen before you! This doubles as party entertainment, saving you from worrying about a boring party, or spending money on activities.
• Host a snowman contest: If you’re lucky enough to live in a snowy climate, a snowman contest is a great way to get people together and enjoy the winter weather. Invite friends over for an afternoon, spend some time building snowmen (or other snow sculptures!) and have an impartial person or group serve as judges. You can purchase a small treat or gift card as a prize, or just let the winner have bragging rights! You can also have everyone put up a small amount of money (say $2-$5) as an entry fee of sorts, and use that as the prize.
• Make your own holiday gifts: This has the double benefit of being a cheap winter activity AND a way to save money on gifts. The time you spend making will be time that you don’t spend money elsewhere. If you have kids, you can get the whole family involved in simple projects or gift wrapping. For some ideas, check out this post from Wisebread. You can extend this idea to making your own holiday decorations.
• Attend community events: Many schools or community theaters put on excellent holiday or year-end shows for only a few dollars. My high school choir used to do a 2-hour concert for $5 a person. Some events are even free! Check the website of your local newspaper or school district for announcements, and enjoy the performing arts without shelling out the big bucks.

If you want to celebrate the season but just don’t have the money to do it big, don’t worry – there’s lots of fun to be had within your own home, for just a few dollars or even free. As with most things, you are only limited by your own creativity and the ability to plan ahead!

Recommended articles:

• Automate Your Savings Accounts
• How to Have a No-Spend Weekend
• Saving for the Holidays – How Not to go Broke this Year
• How To Have A Wonderful Yet Frugal Thanksgiving
• Best Of 2008 And Wishing You A Happy 2009
• Money Saving Tips for the Holidays Guide eBook
• 50+ Frugal Tips, Ideas, and Resources

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Jill grew up in Texas, graduated from college in 2007 and is currently working in the DC metro area. Jill recently completed a 9-month certificate program in financial planning and will take the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) exam in November. After that she hopes to become a full-time financial planner. You can also find her as a staff writer at My Dollar Plan.

All posts by Jill (Staff Writer)

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