As a kid, you probably dreamed of having a second Christmas in the middle of the year. Of course, if you lived in Australia, you may have actually had the chance to celebrate Christmas in July. More recently, many people have decided to pick up this holiday as a way to cool down during the long summer months. Christmas in July doesn’t have to mean another long spending and pricey shopping spree though. In fact, with a few simple tricks you can enjoy Christmas in July on the tightest of budgets. So, don’t stress about the tinsel or the presents, because this Christmas in July is sure to warm your heart without the price tag.
1. Handmade Gifts Only
When it comes to Christmas in July, there’s really no reason to go overboard on the gift giving extravaganza. Rather, you should try to keep things as simple as possible. One easy way to do this is to tell everyone to make their own gifts, rather than spending money on them. This is a great way to keep the kids entertained during summer break and will show them how to put a lot of heart and thought into all of their gifts. You can keep the gifts holiday oriented, like a snow globe made out of a mason jar, or you can base them on the person’s personal interest. The sky is really the limit here, so don’t feel like you have to meet holiday standards. It could even be as simple as having the kids sit down and color a page for their grandparents, or making homemade cards. There’s lots of ideas to choose from online and if you base your idea around the craft supplies you already have then you should be good to go.
2. DIY Decor
Christmas in July doesn’t have to mean pulling out all of your holiday decor for one day in July. Instead, try utilizing the summer decor that you already have up. You can easily make a paper Christmas tree and add it to a beach scene for a cute little decorative item. Another option is to make paper ornaments to hang from a palm tree. You can even hold a contest to see which clever Christmas twist the kids can add to the items that are already in the home. You may be surprised as to what they come up with. Apart from that, you won’t need stockings or anything like that so you shouldn’t have to worry about this type of decor. You could always print out pictures of Santa getting a tan though, for a laugh that the kids will adore.
3. Holiday Show Marathon
One thing that truly makes the holidays special, especially for kids, is all of the holiday shows that air. Rather than spending a fortune on this holiday, it may be wise to take the day to watch all of your favorite holiday shows. If you own them then that will make your life a lot easier. However, if you don’t then there’s still a way to enjoy the fun without spending a fortune. Often, streaming networks will hold onto holiday shows throughout the year, so you could be able to watch some of your favorites for nothing but the subscription costs. Other than that, some TV stations even take part in the Christmas in July extravaganza, such as ABC family. You may also have some luck finding your favorite shows in the clearance bin at department stores. This activity should keep everyone nice and cool too, which is a must in the hot July sun.
4. Christmas Clearance
Another cheap way to enjoy this holiday that may actually save you money in the long run is to shop holiday clearance. A lot of stores aren’t on board with the Christmas in July concept yet, but you may want to look around just in case. Your best bet here it to shop online stores. Usually, these stores will reduce the discount on their holiday decor during the month of July. This will allow you to get some amazing items at a price that you will never believe to be true. If you’re shy on any Christmas items at all this may be the best time in the season to grab larger decorative items like yard blow ups and artificial Christmas trees. Many custom and non-custom holiday cards will be on sale too, so you might want to beat the rush and order now. This will also give you a chance to start filling out the cards so you won’t feel rushed during the busy shopping season.
5. Sales
Although it isn’t particularly related to Christmas in July, there are lots of sales available during the month of July to choose from. This may put you in the holiday spirit already, which will make your Christmas in July feel a little more like the real deal. Amazon Prime is hosting its annual Prime Day, which may make you feel like you’re shopping on Black Friday or Cyber Monday. Even Walmart and Target are getting in on the game to compete, so make sure to take advantage of these sales too. With any luck, you may get a head start on your holiday shopping, which is sure make your life a bit easier when the busy shopping season arrives. Of course, make sure to pace yourself when shopping too as you won’t want to go over your budget or buy items that your kids no longer want by the holiday season.
6. Be Charitable
Just like the holiday season, it’s a great time to get out into the world and share your compassion with those in need. Luckily, it’s a lot easier to find volunteer work during the summer months. You can easily try out some of the work that you would have in the winter, like a soup kitchen and food pantries, as there will be less people in these jobs thanks to the other open opportunities. Summer brings lots of outdoor work to be done too. You can sign up to build homes with Habitat for Humanity, or you can pick up garbage, plant trees or simply mow your elderly neighbor’s lawn. Some locations will even let you volunteer as a lifeguard if you can pass all of the required tests. You may also want to try visiting nursing homes or hospitals to bring a smile to some of the patients faces. Last but not least, donating is always a great option that will help out charitable organizations and those who need a little help.
7. Community Events
Although Christmas in July isn’t widely celebrated yet, many communities are starting to jump on board and organizing events. If you can find a local even this could be a great way to celebrate the holiday with your family without forcing you to pay a whole lot. A lot of communities, or simply just churches, will host a potluck to bring everyone together for a special message, which might be a nice way to socialize and enjoy new forms of food. Some places will even set up little Santa villages, so the kids can check in with the big man mid-way through the year. This can really boost positive behaviors in kids and reminds them they should be good throughout the year, because Santa can always stop in to check out what they’re up to. If there’s no community events in your area, then you may want to consider starting your own. This can be cheaply done with the help of the community and will allow you to show some holiday spirit off.
8. Barbecue Instead
Since it’s Christmas in July, you may want to whip up a roast meal with all of the fixings, which can be a bit of a problem in the summer heat. For starters, the food you would typically get in the winter time isn’t going to be in season, which means the prices may be out of this world. Another downside to fixing up this meal is it will mean using your oven to do most of the work. This tends to heat up the house quite a bit, which means your air conditioning will be forced to run longer and will cost you even more money. Instead of going the traditional route, fire up your grill and get to work. You can fix up all of your favorite barbecue items to enjoy as the price should be much better for the items. You’ll also be able to get great deals on seasonal produce, which will make the entire meal taste even better.
9. Plan Holiday Travels
With the actual holiday season being a few months away now, you may want to take this time to work on holiday plans. You can talk about where you’d like go and what you’d like to do, which will give you a goal to work towards. If you can, you may want to start thinking about booking a few things too. Snagging airline tickets this early will allow you to get an exciting deal, which will save you lots of money in the long run. Not to mention, working on getting a hotel secured can also save you from having to stay somewhere that you’d rather not because of over-booking. It’s also a great idea to get your leave request in for work too, so you can feel confident your time off will be secured and you and your family will be able to have a good time without sweating the small stuff.
10. Start Saving
Another great thing to do to mark the holiday is to begin a bit of savings for the actual Christmas shopping. This will allow you to have a bit of money already set aside, so you can enjoy a little less burden when it comes to shopping for all of your holiday items. There’s lots of ways to put back money that won’t leave your tight budget feeling even tighter. For instance, you can start emptying you change into a jar. Before you know it, the change will add up, which is sure to give you a pretty good amount to work with. You might also want to start up a bad habit jar, like a swear jar. Every member of the family will have to put in money for doing something bad. You’ll be surprised how fast the jar will fill up and how quickly people will begin to alter their behavior. You may also mark this time as a time to move more of your paycheck into savings, so you’ll be ready when the holiday rush begins.
Christmas in July doesn’t have to be as pricey as your regularly scheduled Christmas fun, but it can be a great way to get family together in order to enjoy one another’s company. With a few simple tricks, you can turn this Christmas in July into a celebration the family is sure to want to repeat year after year. So, don’t let tight budgets stand in your way, because there’s still inexpensive ways to have fun during Christmas in July.
