– Rev. Lynn Benson, Director of Legacy Giving, UMF
(to the tune of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas)
Have yourself a frugal little Christmas,
Put your credit cards away.
Next year you’ll be glad to not have to repay.
Have yourself a frugal little Christmas,
Let your spending be light
Otherwise, the finance charges will be out of sight.
Once again as in olden days
Happy golden days will mount
Because you didn’t overspend
Nor overdraft your accounts.
Someday soon we will all be out of debt
If we stay the course
Until then, our budgets we will have to be enforced
And have yourself a frugal little Christmas now.
Christmas can be expensive. Jen Hayes, of JenHayes.me, and her husband were buried in $117,000 of student loan debt. Now they’ve paid off over $100k of debt, and they’re on track to have the rest paid off by the end of this year. I found her tips from her post most helpful. Listed below are a few of my favorites; for her original post, go to https://www.jenhayes.me/have-yourself-frugal-little-christmas/
Tips for a Frugal Christmas
1) Search for bargains: wrapping paper, cards, bows, tape, gift tags, decorations, and more can all be purchased cheaply at places like grocery stores, dollar stores, and eBay.
2) DIY: it’s the thought that counts, right? Make a big batch of things (cookies, cupcakes, soaps, bath scrubs, etc.). Wrap the handmade gifts in pretty boxes or baskets and you are done!
3) Coupons: why pay full price if you don’t have to?
www.DontPayFull.com can be a great resource (all year ‘round).
4) Budget carefully: know what you have to spend and stick to it.
5) Don’t overspend on food: if you’re hosting the party, make it a potluck – it makes for a nice mixture of foods and costs lots less.
6) Sell stuff: why not? Folks are looking for gifts and you probably have some things you could sell (eBay, Marketplace, etc.). Clean out your closets and earn some Christmas cash at the same time.
Your UMF will be offering a new budgeting course for clergy persons beginning January 10, 2023. Saving Grace is a wonderful 7-week program that can help you start the new year with practical material to implement for a more financially faithful future. Clergy can sign up for this course at our website,
https://umfnc.org/saving-grace/