Celebrating Holidays On a Budget

It can be hard to keep from indulging, splurging, and celebrating beyond our means during the holiday season. Advertisements are everywhere, promising you holiday cheer and eternal happiness if you buy expensive presents or subscribe to brand new products. How do we celebrate holidays on a budget?

The best experiences in life are often free. It’s so important to convey this message to our students, especially when they could feel left out of the “holiday cheer” or may not be receiving as many presents or having as big of a celebration as they think their peers are experiencing.

I came up with a list of ideas on how to make the holiday season more meaningful and memorable for myself, and I’d like to share them with you. They help me remember and reinforce the “feelings” of the season: love, kindness, and generosity.

• Sending someone a handmade card.
• Converting children’s crafts, drawings, and school work into decorations or online keepsakes.
• Celebrating family traditions.
• Cooking and sharing recipes with others.
• Hosting a family or friends game night (this can be virtual too!)
• Give gifts of kindness, such as an offer to shovel a driveway or run errands.

For classroom cheer, try out some affordable DIY decorations. A little glitter can go a long way, bringing smiles and the holiday spirit into the classroom!

Learn more about classroom budgets with the online Thrifty Classroom PD course.

About the Author
Ellen Paxton is a respected expert in education and best known as the Chief Learning Officer of Professional Learning Board. As a two-time National Board Certified Teacher, Ellen has successfully published and customized online professional development courses and Learning Management Systems for 20 years to help teachers meet their state continuing education renewal credit requirements. Through ProfessionalLearningBoard.com, RenewaTeachingLicense.com, and ConnectedPD.com. Ellen has established solutions and maintained partnerships with several accredited universities, higher education institutions, teachers’ unions and state Departments of Education while setting strategic direction that makes a difference and overseeing implementation of popular online PD.