*The header picture is an ornament John found for me at a thrift store last year. For years and years we’ve joked that my childhood Christmases resembled a Norman Rockwell painting (literally singing carols around the tree together as a family on Christmas Eve)… and his were more like the Griswolds. I absolutely love that we now have a fun nod to that inside joke hanging on our tree.
ONE | Many years ago, my mom gifted us a Christmassy night light (which she had won at an event and gave to us; how very frugal of her)! I’ve used and loved it, but Belle has claimed it for her room. So, I went on the hunt for a winter night light to add some cheery glow to a corner of our dining room and found this cute penguin for $2, no tax.
TWO + THREE | I was searching for some specific books for Indy (Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior) at a thrift store. No luck, but I did find a Diary of a Wimpy Kid book he didn’t own (for $1.99, minus 20%). When I opened it up, what should fall out but a plastic sleeve full of “good” Pokémon cards. Guess who asked for Pokémon for Christmas? So for the low price of a thrifted book (which will get wrapped for his stocking), I also got free Pokémon cards (which, you guessed it, will also get wrapped for his stocking).
FOUR | A few weeks ago I was shopping at a local store where if I spent $60, I’d get $30 back in points. I spotted a college student with her arms full of diecast Formula 1 cars and, spur of the moment, asked where she’d found them. She told me what aisle they were in and then—wait for it—mentioned they were on sale for $1.
One dollar!
When I went to the aisle, I couldn’t find them and only persisted because she’d told me the price. I finally located them (hidden away), and the regular retail price was $15!!! There’s no way I’d have paid that, but at $1 each, I bought the four main cars Indy enjoys following in Formula 1.
FIVE | I’ll be vague here because sometimes Belle catches glimpses of the blog, but we found a secondhand item from a coffee shop she’s recently become obsessed with—for a fraction of the in-store price.
SIX + SEVEN* | This year I’ve skipped photo cards (saving loads of money) and am using up my stockpile of Christmas cards—all purchased on sale over the years or gifted to me. Aside from stamps (which admittedly are not cheap), I’m spending $0 to send out Christmas cheer.
*Only as I’m re-reading this post did I realize it’s 6-7. If you know, you know. And you probably know because the whole world is currently obsessed with this number combination. Completely accidental, but funny nonetheless.
EIGHT | I’ve mentioned before that Belle has strong feelings about our lack of a real tree, but an artificial one is much cheaper than buying a fresh tree every year. This is our second Christmas using it; we paid $24, while a local real tree with delivery costs around $40. It may not have that real-tree scent or uniqueness, but it has zero needles and will last for years—a very low sunk cost.
NINE | Once again, I’m using saved “fronts” from Christmas cards I’ve received as free gift tags. I learned this trick from my mom, and it makes me happy to pull out a stack of old cards and repurpose them.
TEN | Along those lines, I don’t splurge on Christmas wrapping. While I admire the aesthetic of perfectly matched patterns and luxe ribbon, it’s not something I devote time, energy, or money to. I keep all the decorative Christmas boxes I receive and reuse them year after year for hard-to-wrap gifts. I grab random wrapping paper on sale at the end of the season and don’t worry if it matches. Somehow, I find the hodgepodge endearing—maybe because it’s the most frugal route? I also keep old tissue paper and brown packing paper from shipping boxes and use those to wrap stocking stuffers.
Okay, that’s a wrap (pun very much intended) on some frugal holiday finds in my life lately.
Your turn.
- Would you ask a stranger where to find a toy that caught your attention?
- What’s your best festive frugal win lately?
- What’s the strangest thing you’ve discovered inside a book or item you purchased?
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Wait, a tree costs $40 WITH delivery? Did you not forget a 1 in front of that number? Because a Christmas tree here costs like $150 (and you have to tie it to the top of you car), and that is for a medium sized tree (maybe six feet). Actually, a tree cost that much 6-7 (ha!) years ago when I last got a tree, I’m assuming they are more expensive now. I got my fake tree for the exorbitant price of $350, but I remember thinking it would almost pay for itself in only two years. Now that I’ve had it for at least six years (I know I already had it in 2020, but I can’t remember how long I’d had it) it’s paid for itself many times over.
But now I’m wondering if our trees are just super expensive, like everything else in California. Maybe other people can chime in and say how much Christmas trees cost where they live? I am so curious now…
So many great frugal finds already and it’s not even December yet. Well done!
I would for sure ask a stranger where to find something that caught my eye. I volunteer at a nice charity thrift store and love seeing what people find when they come to the register with their purchases.
I am frugal about wrapping paper and gift bags. I reuse gift bags and buy most inexpensively at my thrift store. I even iron tissue paper to reuse it. It is s easy.
This year I am gifting homemade “trail mix” (not frugal but well received). I purchased tea towels last summer that have the quote “trail mix = M&Ms with obstacles” on them which gave me the idea.
I think I would live in envy working at a thrift store and seeing all the treasures (wishing it had been me that spotted it).
I have never heard of ironing tissue paper. That is next level. (I told John and he said you and he would get along famously!)
Trail mix is M&Ms with obstacles. That is hilarious.
Wait. IT COSTS $140 for a real tree where you live? I nearly fell out of my chair.
Um, no. I did not forget a 1. That said, we live in a province that is known for Christmas trees (there are Christmas tree farms all over the place), so I suspect the supply helps keep down the price.
I don’t miss the real tree…at all. It is just so much extra hassle and I always worry about the fire hazard. But Belle does not agree 😉
Love your frugal finds 😊 we also have a fake tree, and the kids never complain.
Over here, they get toys for Saint Nicholas and clothes and books and experiences for Christmas. So far, several toys/presents/new pj’s have been bought at second hand stores and via Vinted. We’re still looking at buying Lego sets second hand (our youngest has gotten into Harry Potter). And our youngest put a microscope on her wishlist, which I’m getting from another friend as her child doesn’t use it anymore.
I also put things on my online wishlist, so I get a ping if it’s lowered in price.
And I also like to do fun personalised advent calendars, so I generally look for those at the beginning of the year when they’re discounted!
I grew up with only real trees (my parents had a family member with a Christmas tree farm, so for Christmas every year they would give us…a Christmas tree).
Until we moved into this house, John and I have always had artificial, but Belle had gotten used to the real tree. It felt like such a treat for me to have a real tree, but I have to admit that it was more work than I anticipated. I was always worrying about it falling over so we would brace it and then it DID fall over.
What a great find with getting a hand-me-down microscope. I hope she loves it!
And I don’t think our kids have ever been disappointed to get LEGO. Such a classic gift and it shows up under our tree every year, too.
Your thrift finds are unbeatable! Pokémon cards falling out of a book and $1 Formula 1 cars – so typical you!
I like how you actually use what’s already in the house, cards, wrapping, all of it. Your mindset saves a lot of money in the long run, more than you think!
For a few years I bought hand-painted candles here in Cape Town to take back to Switzerland. People loved them, but at about CAD 10 each it was quite pricey. Then I had the idea of contacting the maker directly instead of buying it in retail. I bought 300 candles in bulk at a fraction of the price, and now I always have a solid, affordable gift ready to go!
Trust me, not all the gifts are that cheap this year. Belle made a slideshow of the things she wants and most things are over $100. The older kids get, the more expensive their requests become.
What a great reminder that these little savings habits add up over time!
That’s genius to reach out to the source! You should be set for candles for…a long time!
Wow, those Pokémon cards were quite a bonus!
Years ago I mentioned to a thrifty friend that I was trying to get all the Harry Potter books for my 4th grade classroom and he very quickly sourced the whole series from a few thrift stores. One day I noticed that a student appeared to be in shock after opening one of the “new” HP books — turns out my friend unknowingly bought a book signed by JKR!! (I should note this was well before JKR made her opinions about gender known to the world.) At the end of the year I ended up giving the book to the student because she read through the series multiple times that year. 🙂
A SIGNED Harry Potter book. That’s incredible. What a wonderful gift for that student.
I got a real tree for the first time last year and I was obsessed with it. Checked its water and needles daily and felt like it was almost a family pet. For the entertainment it provided me it was well worth the investment haha.
This is so heartwarming; I love the idea of treating your tree like a pet! It can be a lot of work! But investing time and effort into tree care really does pay off in terms of longevity!
I have only had 1 real tree during my lifetime and that tree fell over on my father when he was laying on the recliner! It was memorable, but I am not itching to get my own real tree. And – gasp – I actually do not like the smell of pine. I find it kind of cloying…
My biggest way we save money at the holidays and birthdays is just plain not buying many gifts. Gift buying is such a personal decision so I do not judge others that buy a lot for their families. But we prefer to keep it simple – and our children are fortunate to get a lot of gifts from other people in their lives. Will’s bday is next week and he will get a LEGO set (which is a donut food truck – the perfect gift for our donut obsessed boys!) and a Lite Brite from us. It feels a little sparse to only give him 2 gifts but I know he’ll get a lot from his grandparents plus a few things from his aunts and uncles. The kids don’t feel slighted by what they get for Christmas or birthdays. I think their celebrations still feel special. Our tree will not look abundant – well, until my MIL arrives… But that is ok.
What a win to find Pokemon cards in a book purchased 2nd hand! I can’t think of anything interesting I’ve found in a book!
We have had two bad mishaps with real trees (one year the base was still full of water but we didn’t realize that and it flooded our floor when we were taking out the three)…and then two years ago our tree fell over and that was horrific.
The absolute best way to save money at Christmas is to skip gifts!!! And I think it’s so smart to get your kids things you know they’ll love and appreciate without cluttering up their lives (or draining your bank account). And I’m sure your MIL loves to not have “competition.”
We actually do have A LOT of gifts at Christmas, but we also give our kids a lot of things that they need and I just save those up.
Not only does frugality save money, it leads to the best stories! No one has ever found Pokemon cards in a new book.
“No one has ever found Pokemon cards in a new book.” Mic drop, Birchie. What a great perspective.
I love this!! I’ve been thrifting throughout the year and have some things hidden in my closet. I need to pull them out and see what all I have for the kids Christmas gifts before I start thinking more about additional gifts! But since Thanksgiving is tomorrow I’m waiting on all Christmas tasks!
Love the idea of using your stockpile of cards!
My kids are still oblivious to a lot of things/not really obsessed with Legos/Barbies/etc. This year their list includes a lot of practical items (alarm clock, umbrella) that they REALLY REALLY want. It must be something about the age?! IDK? But it seems frugal because we’d probably buy it anyways!
I often forget what I’ve picked up along the way over the year! I really appreciate having a little stockpile, though.
YES! We often buy things the kids need or practical items that would be useful to have around the house. We also tend to buy certain treats only at Christmas (like Nutella). It makes it more special AND it helps fill out their stockings.
I hope you saved my card for a gift tag, and someone gets a gift with our family picture on it. I’m just imagining John “who are these people?”
Elisabeth. Elisabeth. You would be disappointed in me. I went to Costco yesterday and I said before I left that I had plenty of Christmas wrapping paper from last year, and that I wasn’t going to buy any more. Guess who came home with a three pack. From Costco. I won’t need Christmas wrap until I get the seniors’ discount at Shoppers’.
That is the only downside of photocards. Alas, I do NOT reuse those, though now that I’m thinking about it…how hilarious.
It reminds me of how at our school bazaar (where kids can “shop” gently used items families donate) they often wrap gifts in newspaper. I had to laugh when Belle brought ALL OF OURS HOME WRAPPED IN THE OBITUARY SECTION.
Costco wrapping paper is hard to resist and you’re right: you’ll be using it for decades to come!
You could buy a small table top tree for Belle- live tree, plant outside once holidays are done. We would get one from a school fundraiser; the ones I sent my dad thrived (though ours never made it past April).
I did buy a set of noisecanceling headphones that were an amazing deal. I don’t know who will get them yet. Mostly I’m ignoring Christmas.
Could you have found the coveted bear mug? Probably not- I can’t see those being thrifted- nor you spending $$$ to buy one.
She has a little artificial one in her room and loves it; she mostly has a gripe that our main tree is artificial. Though I love the idea of getting a small tree and then planting it in the spring!
I have not found the coveted bear mug and I will NOT be buying it!
We haven’t had a real tree in so long, I don’t know how much they cost, but I suspect Noemi’s guess is about right. They bring them here from hundreds of miles away. I bought a wreath for our door for $30. I can’t say now to the Boy Scouts that sell them.. I’ve tried.
You’ve made some great finds! I have pretty much paid full price for everything, but there aren’t any toy people around anymore. I do save my wrapping paper, and trying to make it match seems silly to me. I LOL’d at Nicole’s comment about the card. I also use cards as gift tags, but of course you can’t do that when they are photo cards.
Eeks. That’s a pricey wreath, but there is something so lovely about fresh greenery. I suspect I’d pay almost that where I live. For some reason, wreaths aren’t much cheaper than trees.
Well, my frugal five aren’t Christmas related, but
1. Hitched a ride with husband to the big city to shop at Aldi
2. Also hot up the big Goodwill
3. Using the regrowth onions and windowsill basil in cooking (yay for gardening indoors!)
4.shared some spools of thread with my mother in law who sometimes mends things for us
5. And found some pennies
Unabridged version here: https://practicalwalk.com/2025/11/24/frugal-five-19/
Yay for frugal things! It’s such a wonderful sense of accomplishment and I love the diversity of your types of saving.
Yes, I was also astonished that a real tree costs $40???? Yep, add a “1” in front of that here. I loved this post, but am reading it on the morning where we’re bout to go spend the big bucks on a real tree, so I’m a little cranky. i would be perfectly happy with an artificial tree, but the real tree is a family tradition. When the kids are older (like, out of the house and not coming home for Christmas every single year) we will definitely transition to artificial.
The frugal things I do every year are- I buy wrapping paper and Christmas cards in January. Other than that, Christmas is going to be expensive. SIGH!
It can be hit and miss finding nice paper and cards after the holidays, but our local pharmacy tends to have cute cards at affordable prices and after using up my stock, I will head to replenish them as soon as Christmas is over!
There is a special magic about a real tree, and I know your family loves the adventure of it all! Good luck and hopefully it will cost a bit less than $140???
The Pokémon cards were such a find! My middle child works at a library and often finds things left behind in books. She always turns items in to lost and found, but once got to keep money that no one claimed.
I’ve always reused cards as gift tags and reuse all gift bags!
I wonder if I’ve ever left money in a book…I’m thinking no??? I have found $5 in a book, though! Earlier this year.
I have not started any Christmas decorating as I’m into Thanksgiving, so I’m working on that. Plus it is our wedding anniversary, so I have to make sure my husband gets some attention. LOL
I thought I finished the painting of my kitchen and dining room, but I found spots around the can lights above my cabinets that I missed. So once I go back and paint those few spots, I can put all the painting stuff away and finish cleaning up. The 2 cans of paint were mistints, so we got $60./can paint for $10. a can. There was only a small shade of difference between the 2 so we mixed them together and it came out really nice. But that is what happens when you buy really good paint. It also makes the trim look bad, so I will be painting that this winter.
As for Christmas wrapping paper, I bought 3 HUGE rolls at Costco over 10 years ago. With the downsizing of gift giving, I still have plenty of wrapping paper left from those HUGE rolls. And 2 of the rolls even have reversable paper, so I can always flip the paper too.
Happy anniversary <3 That's a very busy stretch of celebrations.
I LOVE when I get reversable paper. Having options is fun and they usually coordinate so well (the two sides).
We’re reusing the stockpile of art cards the school does a fundraiser. I wanted to do a photo card this year as I’m not on social media, but cannot be bothered. Plus…. we may have forgotten how expensive it is to move? Nearly fell off my chair when I got the realtor estimate…
Everything suddenly seems SO expensive 🙁
It’s almost $2/stamp to mail cards to the US now. When did this happen?? Eeks.
I feel a pang of regret about not doing the photocard but only because I don’t have a copy for continuity. It definitely saved a lot of money!
Lots of thoughts, none in response to the prompts, and as always, questions:
1. Who are the Griswolds??
2. Why do people love to ridicule Norman Rockwell type gatherings? I want just one of those in my lifetime! Just one. . . please?
3. I would have had zero idea what those Pokemon cards were and just tossed them!
4. Cards in the mail—happy smile, thank you! (It arrived Tuesday, November 25)
5. What is the reference to six plus seven?? “The whole world” apparently doesn’t include me.
6. Never have I ever bought wrapping paper. I’ve used newspaper, inside-out brown paper bags, reused wrapping paper and tissue (and yes, ironed both), reused gift bags, always relied on a giant roll of brown kraft paper bought for framing and for gift wrap when my studio was public, used twine, raffia, and second hand ribbon (ironed on the edge of the wood stove), tied in little silk flowers (2nd hand, of course). But I have bought rolls of ribbon (and found some 2nd hand) because white looks so pretty on brown kraft (wedding gifts), red for Christmas, blue for everything else, and teal because it’s my favorite color.
7. I save non-photo cards to use as package tags and to make little origami boxes, which work well for tiny gifts. Those non-photo cards are becoming rarer than hen’s teeth.
8. The last time we had a Christmas tree was the year before we had kittens in the house; once we had indoor kittens, there was no way a tree would have been a good idea. I miss the smell (of the tree, not the kittens). Real trees are probably $80 each now here in town from the Lions Club fundraiser; that’s just a guess, because I don’t look. Since Christmas lasts about a nano-second when we don’t participate until a week or 2 (or even 3) after Thanksgiving, it just doesn’t make dollars (teehee, sense/cents).
Getting silly here; stopping now.
1. Who are the Griswolds?? It’s the family from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. It’s not a movie I actually enjoy that much, but it’s a cultural touchpoint for a family that is moderately dysfunctional at Christmas.
2. Why do people love to ridicule Norman Rockwell type gatherings? I want just one of those in my lifetime! Just one. . . please? I had very lovely Christmases as a kid and I am THRILLED that someone compares my Christmases to something from a Norman Rockwell painting.
3. I would have had zero idea what those Pokemon cards were and just tossed them!
4. Cards in the mail—happy smile, thank you! (It arrived Tuesday, November 25) Yay! I’m so glad.
5. What is the reference to six plus seven?? “The whole world” apparently doesn’t include me. It is a cultural reference that makes no sense (I think it started with a basketball player that was 6 foot seven. It is literally saying the two numbers 6-7 in a sing-song voice. It has become a global phenomenon for no good reason.
I love the aesthetic of ribbon on brown paper. So classic and goes with every colour combination!
I think unless we ended up having someone develop a pine allergy we’ll stay in the real tree crew for now, despite it being more expensive. We don’t really do any other pricey Christmas traditions and the kids LOVE the experience of going to the farm and taking the (included in the $50 for a tree) tractor ride out to the field, picking it etc. it feels like we’re paying for the fun outing and the tree and for now it’s worth it. If we were just picking one up from a lot though I would be HUGELY tempted to just get an artificial one!
I’m not sure this is a truly frugal festive thing but the kids are getting the new bedding they need as a Christmas present instead of just getting it randomly. I bought the duvets secondhand, but couldn’t find good quality duvet covers secondhand, so I bought those new. Went with the fun/cute ones to make them feel more like a present LOL
What a wonderful tradition! I am NOT attached to getting a tree (cutting it down myself, etc), but I know so many families who look forward to the event all year long. I think it’s a great investment if it brings joy. Yay!!!
We often give our kids things they need and sometimes upgrade it slightly. It’s a great way to cut two carrots with one knife 😉
I love this Elisabeth! I’m especially impressed with your haul on the little cars! I’m glad you asked the lady where she found them, and that they were on such a great sale. I don’t know if I would’ve asked…I’m rather shy…but it would depend on if the lady looked friendly, and I’m guessing she did. I love an artificial tree because it doesn’t drop needles all over, and it doesn’t arrive with spiders in it! In my family, we’ve reused gift bags so many times, they look terrible, the handles are taped on, and they aren’t guaranteed to actually hold the present securely!
The person looked friendly but I didn’t imagine they were only $1 in my wildest dreams!
Every few years I feel like I have to toss a selection of gift bags that have been used one too many times!
I am NOT great with frugality, but I DO cut up holiday cards and use them as gift tags! I have also begun using wrapping paper to make my own bows instead of spending money on separate bows. It takes time but I find them very satisfying and pretty.
Your card arrived!!!! So pretty! I haven’t done photo cards yet this year… maybe I will skip them this year?
Wait. You make your own bows???
Not that you need it, but consider this my full permission to skip Christmas cards this year!
The Christmas ornament found its way to you and I love that. What a fun connection. I cannot think of anything seasonal that I’ve found lately that was a frugal find. I haven’t exactly been looking either, but I did order my Christmas cards earlier than ever before (suddenly I’m thinking – hey this counts!) and I got like 70% off and free shipping. I’ve had to pay for shipping in the past. A woman gave me a bag of hand me down boy clothes for Reg like 15 years ago. There was a wad of cash in the pocket of the sweats pants that Reg loved. He was four years old. I gave the woman back the cash. Apparently his grandparents liked to give him money, and she thanked me for returning it. It was probably in that pocked for a good 5 years because this kid was so much bigger by then. 😉
Finding money in pockets is such a delight. I used to purposefully leave a $20 in my coat pocket at the end of the winter, but after I did it a few years (and forgot), I started to remember and it wasn’t magical anymore.
But finding a $5 in a book a few months ago was SUCH A thrill.
Great work on getting such a wonderful deal on your holiday cards. They can be so very expensive, especially if you have to pay for shipping.
Okay, the book with the Pokemon cards in it? Miraculous. We bought an artificial tree last year – in two more years it will pay for itself, and without the kids home it was more of a pain than a pleasure picking out the real one.
I cut up Christmas cards for gift tags too. Years ago my sister made us all a bunch of festive cloth gift bags. If I want to use some of the gift wrap I still have (but feel guilty about) I wrap the present in brown craft paper and just cut out a piece of fancy stuff for the front.
Love the idea of cloth Christmas bags. We have one? Maybe two. I should keep my eyes open for it. I do have a few pieces of Christmas fabric that I wrap around odd-shaped gifts and tie with a ribbon. Which makes me think…I could look at thrift stores for some nice fabric and/or holiday tea towels etc to add to my stash for fabric wrapping. It’s easy and environmentally friendly!
I just buy wrapping paper at Costco like the rest of our family so our wrapping paper does sort of coordinate? LOL.
I am with the first commenter who asked about how you can get a real tree for $40. We had to rent a UHaul and then pay almost $100 the last time we got a real tree. We have an artificial tree now because something about the real tree irritated my eczema. I can burn a pine-scented candle if I want the smell!
Eeks. That is an expensive tree.
It costs us $5 extra to get it delivered. Granted we didn’t buy a real tree the year before but it was $30 or $35 in December 2023, plus a $5 delivery fee which was SO worth it.
We bought an artificial tree when we moved into our dream forever home 33 years ago, splashing out what seemed like a huge amount at the time, over £100 in 1992. But although it looks a little the worse for wear it will be making another appearance this Christmas, its 34th, and I still love how it looks. £3.40 a year isn’t bad, is it?!
That is an excellent ROI, Katherine!
I confess to loving wrapping paper, and squirreling away designs I like – then picking and choosing come wrapping time. Last year I wrapped all my niece’s presents in one paper (pink snowmen) and all of Mr’s in another, etc. I love the way a hodgepodge of patterns looks under the tree. This year I splurged and got some of the chicken paper at Tractor Supply – on sale, but still more than I sometimes pay. It’s just so cute though! lol
I think the only thing I’ve found in thrifted books has been old newspaper clippings … at the Library we once had a book returned with a baby tooth in it though! In a plastic baggie, but still. A TOOTH in the library book. Weird.
This sounds lovely. I think pretty wrapping paper is an utter delight and I heartily support people leaning in to things that bring them joy.
I hope you post pictures of the chicken paper!
A baby tooth. Eeks.
I love your frugal Christmas things… it’s a reminder that small things can make a real difference. The nightlight is supercute and I am a fan of mixed wrapping paper (I always save it, too.)
Wow, great finds and ideas, Elisabeth. I bought a 6′ artificial tree for around $40 ten years ago. It had the most beautiful flocked branches that made it look like it was covered in snow. All these years of packing it up and unpacking it have taken most of the flocking off but I still love my tree! I use Pine scented wax melts to give the house that “Christmas tree” scent 🙂
I have a few Scentsicles on the tree to help recreate the outdoorsy smell!