Help! I can’t afford Christmas!

I put a page on the Monroe on a Budget blog during November and December every year called “Help! I can’t afford Christmas!” with tips, lists and links appropriate to the season.

My guess is that more people in southeast Michigan and northwest Ohio will say “I can’t afford Christmas!” in 2009 than in recent years. Monroe County, Mich., has had unemployment past 15 percent at various times this year.

Here is where you can find information and resources on this blog and elsewhere on Monroe Evening News/ Monroe Publishing Co. sites to get through the Christmas season with your wallet intact:

• Start with my holiday archives. While there are tips on surviving holidays throughout the year in that list, the Christmas posts include practical gifts for families on a budget, Christmas dinner-in-a-box programs, how to write a Christmas card letter when it seems like you have nothing to brag about, and Christmas budget planning categories.
• If Black Friday is part of your holiday traditions, then watch for my Black Friday posts.
• I also post sales and deals throughout the week. You don’t have to wait for Black Friday to find a sale. (I rarely shop on Black Friday myself! I usually am working that day and in fact, I expect to be assigned the shopping story this year.) The seasonal savings posts focus more on trends than the sales of the week. And freebies are, well, freebies!
• Holiday events in Monroe County, Mich., area can be found in the MonroeTalks calendar. Many of these events are free or low cost to families. The calendar database is updated with event notices as we receive them at The Monroe Evening News – but keep in mind that some of those announcements arrive to the newspaper office on very short notice!
• If you need to request assistance for Christmas baskets and toys for the children, read this tip list first. Then you’ll be better prepared to respond to the public service notices I post under assistance programs.
• Look for Christmas decor items and maybe a gift or two at the second-hand shops. I found a really neat Asian tea set one year at a thrift shop, and that became one of my daughter’s Christmas gifts.
• The faith celebrations that are part of the Christmas season don’t cost a lot of money.
• If you are unemployed, remember that there are often special programs and discounts just for you. Any cash you can free up for another expense will help you get through Christmas. Look in my archives under unemployment and layoff recovery plan.
• There also are often special programs and discounts for college students, military families and senior citizens that are NOT based on income or employment status. If you meet the criteria for those promotions and they can save you money, use them.
• If you just need a bit of wiggle room in your budget to afford Christmas gifts, the quickest place to start freeing up some cash is with your grocery bill.
• My Christmas gifts under $20 list has been pretty popular.

The picture shown here is of my Christmas tree. I built up a collection of Barbie Hallmark ornaments over the years, and showcase the doll ornaments with pink and gold trimmings that I bought a few years ago. This Barbie tree is one of the ways that my family enjoys our Christmas on a budget.