I have had my decorations up since the end of November and so I am looking forward to taking them down soon. For me, wrapping up Christmas isn’t just about throwing the baubles in a box. It is about getting ready for next Christmas in order to make it easier. Time and money will be saved this way. Being frugal is about getting the best value out of the resources you have and not wasting them. These are some of the things that I do at the end of this Christmas to help me have a frugal Christmas next year.
1. I save cards, the gift bags, ribbon etc and store them away. The cards will be made into gift tags. I don’t think I have ever bought a gift bag, but each year I give a few presents in them.
2.When I get the boxes and bags out that I store the Christmas things in, there are always some things that I haven’t used this year and probably won’t again. Our tastes and decoration colours change. I therefore give these to charity, gift them, or throw them away in order to declutter. We do keep some baubles that I don’t use inside to put on a couple of trees in the garden.
3. I have always bought cards, crackers, wrapping paper, and gifts I know people will like, in the sales and store them away for next year. This saves at least half the cost. I now have lots of wrapping paper and cards and so won’t need to get any this year. Today I bought a stocking filler for each of my children for next year. This Christmas,a lot of my grandson’s stocking fillers were reduced to 50p last year in the Works shop sale.
4. I organise my storage Christmas bags and boxes before I put them away. All the hamper things are together, all the tree decorations, all the cards, gift tags and paper are in a bag, all the Christmas plates, place mats and table decorations have their own shelf etc. The gifts I have accessible so that I can use them for birthdays if I want to.
5. If there are any items to return to the shops I do that. Sometimes it has been a present that doesn’t fit me, or a present I have bought for some one I haven’t seen. Once I took something back with the receipt and got my money back and then bought my size in the sale and had £12 profit.
6. I buy Christmas food stuff that will last until next year. We always buy our mincemeat and Christmas puddings this way.
7. Any Christmas money left in my budget I put in my emergency or holiday fund, or buy something useful that we have needed. One year I bought a popcorn maker for £5 in a sale, another year a waffle maker. I don’t just fritter. If I want to treat myself later in the year, I can do without feeling guilty.
8.I look at my gift and card list and re-evaluate them. Are there people I have sent cards to that I haven’t heard from? My Mum hadn’t sent Christmas cards for 2 years or lived in her home for a year but she still had loads through her door, despite dying 3 months previously. I chase up those I haven’t heard from to see if they are OK. One year, our close family decided to do a secret santa, and buy one big gift the following year, instead of buying individual expensive small present. This was decided after re-evaluating our Christmas. It saved us all over £100
9. This might sound awful to some but, I also look through my own gifts . I always get toiletries and hand creams I will never use. They are looked at to decide which might be OK to re-gift and keep, and the rest I give away. Last year I ran a bingo session at a women’s group I volunteer with, and my unwanted presents were the prizes. I have done a pass the parcel this way as well. 
10. I keep a diary or photograph and keep a record of what went well, and what didn’t, especially with the food and the hampers.
11. I buy food in the sales like meat (raw or cooked), fish, cheeses,and vegetables that are heavily discounted. We can use them in our everyday meals before Easter. Reduced cream can be whipped and frozen, or made into butter, and so I always look for that. I store or freeze everything. The fact that I can live off mainly left overs for a few months, means that I only need to buy odd staples like flour. Hardly any of my annual food budget gets spent before April and the discounted Christmas food gives us a head start.
I have a cardboard boxes in a cool porch that I am storing lots of the 5p vegetables that Aldi were selling, or vegetables and fruit that I got from the Community fridge on Christmas eve.
12. I freeze all left overs within 3 days of Christmas, and don’t just leave them in the back of the fridge. We wrap them in 2 portion bags. I have truffles without the chocolate covering on that are frozen. We can use them for Valentine’s day or Easter. Mince pies will be used with custard for puddings. This saves my wallet and my waist.
As I take my tree down at New Year, I reflect on the year that hast just passed. Sometimes, initially, it seems like a bad one. I then go through my photos on my phone and have a declutter. This reminds me of all the special times that I have enjoyed the previous year. I then feel grateful and full of hope for the following year, and start making plans for how I can live a rich life, on little money again. How do you wrap up Christmas and New Year?
I get my Christmas cards, wrapping paper and crackers in the sales too 🎄
This is lovely . Thank you it’s stopped me feeling maudlin.
Giving me a healthy focus to start the year with. X
We are so alike thank you for posting it’s a great help
Twins! Thanks for all of your support. Happy New Year.
Very helpful advice! Thank you 🥰
Very helpful advice! Thank you 🥰
I do much the same as you do. We bought some gift bags in The Works last year for 5p each. I also got wrapping paper there in the sale.
We have next year’s Christmas pudding too bought from Aldi Christmas eve reduced.
I make a note of what I gave each person and keep a note of what I had. I had some Christmas socks but I know they will cut into my ankles so as I have no one who I could give them to I will give them to a charity shop.
All our decorations have places where they go and the boxes are stored in the same places each year. I get gifts through the year and put them in 3 plastic containers kept where I can easily get to them. I have several things in them still for future gifts.
That is being really well organised. Happy New Year. Thanks for your support this year.
I am learning so much from your blog. I’m 46 and lucky to be on a good wage but realise how much I ‘consume’ without thought, often buying things I already have or buying fast food because of its convenience. This year I plan to adopt some of these habits to help my future self and the planet. Thank you for sharing.
Good idea. We never know what is around the corner and so it is a good idea to build a good emergency fund.
It’s a late post but may be useful for next year.
I have a small fridge and no garage but at christmas i get the cool box out and the cool packs All the veg get put in the cool box and as long as I rotate the cool packs by putting two in the box and two in the freezer to refreeze, the veg keep very well
Good idea. My conservatory and porch are usually about 4⁰C and so I have a natural fridge, but for peoople with a warm house that would be great. We use a plug in cold box in the car when going away. These aare also useful.
This year we pooled resources to buy gifts for family and I had theatre tickets which sound’s expensive but between everyone it came to £10 each and we will do forever now
Great idea