LOVE to JUNK: Christmas Budget

Have you simplified your Christmas giving list?

The next step to an affordable Christmas is setting a budget.
It is easy to figure out how much we would like to spend. However, a budget needs to reflect what we can actually afford to spend.

Scott and I have $390.00 remaining in the "gift" portion of our annual family budget. This does not stress me out because I have minimized our giving list, and I have been thinking about Christmas all year.

Our Christmas Budget:

-Our kiddos: $200

-My mom and dad: $50

-Brother and Sister-in-Law: I purchased this at an antique store this summer.

-Grandparents: I have already made my grandparents a scrapbook of a family outing that we took this summer.

-Teachers: $75

-Mail Carrier and Trash Men: $15

We will have $50 left over for Christmas cards and misc.

A would like a Nintendo DS, and O has her heart set on a new pink bike with training wheels. This is where the $200 will be spent.

Here is what else A will be getting this year:

He has been wanting a Chia Pet, and I found this brand new one at a garage sale for $.25

I paid $3 for this never opened box of K'Nex.

He has been begging me to teach him how to play checkers. I gave $.25 for this over-sized checkers game.

I found this science kit on sale at Michaels' for $12.

Here is what O is getting for Christmas this year:

I found this new Twister game for $1.00 at a garage sale.

Complete Lite Brite for $2.00.

I paid $10 for the movie and frame. I think that I am going to write a note from Cinderella and put it in the frame. I can't wait to take a photo to put in this frame this summer.