By Miriam Raftery

December 1, 2008 Holiday season can be a major budget-buster.  Short
of morphing into Ebenezeer Scrooge and avoiding gift-giving or merrymaking,
how can you survive the season without spending more than you can afford?  Here
are a few tips:

DECORATE ON A DIME: 

Avoid spending money on wreaths, centerpieces or
artificial garlands.  Instead, snip greenery from your own backyard.  Pyracantha
branches festooned with bright red berries make striking focal points on tables
or in vases.  Juniper boughs can substitute for pine or cedar boughs,
or ask at a local Christmas tree lot; many will give away trimmed-off tree
limbs.  Dress up boughs with ribbons, glitter, or spare ornaments.

SAVE MONEY ON WRAPPING: 

Gift bags are the green alternatives to costly
rolls of wrapping paper that wind up tossed in the trash.  Shop early
at dollar stores, where you can find even jumbo sized bags for a buck apiece,
far less than in gift shops or card shops.  Other cheap alternatives:  use
stamps to print colorful designs on plain rolls of brown or manila paper.  You
can also use fabric scraps, aluminum foil, tinted cellophane or even the comic
pages from the newspaper to wrap packages.  My Mom, an artist, enjoys
painting plain white gift boxes that stores give out, or using gold fabric
paint to dress up scenes printed on gift boxes purchased at discount stores.

TRIM THE TREE WITH OLD-FASHIONED TREATMENTS: 

Use a needle and thread
to string popcorn and uncooked cranberries into festive garlands.   Bake
gingerbread cookies with a hole at the tops for hanging on the tree.  Be
creative!  We've hung carved wooden birds, miniature stockings, cut-outs
from past holiday cards, and framed children's photos, along with home-made
ornaments crafted by the kids.

GET CREATIVE WITH GIFT-GIVING: 

If necessary, limit the number
of recipients; chances are other adults on your list may be relieved to avoid
the expense of exchanging gifts this year.  Home-made handicrafts, baked
goods, or fruits from your yard have special meaning without breaking the bank.  Offer
a gift of services: mow your elderly neighbor's lawn or offer to babysit for
young parents on your list.  Find fun stocking stuffers for the kids without
setting foot in malls. When our son was little, we once found an entire shoebox
of baseball cards for our son at a cost of just two dollars.  Our daughter
loved glitzy costume jewelry and ornate boxes, all discovered at yard sales
in our area.
Relatives love photos of the kids or grandkids; buy frames at garage sales
for pennies and paint if needed.

ENTERTAIN FOR LESS:  

Revive the potluck custom; it's fun and keeps
expenses minimal.  Bake from scratch instead of bringing in fancy fare.
Instead of serving wine to party guests, offer a champagne punch or sangria
as elegant yet less costly alternatives.   Have a mid-afternoon open
house instead of an evening party; serve appetizers and desserts instead of
a main course.  Invite guests to bring a white elephant for an offbeat
gift exchange.  

GIVE TO THOSE LESS FORTUNATE: 

Remember the holiday spirit!  Even
if you have little money to spare, chances are you can still help people in
need.  Battered women's shelters welcome used books, clothes, and travel-sized
toiletries, such as those shampoos and soaps that hotels give out free to guests.  Homeless
shelters can use extra blankets.  Local drives to help needy families
usually request food, books and toys, but teens in needy families are often
overlooked.  Gift certificates are greatly appreciated.  After the
holidays, donate items such as extra clothes, duplicate items,
or new gifts you simply don't need or want to charity .