Post-Christmas Frugal Tips

So the great excitement is over! It’s post-Christmas.

You have eaten perhaps your fair share of food and also a couple of other people’s worth too. Santa has come and gone. You’ve unwrapped all your gifts and ‘ooed’ and ‘ahhed’ over them. You have used more electricity than you needed to. You are left with tons of rubbish and a house to restore to order.

So what do you do? Think! Think!

Joleisa to the rescue!

Put your frugal hat on and together let’s save the day. Here are some frugal tips to deal with the ‘leftovers’ from Christmas.

1. Put to use as much of the cardboard and wrapping paper as possible. If you have somewhere safe to store these, then do. The wrapping paper, if in good condition can be reused next season and you will need some of the cardboard for the kids’ school projects. Remember also that unused cardboard torn into smaller bits can be quite useful in a compost bin.
2. Just so that you don’t go spending money on lights, baubles and Christmas decorations again next year, make sure that the ones you just used are sorted and stored away in clearplastic boxes with a fitted lid. Even better, the boxes should be labeled with their contents. What better way to get organized for next year.
3. You certainly have some leftover food which would be absolutely sinful to throw away. Check to see how you can reuse the turkey, the potatoes, and even the gravy. Pinterest has an endless supply of recipes for you to check out. Click the link below to find my favorite recipe that makes use of leftover Christmas food.
4. I know that most of you would have eaten way too much! So now it is time to decide what to do with those extra calories. Well, exercise should definitely be on the cards. There will be lots on sale now in the way of exercise equipment and in fact, I have checked and these are really good deals so check them out. I personally have my eye on this machine which will allow me to use my laptop to do my work and also work out at the same time. Wouldn’t you like one too? 
5. Start on an energy saving drive since for the past few weeks you have been using extra electricity with all the lights and Christmas decorations you have had up and all that extra cooking. Switch the lights off when not in use. Do not leave the computer on if not in use….in fact, anything that uses energy of any sort should be switched off if not being used.
6. Here’s a good one. What do you do with those gifts you have received that you don’t want? There is no sense in keeping them to then throw them out at a later date. Even without the receipt some stores will take the item back and will give you money back or some item in return or even a gift card. It’s not being mean, it is being sensible and frugal. You know what else is? Actually using things gifted to you as gifts for others. Just make sure to make a note of who you got it from so that you avoid the embarrassing mistake of giving the gift back to its original giver.
7. The Christmas cards will need to be dealt with too. I enjoy sitting and cutting off bits that can be used as gift tags or as parts of home made Christmas cards. I don’t need to buy cards at all, and I find it quite therapeutic to sit, gather all my bits and have a creative card making the session. My friend Gentiana who introduced me to card making should be so proud.
8. We would strongly suggest that you find time to sit around with the members of your family to reflect, give thanks, and to make plans/set goals for next year. If you never do this, you are truly missing out, and likely to make some of the same mistakes again and again as a family.