The holidays are a wonderful time. They bring friends and families together. They remind you to be grateful and jovial. But they can also be expensive.
The average American spends $1000 on gifts between Thanksgiving and New Year’s holidays. Maybe you spend more and want to spend less this year. We’ve got you.
In this article, we’ll outline some fun ways to have fun alone or with family this holiday season without breaking the bank. Let’s take a closer look.
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#1: Host a Movie Night
Netflix has been releasing holiday-themed movies a lot lately. That’s a good thing. It means you don’t have to watch the same old Christmas films on repeat. Find a new holiday movie. Pop some corn; buy candies for the young ones and give everyone blankets to keep them warm.
Spending an evening with your family also means eating together. You can prepare a nice meal beforehand. But if you want to maximize movie time, order take-outs.
#2: Find and Cut a Real Christmas Tree
If you live around anywhere people celebrate Christmas, you might have noticed that Christmas trees are already up. Mariah Carey’s hit single, “All I Want,” is already topping charts once again.
That means it’s not too early to find a Christmas tree for your family. Now, not everyone has access to a forest with Christmas trees. Some people also have allergens that prevent them from going near wild trees.
But if you have nothing stopping you from finding a real tree for Christmas, plan on a date to do so. For starters, hiking in the woods is really fun. Secondly, it can be adventurous for you and your kids. Just make sure they have the right hiking boots and proper winter clothes.
#3: Watch and Bet on Sports
The sports season is well and alive. Almost every major sport is on TV, from basketball to football. While attending a live game is more exciting, it’s not entirely cheap.
According to the Athletic, the average NFL ticket in the ongoing 2023-24 season costs $577. In the NBA, tickets cost much less ($95). But if you add transportation costs and tickets for friends, you might realize watching games at home is more economical.
Besides, watching sports at home means you can analyze games beforehand conveniently. You can shop for lines and compare the best betting sites provided here without worrying about the noise and crowds associated with NFL games.
#4: Decorate Your Home
You don’t need to be a believer to celebrate Christmas. So, buy a Christmas tree or find a real one as we already mentioned. Set it up and add more décor to make your house beautiful and colorful.
Truth be told, putting on holiday decorations can be time-consuming. So, make this project part of your day-off plans. While it could take a few hours to decorate your house, the results are always satisfying.
#5: Play Family-friendly Games
If you’re like many people, some of your fondest holiday memories involve playing games with relatives. Now, it’s your turn to make your kids’ December memories fun-filled by organizing game nights.
What’s the best game to play with family? You can choose the tried and tested Monopoly board game. Jenga is an excellent alternative and so is Uno. If you’re a parent who enjoys video games, this is your chance to play your kid’s favorite video game together.
You don’t need to pick the most sophisticated game out there. Select an easy-to-learn video game like Minecraft. Then enjoy your time building stuff together.
#6: Watch a Docuseries
YouTube is packed with documentaries about investing, nature, politics, food, history, and comedy. Find a nice documentary centered on something you cherish and spend your boring weekend afternoon watching it.
Some documentaries are really gripping. You can learn new stuff, laugh, and disconnect from the stressful world by doing nothing more than watching a series of documentary videos on YouTube and Netflix.
#7: Learn a New Skill
Want to impress your family this holiday season? Awe them with your new guitar-playing skills. Perhaps you’ve been telling everyone you would love to visit Paris someday. Show them you’re serious by learning a bit of French.
Learning a new skill can take a few hours, days, or weeks. That’s good. It means you can fill up your free time by learning something new and interesting. The best part about it is that taking a new course isn’t exactly expensive.
Language apps teach you the basics at no cost. But if you want to be proficient, you might need to pay $10 or $20 to unlock new lessons. The same case applies to online piano and guitar classes. You have no reason not to learn a new skill this holiday season.
#8: Go Ice-Skating
It might be too cold to swim outdoors at this time of the year. But it’s perhaps the best time to go ice skating. Take your family with you to create memories together or go alone if that’s how you prefer to enjoy life.
Many ice rinks are incredibly busy throughout December. So, don’t be surprised that the prices are up or there are too many people at your local ice rink.
#9: Volunteer to Help Your Local Community
There are always people in need of help at any single time of the year. But now that you have a bit more free time, visit a local soup kitchen and help prepare or serve meals for those in need.
Another great place to volunteer is at your local zoo. Sure, the zoo might be private. But it could use help in cleaning the cages, directing visitors, or feeding the animals.
#10: Listen to a Podcast
Podcasts all are the rage nowadays. Some of them can be diabolical. Others are an inspiration. Dig a bit more to discover podcasts that address your areas of interest. Most of them publish content at no charge to you. This makes it easy to find great podcasts. Keep in mind you might need to pay for premium content on platforms like Spotify and Apple.
