by C.L. Bennett

Created on: October 09, 2008   Last Updated: October 20, 2008

In the very best of times, holiday expenses can be a burden expense can be a burden we've all faced. The gifts, entertaining and travel can all lead to empty wallets by the end of the season. With a pinch of ingenuity, and a dab of planning, you can spice up your holiday without overcooking your budget. For a financially guilt free season, try some of these alternatives.

Lavish holiday meals and entertaining are often one of our biggest expenses, and also one of our greatest joys. There's no need to give it up, just try a few of these ideas. Instead of any one household household bearing the burden, turn your meal into a shared experience that all your guests can share in. Have each guest bring a dish that is part of a chosen theme and keep tabs of what everyone is bringing to ensure you have all bases covered. Ask them to bring copies of the recipe as well for swapping! Your guests will enjoy participating and it makes for a wonderful sense of sharing.

Another larger expense can be travel during those peak dates. Often, prices on most forms of travel are cheaper when booked far in advance, or on non-peak days. So try to make your travel plans as soon as possible and you could perhaps consider celebrating with your friends and loved ones a few days before, or a few days after, the traditional holiday date. This could not only save you money, but relieve some of the stress involved in trying to visit everyone on the same day.

Gifts are one of the most enjoyable parts of the holiday and we all take great pleasure in choosing the perfect something for that special someone. But it can sure get expensive when you have a multitude of people to buy for. There are several good ideas for easing the strain to the wallet. Handmade gifts, or a family gift rather than individual giving, are more obvious ways to save. The Secret Santa santa method, where all who choose to participate puts their name in a box and each person selects just one other name to buy for, is one more. You can choose a generous monetary gift limit gift limit if you like, since it's the only gift that needs to be bought. It's fun trying to guess who has your name, eases some of the time burdens for shopping and drastically cuts the overall expenses for gift giving. Another idea is to not exchange gifts with each other, but rather share what you have with a charity that the whole family can agree on. Adopt a senior citizen in need, help the local homeless or battered women's shelters.

So don't let a tight budget hold you down...get creative, start new traditions traditions and have some fun with it while still enjoying the giving nature of the season!

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