Issue #60, November 7, 2016

Saving Money at Christmas

While it's true that Halloween is barely over, and the kids are still in the throes of a sugar rush, Thanksgiving is less than three weeks away, and Christmas isn't too far behind. And while Christmas can be a fun time of gathering with loved ones, it can also be stressful.

According to the American Psychological Association, the top four leading holiday stressors are:

• A lack of time
• A lack of money
• The commercialism or hype of Christmas
• The pressure of giving or getting gifts

Of course, Christmas wasn't always so stressful. About a hundred years ago, children awoke to find to stockings filled with an orange, a few pieces of candy and a toy. Adults exchanged a few homemade gifts, like a scarf or sweater.

What's happened to Christmas since makes most of us say, "Bah! Humbug!"

All those ads make us feel worthless if we don't shell out loads of cash for gifts. A recent Gallup poll found that in 2015 Americans spent $830 on average for Christmas gift, many of them going into debt to do so. Do we really want to join them?

Fortunately with a little planning you can ease a lot of that stress. Here are some easy Christmas gifts to make that won't break your budget.

Make an Unusual Jam

It might be too late to make rose petal jam, but you can still make blackberry jam. You can even make elderberry jam. Find the recipe here. The elderberries are still ripe in my neck of the woods, and they might be ripe where you live as well.

Place the jam in pint-size jars and then cover the jars with a square of pretty cloth held in place with a jar band.

Make Balms

Balms for the skin, as well as lip balms are easy Christmas gifts to make. You can find a body balm recipe here.

You can also make an all-natural lip balm. In a double boiler, melt:

• 1 tablespoon beeswax pellets
• 2 tablespoons cocoa butter
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil

Then add 20 drops of either orange essential oil or cinnamon bark essential oil. Using a pipette, fill lip balm containers (you can find them here) and place in the refrigerator to harden.

Make Elderberry Syrup

Another one of the easy Christmas gifts to make is elderberry syrup. Elderberry syrup is one of the best and most natural remedies for a cold or flu. Find some on your property, and you have a unique gift that is useful as well as beautiful. Find the recipe here

Make Handmade Soap

Handmade soap is one of the great, easy Christmas Gifts to make. Melt and pour soaps not only make beautiful soaps that smell great, they're fun to do. You can learn how here.

The Paperback Version is Coming!

Both the eBook and the spiral-bound, paperback edition of Say No to the Rat Race: How Homesteading Can Set You Free can be purchased with Visa, MasterCard, American Express and other credit cards or by Pay Pal.

Purchase it or learn more here.

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