November is just underway, but that means holiday decorating is right around the corner. Whether you’re one who decorates right after Halloween or wait until after Thanksgiving, dressing up your home for Christmas is fun no matter when you do it. If you’re not careful though, decorations can quickly add up and take a toll on your wallet.
If you’re like me, November and December are two months of the year that you can’t afford — quite literally — to spend money on frivolous things for your home. While decorating my house makes me very happy, watching my children open Christmas presents Christmas morning makes me even happier. I want to put my money where it matters, but still manage to have a festive home. Plus, living with three young boys and a wild dog also keeps me from investing too much money on home decor. I don’t want my children to feel like they can’t play in their own home because I’m uptight about something breaking. Over the last few years I’ve really found the sweet spot when it comes to great decor at a great price. With the price I pay for these items, I don’t feel guilty buying them, and I’m not upset if my kids accidentally break something.
Here are the places I shop to keep the Christmas budget happy:
1. The Dollar Tree
I shop at the Dollar Tree year round for seasonal decor. You can’t beat a $1 price tag on everything in the store. Almost all of my decorative glassware, candles and candle holders, fall pumpkins, and smaller Christmas items around my house were purchased there. Last year I found adorable Christmas village houses that were plastic (you can’t tell from a distance). My three-year-old thought they were fabulous and he carried them all over the house; I didn’t worry about him getting hurt if he dropped one. I always buy packs of ornaments there as well. You can never have too many ornaments. I used them to fill vases and baskets. Some Dollar Tree items can look a bit cheap, but they have a great selection that looks like something you’d buy at Home Goods or Hobby Lobby. If I’m hosting a holiday party, the Dollar Tree is my first shopping stop. They have cute paper goods and pretty decorate serving platters. This is also a great place to buy holiday crafts for your kiddos, even some that come with paint and everything else you might need. The Dollar Tree is my number one go-to spot when it comes to decorating.
2. Target Dollar Spot
If you’re like me, you need blinders on when you go into Target! I’ve got to keep myself laser focused or I will truly break the bank when I go in there! Over the years I’ve found so many cute steals for every occasion in the Target Dollar Spot. With items ranging from $1 – $5, you can’t beat the price. I’ve found everything from mirrors, ornaments, decorative signs, mugs, mini Christmas trees, and so much more in this little section of heaven. This is another location that’s great for year-round action; you can’t beat it for back to school and fall decor. It’s also a wonderful spot to stock up on stocking stuffers, teacher, and friend gifts!
3. Walmart
Another spot on my list that I frequent for decor is Walmart. While it may not be as cheap as the other places I’ve mentioned, you still can’t beat its prices. I love to change out my throw pillows with the seasons/holidays, and Walmart is a great store to find seasonal pillows. I’ve never paid over $5 for them, and that makes me happy as they’re mostly used for pillow fights. Last year I found some beautiful flocked wreaths and garland that made my house look like a winter wonderland, and they were under $10! Walmart is also great for seasonal throw blankets and tree ornaments. If you’re in the market for a new Christmas tree, it’s hard to beat their prices! We’ve bought many live trees there that were beautiful.
4. Yard Sales and Thrift Stores
When my husband and I first got married, we didn’t have many decorations to spruce up our home. I went to many yard sales that fall and loaded up on any holiday items I could get my hands on. Here we are ten years later, and I still used them! I found some beautiful Christmas china, porch decor, and signs to hang up to set the mood for Santa. Last year I bought a beautiful flocked Christmas tree on a Facebook online yard sale. Chattanooga has some awesome thrift stores you can hit up, too. You can find a great variety of quirky, eclectic things in thrift stores. They are another great place to find inexpensive holiday china and glassware.
