Thrifty Thursday-Week of Holiday Thrift Blogmas Day 3

From Article in Money to avoid Holiday Debt

 I'm veering away a little bit from my regular Thrifty Thursday posts and looking at my holiday budget  including time, resources and money. For all of us, it is important to remember not to overextend ourselves during the holidays and it applies to all my thrift categories-time, resources, and money. How am I maximizing  funds, shopping small and local as much as possible, while admittedly, knowing that won't always be possible and deciding to be Ok with that.  I also continue my quest to reduce waste and find things to do with my time in this Stay at Home world that won't break the bank or  the couch with the weight of me being a potato. Here's my thrifty wins for the start of my family's holiday season.

Time

• The four day weekend was some of the best time off I have had for a long while. While we had power cleaned and cooked for Thursday, Friday-Sunday was chill. Because most everyone I work with also took the time, I did not return on-line Monday with an overflowing mailbox.
• My daughter and niece held their first Zoom board meeting for their  mental health and arts organization they are starting. Words can't express how proud I am of them both, knowing how much harder it will be  funding wise, but how much more it is needed, as the world emerges from the pandemic and the effects. 
• It will be a slow process as I'm not rushing, but Christmas decorating has begun. The pumpkins are all put away making room for snowmen, santa's trees, and bells and I already shared my minimalist outside decorations. 
• Bless his soul, DH tackled my little island cart. It was not as simple and straightforward, nothing seems to be, but I am very happy with it. He started before the Vikings football game, and finished after. I'm not sure it works in the center of the kitchen yet, but I have used it already as an additional  prep space for cooking. 

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Resources

• I'm happy to say we used pretty much every Thanksgiving meal item or tucked it in the freezer. We have pickles and olives left that I have been enjoying with lunch. I'll do a future Wednesday post on my Turkey culinary adventure. 
• I salvaged a couple apples that I had found pushed to the back of the refrigerator, no longer great for biting into, but perfect for a quick microwave applesauce to go with pork chops on Monday.
• I found a tine and two plastic treat storage containers to use for this years snacks, either to store or to give away filled. In my day after Christmas stock up I found I had purchased cardboard loaf pans, treat plates with cellophane, and cookie boxes. I'll use all these and not have to buy more. 
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  Last year when it was time to retue the fresh Christmas wreath, I took off the big red bow and the three large pine cones with berries afixed. I didn't know what I would use them for, but they went in with the garland and lights. I ende dup tucking them into the galrand on the side of the porch opposite where we hung this years wreath. I'll do the same now going forward as I think it looks quite festive and that will mean adding to the collection year to year, or as long as my nephews are in scouts and I buy a wreath from them. 
  

Money

• I finally used a stockpile of the  $5 Target rewards earned to go towards a new tablet for my daughter. I already got a good deal by using Cyber Monday. 
• DH was at the hardware store last Saturday and called me because he saw something he thought would be good for DD1. I quickly looked up online to see the brand and if it was a good value. We decided yes, and ended up getting it for her. It will tick all my thrifty boxes for her, but I'm not giving it away yet. 
• My MIL wants for nothing, but occasionally there is a big purchase she will hold off getting if something needs replacing. We went together with DH's siblings and spouses on a new  patio table and chairs in the  pricey style she wanted. We all searched and my SIL found a good price. So even though our portion almost consumed what we had budgeted for her, at least it's not a gift that will linger in a closet. 
• Not local, but the stores in town do not really have  my MIL's styles. I had a pop up add for Christopher and Banks and scored a sweater and two pairs of socks at ridiculously low cost, with free shipping. To top it off, I found a RetailMeNot for an additional 5% off. We wanted something besides our share of the table and chairs for her to unwrap from us. The big win-we are done with shopping for her! (The kids will get gifts as well for her).
• I had a couple finds at Aldi on gifts for the girls-I guess that was a couple weeks back but adding in. Just like the hardware store, sometimes good finds ae in non-traditional places.

     I'll start wrapping gifts this weekend or as my final purchases come. With DS not coming and not getting together with other family members, it will be a scaled back Christmas. I want to get some items sent to him and I still have to decide what I am doing about Christmas cards as I have not bought or ordered them yet and its December 3rd. Those are weekend decisions. What about you? What wins for the week have you had? Are you spending more or less, if you celebrate Christmas, this year compared to other years? How are you scaling back in your plans?