The holidays are a wonderful time of the year to slow down, unwind, and spend time with the family and friends that make life worth living. If money is tight, it can be hard to justify splurging to enjoy the holidays. Or you might join in the festivities only to regret it later when the credit card bill comes due. Conversely, you may be able to afford it but feel guilty because you could have used that money for your big goal for the year. There are endless reasons to want to spend less around the holidays, but spending less doesn’t have to mean enjoying the season less. To help prove this, we’ve compiled a list of our favorite free and cheap activities to try this holiday season. Just because they cost less doesn’t mean they’ll bring less joy. It just means you’ll have a holly jolly Christmas without turning into the Grinch in January.
Our favorite ideas for free things to do this holiday season
Our first batch of ideas brings a ton of fun without costing you anything. Win-win!
Stay in for a Christmas movie night together
I realize not every family is as movie obsessed as we are, but ‘tis the season. No matter your preferred genre(s), there’s something you and your family or friends can enjoy.
If you’re a fan of explosions and shootouts, it’s time for a Die Hard rewatch.
Prefer supernatural? Gremlins is for you.
Want something more family friendly? You can’t go wrong with classics like Home Alone or The Grinch.
Want something light and easygoing? Hallmark and Netflix have cranked out a ton of Christmas movies in the past decade. And there’s a Harry Potter marathon playing 24/7 in December if you want to spend the holidays at Hogwarts.
You don’t have to roast chestnuts on an open fire to have an enjoyable night in. Just nuke some generic-brand microwaveable popcorn from the pantry and call it a cozy night.
No streaming? No problem. See what your local library offers streaming on free services like Hoopla, or swing by a branch on your next errands run to grab a DVD or Blu-Ray.
Bonus points: turn it into a (matching) pajama party
There’s nothing as relaxing as curling up under a warm blanket in fuzzy holiday pajamas. Embrace that magic for your movie night.
Make it more exciting with Hallmark Christmas bingo
If you take me up on the Hallmark Christmas movie idea, consider turning it into a game with Hallmark holiday bingo cards. Part of the charm of Hallmark movies is they follow similar themes (busy corporate stiff heads to a small town and falls in love, etc.). The romance genre is known for its tropes, and Hallmark delivers in spades. Take those common themes and see if you can win a game of bingo while you watch.
I made some Hallmark Christmas bingo cards for our family this year after I heard this idea from a friend. You can download them for free in our online budgeting and personal finance Facebook group (you have to join the group to access this direct link). You can also make your own by searching Pinterest for ideas and/or opening a free Canva account and searching their templates. I’m 0-2 this season so far, but it’s still been fun!
Decorate the Christmas tree together
If you have a Christmas tree, lights for the tree, and ornaments, have a decorating party. If you’re already doing this, look for ways to add more excitement and joy. Perhaps create a special playlist of your family’s favorite Christmas songs to kick off the holiday celebrations. Or start with decorating the tree and finish the night was a movie or book by the tree.
Read (together) by the Christmas tree
You don’t have to be a bookworm to enjoy a tale by the tree. There’s something so cozy about snuggling up on the couch and reading by the lights on the tree paired with a soft table light. This was my favorite tradition when I had my first apartment by myself, and I’d often fall asleep by the tree.
This is a perfect idea for a solitary evening in, but can be done as a family too! Turn it into story time and take turns reading each night.
Have a holiday game night
Friday night game night is one of my favorite things to do, and the holidays are a perfect thing to get one on the calendar. You can do a holiday-themed version of charades or create a holiday version of bingo. Pinterest has a ton of ideas for holiday games for kids and adults, both indoor and outdoor.
Walk (or drive) around and look at Christmas lights
We used to have a blast doing this with our neighbors, and now enjoy doing this together as a family in our neighborhood. If your neighbors don’t bling out their houses with icicle lights, head over to a neighborhood that does. There’s always one that goes all out and has the lights timed to music. Bundle up and enjoy the fresh air with your family or friends.
Go for a walk in a winter wonderland
You don’t have to wait until it’s dark and cold to enjoy going out and walking around. If you’ve got a dusting of snow but the roads aren’t ice, head out to your favorite park and enjoy a walk. This is one of my favorite things to do around the holidays because the parks are less crowded, it’s quiet, and the animals are more likely to be out (except for the bears, thank God).
Find free holiday events around your town
Most towns have at least a few free events around the holidays. Check online to see if your town’s official website has a calendar of events and see what’s going on this month. If the city doesn’t host any official events, check for private events that are free, such as tree lighting festivals at a mall, greeting Santa at the mall, or anything else the mall has going on. Just avoid the Starcourt Mall. You don’t want to get attacked by Billy or a Demogorgon, and you definitely don’t want to spend Christmas in a Russian prison.
Our town, for example, has:
- A tree lighting celebration at the mall
- A Christmas market at one of the churches
- A holiday lights celebration in the park
- A lights parade downtown
- A dress up costume crawl
Growing up, I loved the bell service at church. We only went to church a few times a year, but the church doesn’t check your religious affiliation at the door, and you don’t have to be religious to enjoy the service.
Ask your friends what they’re up to and if you can tag along. Explore a few options until you find favorites you want to do again next year.
Build a snowman or make snow angels
Do you want to build a snowman?
It doesn’t have to be a snowman.
Okay, fine, build whatever you want, just bundle up and get outside. The snow here is often too dry to stick well enough to make a snowman, but that lends to great snow angels.
If you’re more likely to get rain than snow, you can craft a snowman out of extra cardboard boxes & paper.
Go Christmas caroling
If you enjoy singing along, consider sharing your musical talents with others and go caroling. Please just spare us from All I Want for Christmas Is You; we’ve all been Mariah Carey’d to death.
Too cold or neighbors too Scroogey? Invite family and friends over for a Christmas concert instead.
If you get massive stage fright like me, try a Christmas karaoke night with just your immediate family instead.
Volunteer together
This is a great way to find contentment and appreciation around the holidays. Helping others less fortunate can really get you into the spirit of the season.
Create a gratitude list
Thanksgiving shouldn’t get to hoard all the gratitude for the year. You can do this solo or have everyone make their own lists and share them. I started a practice this year where I do a daily gratitude before bed. You could do this each night in December and share them on Christmas Eve, or dedicate a night to sitting down and doing them together while listening to Christmas music. Put your personal spin on this new tradition.
Prepare to ring in the new year by decluttering
Seriously, Lauren, you call this festive?
“Festive” might be a stretch, but the end of the year is the perfect time of year to clean house. There’s no better way to ring in a new year of good tidings than by getting rid of what’s been bogging you down all year (or all your life).
Spend a day (or week) doing spring cleaning early. If you’re strapped for cash, consider selling some of your things on Facebook Marketplace. If you don’t have anything valuable enough to hassle with haggling, donating your unused stuff can help bring joy to others in need this holiday season.
Cheap activities to try this holiday season
Here are some options that aren’t free, but don’t cost a lot if you’re looking for additional options that won’t leave you broke.
Make a gingerbread village
This is a tradition I never did as a kid but that I love as an adult. My husband and I each choose a kit for around $10 and plan a gingerbread night with our neighbors. You can even host a virtual gingerbread party over Messenger or FaceTime. We have a blast chatting and catching up while we each decorate our homes. You can also get a kit of small homes versus one large gingerbread house if you want to make a village.
Once you’re done, display them proudly on an entryway table, on a table in the dining room, on the mantel—somewhere you and visitors can enjoy seeing them for the rest of the season. You can even add some fairy lights and “snow” to dress it up and give it a winter wonderland vibe.
Have a Christmas card making party
Sending out Christmas cards is my longest running holiday tradition. I buy them from CVS around Black Friday when they’re 50%-60% off. Between cards and stamps (God, stamps are expensive these days), it’s usually around $80. This is admittedly not very budget friendly if money is tight, but you can do it cheaper.
Consider DIY cards. Design some in Canva or by hand on printer paper with markers or colored pencils. I’d try this if I were more artistically talented. Get the family together for a night (or afternoon), get some music going, and have fun!
Make Christmas tree ornaments
If you have a natural creative touch, you can also make ornaments. I’ve seen some really cool ones that were crocheted and others that were cross-stitched. You can buy a kit to decorate glass ones. Pinterest is another great resource here too.
Ideas for festive foods (and drinks) this holiday season on the cheap
If you’re a foodie, or just enjoy something sweet around the holidays, this next section is for you. Here are some of our favorite ways to make your breakfasts and dinners more festive this December.
Make and decorate Christmas cookies with friends or family
This was one of my favorite traditions as a kid because: 1) sprinkles and 2) sugar. I also loved begging my mom to lick the bowl after we finished the batter because who cares about salmonella at six (or sixteen really)?
Budget Bytes is one of my favorite websites for recipes, and they have a collection of Christmas cookie recipes, depending on your preferences. I’m partial to the OG sugar cookies and snickerdoodles, but they also have options for thumbprint cookies, gingerbread cookies, and more.
While you can buy festive cookie cutters, they aren’t required. A lot can be done with a little sugar and cinnamon to make it taste like Christmas. Find your favorite recipe and turn it into something you make every year. Cookies can be a great, cheap present for colleagues, family, and friends. And it will give you something to look forward to as Christmas comes.
If you’re looking for things to do with friends, try hosting a cookie bake-off. Let everyone come over and make their favorite recipe, then swap so you can try them all. Throw on a Christmas playlist, and you have all the ingredients for a lovely afternoon or evening.
Make peppermint fudge
If fudge is more your flavor than cookies, it’s probably going to cost a little more, but it’s still cheaper to make than to buy. I always choke when I see what fudge “shoppes” charge per pound.
If you’re new to making fudge, try this white chocolate peppermint fudge recipe from Taste of Home.
Enjoy Christmas pancakes, a Christmas breakfast casserole, or Christmas cinnamon rolls
Hot take: Christmas breakfast >>> Christmas dinner. I enjoy my Christmas morning casserole far more than any Christmas dinner. It’s got all the best parts of breakfast wrapped up in one warm dish: sausage, toast, eggs, and cheese. Back when I could eat gluten, dairy, and all the other good things, I’d prep it on Christmas Eve and throw it in the oven when I woke up in the morning. We’d invite the neighbors over when it finished cooking, and they often brought cinnamon rolls to swap. There’s nothing sweeter than that, except maybe pancakes.
Experiment with your favorite breakfast ideas as you come up with a tradition of your own.
Recipes to try:
- Christmas breakfast sausage casserole
- Christmas sourdough cinnamon rolls
- Christmas cinnamon pancakes
Have a hot chocolate night
There’s just something about mini marshmallows slowly melting that is calming. You can buy the pre-made packets, but if this is a tradition you want to enjoy throughout the holiday season, buying in bulk is cheaper. Grab some store-brand marshmallows and chocolate, mix with sugar and milk, and enjoy. Grab the full homemade hot chocolate recipe from (you guessed it) Budget Bytes.
This holiday tradition pairs well with reading by the Christmas tree. This can be done with a crackling fire, either in a fireplace or on a YouTube video. If you have kids, turn it into story time. If you don’t have any holiday books, the library is another great resource here.
Host a holiday potluck for family or friends
Don’t want all the sugar or a carb crash from a casserole? Invite everyone over for a potluck instead. Make sure you limit the number of people allowed to bring desserts to avoid the gluten monsters of cookies and pies. You’re welcome to make this Christmas themed with holiday favorites, but don’t feel forced to. There aren’t any rules besides enjoying the evening. We have a list of our favorite cheap ideas for a potluck in case it helps.
The final word
We hope the ideas above have inspired you! See if you can turn one (or three or ten) of these into new traditions. If you feel constrained by traditions, don’t be afraid to go with the flow. There’s no right way to celebrate during the holidays, just find something that leaves you feeling merry and bright instead of broke. Share any ideas you have in the comments!
Other ideas for this holiday season: