'Tis the Season to be frugal (and jolly)! If you're trying to embrace this season without breaking the bank, you have friends in us! In this episode we're talking about how to have some frugal Christmas fun. From participating in traditions, to developing new ones; we explore all the ways to be festive, enjoy time with friends and family, and take advantage of all that the holiday's have to offer while still sticking to those financial goals!!
Click here for full show notes!
Episode thirty three, tis the season to be frugal. Welcome to the Frugal Friends podcast, where you'll learn to save money, embrace simplicity, rights, and liver with your life. Here your host Jen and Jill Welcome. Hey, it is another Frugal Friends Friday, and we're coming at you with a holiday edition because I know I promised we wouldn't talk about holidays, but I lied until they can stop us. Right. Well, okay, so it's appropriate. It's an appropriate time. It's time to start talking about the holidays, and we're doing a two part series. We're only going to talk about it two times. It's fine until next year, right until next year. So this one's all about a frugal fun tradition and how to really have the best frugal experience you can in this holiday season. Um. So that is what our episode is on today. And if you're wondering who this is, if you haven't been an avid listener for all of our non holiday specials, this is Jen and I'm over here and I'm Jill. We're super excited. I'm I'm excited as I do get around the holidays. What about you, Jail, Oh, that's an understatement. I love Christmas. If you know anything about me ever, like, if you've ever met me, no matter what time of year, you know that I love Christmas. I love for Christmas is about as strong as my hatred for Halloween. So here we are. I didn't know your hatred for Halloween was so so strong. Actually, yeah, it's there. I will say it was tempered a bit this year after I watched Coco and I really felt I don't know, I just kind of changed my view. I like the approach that the Mexican culture takes on Halloween, the um, you know, with the Day of the Dead. I think that, you know, honoring ancestors helped me to embrace the season a bit more. But in general, Christmas is just better. Christmas is where it's at. So if you're not into Christmas, you you're not gonna be our friend. But if you are, buckle up in your car, because we're gonna get started with our sponsors and we're gonna I've right in, I can't speaking. We are going to dive right in to all this content all right here we go. So if you haven't heard us talk about it yet, you're gonna hear it right now. Cook Smarts. It's an awesome meal planning service that is right now offering you, guys are listeners three three weeks of meal plans and wait, there's more cent off paid meal planning services if you use the promo code frugal cook Smarts is an affordable and flexible meal planning service and it gives you recipes and instructions and weekend prep options and shopping lists. That's a lot of work taken off of your plate and you can have access to all of us three free weeks and off. Check it out at Frugal Friends podcast dot com slash c s. So to get your three free weeks of meal plans and twenty off, head over to Frugal Friends podcast dot com slash c s. You won't be disappointed. Yes, that promo code frugal it's exactly how you think it's spelled. And our other sponsor are highlighted sponsor. Today is Christmas Lights. It's time to put your Christmas lights up. Christmas lights they serve as beacon of hope to light your way down every street you're trying to get home to at a mac speed of five miles per hour. Christmas lights serve as the perfect backdrop for your Kiki challenge if people are still doing that, and they let you really get to know your neighbors based on the quantity of inflatable reindeer in their yards. Christmas lights, waste your gas looking at them, but don't leave them up past January one. It's also like a public service announcement. I love it when they do that. They just care enough about the people to advertise themselves and help everyone out. Yeah, I do love Christmas lights. I know I'll talk enough about them in the rest of the episode to try. Let's move into it. Yeah, people want to know how to have some frugal Christmas fun. Yes, and there are I've never understood a lot of people who spend a lot of money around the Christmas holidays, unless you're traveling, because there are so many free activities that I mean, the Christmas season is really a treasure trove of frugal nous. Not to mention, it's about spending time with people, so generally that shouldn't cost you money unless you do rent your friends. Correct. Yes, and there are a lot of alternatives to going out to bars and restaurants. Uh, and we'll talk about maybe trying to change some of those Christmas holiday traditions from expensive ones to more free and frugal options. So we're definitely going to get into that. But our first article is just a public service announcement general reminder on the nine best ways to save money during the holiday season, and this one is from money Crashers. What do you think of it, Jail? I thought it was good. I think a lot of it is a bit obvious, but still good reminders because I'm not often reflecting on this. It happens once a year, so generally, I mean, I think about Christmas a lot, but most people, I get it. You don't one thing that did suprise. Well, I've heard this a lot. On average listed that Americans spend about eight hundred dollars on Christmas, and I don't know, it didn't sound like that much to me. Not that I don't think I spend more than that. It is a hefty number, but I don't know. That was kind of surprising to me. Yeah, I think that they might take into consideration people that have to travel out of town, um, hopefully, because I never find myself spending that much. Maybe on the years, like cumulatively, the number of Christmas trees I've purchased could equal eight hundred. But yeah, we have family that's all local, so we're driving very little, we're not flying, and UH, we've all taken some of these steps to being more frugal so that I've never found that I've spent that much. That's true. What did you like about this article? Jen? I really liked UH number three, which is cut back on the extras. So some of these are pretty pretty obvious, but like Jill said, you only have Christmas once a year, and so every one of these savings tips begs for a reminder. UH. And the example they give on money Crashers is if you are getting a pumpkin spice latte three times per week through December, UH, that's a hundred and sixty two dollars you've spent on price e drinks. And so you can still treat yourself and enjoy these seasonal drinks, but just cut back on them because you can use a hundred sixty two dollars to create a really unforgettable experience or by a really unforgettable gift. You could use fifty dollars for that you just cut back into twice a week, or learn how to make them yourself. You know, you could go out and get maybe the specialty creamer that would help you to make the drink yourself. And even still, you're going to save so much more than paying somebody else to do that for you. And now with those the way what are they called the clover app or the other one where when you go into coffee shops and you're paying and they're flipping the screen around to you and say, like for you to sign the screen. But now it's like, and what do you want to tip? Usually I wouldn't tip, but now it's like, all my word, there's pressure and they're going to see right away whether or not I tipped. So like, even with that, you're going to be spending more money because now we're tipping a whole lot more than we used to because we feel the pressure with all these new ways of paying. Yeah. I talked to a guy the other day who would only tip spare change at his coffee shop, and he thought that that was being stingy, and I was like, I that's more than I usually tip at a coffee shop unless I'm getting something that's like an artisanal cocktail like coffee drink. Yeah, I mean I'm just getting I'm just getting dripped coffee, like you're literally just like pumping it out of the graph into a into a cup for me. But I'm still giving you a dollar because I feel pressure. So instead, I'm just gonna stay at home in my own coffee. Yeah. So coffee is clearly a buzz for us, a buzzword. But they talk about other things too, like sporting on a pair of shoes for a Christmas party or paying for photos with Santa. There are other ways to to get the stuff, Like you can buy are a pair of shoes from a friend. You can go to bass Pro shops or Cabella's. I'm pretty sure they're too, but they have free photos with Santa, and it's you know, maybe you have to walk into a bass Pro shop, but you're still getting free photos of Santa. So there are alternatives in order to still indulge and still experience the holiday. Um, but just cut back or just get Uncle Tony to dress up as Santa, but the kids on his lap take some pictures. The kids are afraid of Santa anyhow, usually kind of are they so scared that what's the point? I don't think I want to do that with my kids. It just seems like a weird tradition. Uh. And maybe I will feel differently when I have a child, but for now, it seems like a weird tradition. It is. I feel weird about it every time I'm in the mall, like why is this happening? It's not even a good picture either, it's it's rarely all weird. Sometimes they're good because they're so bad that makes the good. We should have people share their they're funny pictures with Santa on. If you have any, then definitely share them in our Facebook group or if you real friends community, or if you have a good one that you can convince me that like they can ever look nice, You're you're free to try. I just want to see your bad ones. Yeah, yeah, So I think they also talked about budgeting, which I think speaks to what you should have been doing already. So sorry for those of you who maybe haven't been implementing this. But we are at the new year, so there's always next year. You can get a head start, um, but putting aside money every year, but then also setting a budget for how much will you spend and tracking that because and then number eight they mentioned in here, and they're all kind of connected. But knowing when to op. And this speaks to stopping when you've reached your budget, but also stopping when you've bought all the things you need to buy. And I've got to catch myself there too. Sometimes I'm I'm done, I have the things that I need. But then it's like, oh, but what about this? Or I could give them another gift, I could do these two gifts, or let me buy this because then I'll hold on to it for next year. And it's like, whoa, you got ahead of yourself. You need to be cut off. So I think it all kind of goes together of budgeting, tracking spending, knowing when to stop, and but again setting realistic setting a realistic budget. Don't be like I'm only going to spend ten dollars this year, because then that's just gonna go out the window. But taking into account some of these unexpected expenses, like will you have a Christmas party with your work? Um? What what does your what are your kids? Are your kids going to need to give gifts to their teachers? Or uh, do you want to give a gift to the mailman this year? I think that's a great tradition. Just really kind of think through the whole holiday season, because we're not just talking gifts, we're talking parties, we're talking gatherings, we're talking food, extra food expenses. So consider it all. Figure out where you can cut some and and budget. Yeah, this is the perfect time right now to be listing out your budget. You're right in the thick of it, and like you can kind of get a picture of everything you'll need to spend. And I love the idea of if you are like a struggling impulse spender and the idea of only buying the things on your list sounds horrible to you. Um, you can give yourself a little freedom with like maybe giving yourself a twenty dollar impulse budget. So that's I mean, you can't find all of the deals in the ad when you go out, so definitely give yourself grace, no know thyself. And and yet it said a budget that's realistic. And I think along with this, and we've touched on this a bit, but watching your spending on yourself, like this is the time of giving. And I'm not saying completely deprive yourself, but I think we can go overboard with that. So recognize that there is great joy in giving to other people and focusing attention on others needs. So that, yeah, that goes into buying those impulse buys or how many Latte's are you getting at Starbucks? And yeah, who is that decoration really for? I know it sounds so bad, but I have more of a problem over spending on myself than I do on gifts for other people. I'm not a great gift giver, and I don't really receive gifts well either. You mean, like when someone gives you a gift, you don't know how to say thank you. I mean I say, think, I know I'm a being and like I know how to be polite. I just I don't get the same joy as other people do. Like that's not one of my love languages, um so to give or receive. But I know for sure what I want and I will take advantage of those sales to get it. That is a tough thing because you're probably out shopping more than you typically would be, and you're like, well, I don't know what to get for so and so, But I know I like all these things, put them in the cart. Yeah, so that's something I personally have to be really aware of and make sure my budget accounts for that. Yeah. Another one that I liked on this one was number five, choose cheaper traditions. And we will talk about this for the duration of the rest of the episode. But I know for a fact there are so many things because I did research and not just my city but other cities around the US for all the free things there are to do around the holidays. So we have our platinum sponsor Christmas lights. Those are always a great thing to tour. Um if you live in a warmer climate, I recommend biking or walking so you don't you know, lose out on the gas. But um, that's a great tradition. And they list things like watching movies and sledding and they do listening Santa. But I mean, I'm thinking they're just walking by him and waving high. There he is. We had a sighting. Yeah, But like if you already have the higher expenses out of necessity, um, like travel or gift giving. It's it's hard with gift giving because sometimes you have to give gifts to a lot of people or you're viewed negatively by your family, so I feel like they're it. Once you become financially conscious, you have to kind of wean yourself off over multiple holidays. You can't just go cold Turkey. I mean some you can. Some people can, they are strong enough. But I think if you whittle it down every year for a few years, you can trick your family into not knowing that you're not the gran That's right, that's right, they're not. They're not the same, right, they're not. You can love Christmas and not get gifts for every single person in your family. So, but if you are still in a point where gift giving is your love language or you have to do that. Um, there are so many free activities that can replace going out to dinner or um, you know expensive. There's this ice thing at Gaylord Palms. Do you have ice in Pennsylvania? What? Like? Just in general old I'm sorry you this was a stupid question for me to ask. In Florida, where we don't see snow or eyes. At gay Lord Palms they have a thing called ice where you walk through and there are ice sculptures everywhere, and they give you this because it's nine degrees and it's it's fun, but it's like expensive, and I see whole families going and I was like, that's not cheap. So yeah, that's cool. It's cool like one time, but it doesn't have to be a tradition. There are a lot of things that you can do for free or cheap. You could live in the north and there's always ice. I'm so sorry for you and ice on people's hearts too. Were so mean, We are so rude. It's okay. We speak our minds. Though there's good to it. There's some good things. I don't know how to respond to that. Keep going, you get happy again, We're gonna keep going. Yeah, are we moving into this next article because I think they've got the good stuff on the cheap traditions? Okay, did you got you went through everything you want to take on this one? Yeah, fantastic, great, this is my favorite. Okay. So we have an article from and then We Saved and it is twenty four free or super cheap Christmas activities. So these these are your traditions, your extra things to do with your kids when they're off school, to do with yourself when you want to take yourself on a day. Because the Christmas it's a Christmas season, like it's not just December. Actually December is kind of when it when it's all over, and then everybody expects you to wrap it all up the next day. So we're talking, we're talking the weeks that were in right now, this is when you really enjoy it. And so I really liked a lot of the ideas that they gave that We're talking about enjoying time together with friends and with family, and how to do that inexpensively because it doesn't it doesn't have to be expensive. Memories don't have to cost you a fortune. Yeah, what was your favorite thing on this list? Okay, the my favorite thing, maybe the most unique thing is like touring a candy factory. I found that to be pretty creative because I think we we do we think sweets at the holidays, and it's kind of festive. So I like that idea of going to like a chocolate shop or a candy factory in your area and having a tour and a lot of times I'll give you free free sweets, free sweets and treats at the end. Yeah, don't just look for the big names, because there are a lot of smaller candy places that will do tours um or at least tastings, and it might sometimes they'll cost a little, Like we went to one in Seattle that costs ten dollars, but we got to eat so much chocolate. And even they're like nice truffles, then yeah, that would have cost us like three dollars a truffle or something. Yeah, so it's they're out there. And I would say even if you can find tours of like other places too handy factory, it could be anything. Yeah, I love number twenty special lights displays. There it is again Christmas Lights, brought to you by Christmas Lights, a national sponsor of the Frugal Friends podcast. So so I love that. She says they are all about Christmas lights and their family too, and so they'll go to different neighborhoods and everybody's got anighborhood where they really do the lights. We have to. And then we have boat parades because we're right on the water, and yeah, where they wrap up all the boats in lights. And then you don't even have to go anywhere. I mean, I guess that's more of a parade, but you're really just in it for the lights. So the boats drive by in the water, they literally do a parade in the water. Oh my gosh, do I live where I live. It's so fantastic. So you can see all the Christmas lights and you don't even have to go anywhere. Oh my word, my heart is exploding just thinking about the site of boats on the water with Christmas lights in the warmth and smokes. And we also have uh light tours on bikes, so I guess it's not plural, but our running group that we participate in will do um. They'll light up all of their bikes with Christmas lights, like the battery operated ones, and it'll be a group of maybe like two hundred people on bikes going through the neighborhood looking at Christmas lights. So like the bikes themselves are a site. So the takeaway really from this episode is save up all your money to go to St. Petersburg for Christmas. Maybe that should be just the moral of the of the episode. Geez, it's because we live in such a great climate. We have so many extra things associated with Christmas lights, so Christmas lights are a real big thing here. Well, here's the best thing you can do in our area with Christmas lights is find a house that has put their lights to music, and when you're out in front of it, you tune your radio station to like a special radio station. And that's cool. Yeah, I thought that that was really cool up until this moment when you're telling me about boats on the water with Christmas lights. Oh my gosh, Jill, I'm not gonna one up you. But in Orlando, but I but I've never seen this light display. But it's been on my list for two years, and I think this year I'm really going to make it down there. Um. So it's in Orlando, and it is an entire street of people that have lights like that, and they were on like the Great American Light Competition, like Christmas Light competition, but it is massive displays of lights on this entire road. It's called the Lights on Jeter Bend. It's like they all got together and decided that they were all rich and they didn't. And I wonder how that happens, Like who starts that, who sends the first little letter or note and like, hey, I'm are you too, Let's do let's do this thing, let's do this thing good for them. Though I'm glad I don't live on that street because I would be the house just one string a light hand percent I'd be like, listen to whatever radio station you want to listen to and honk along. Yeah. So that's on my list to go see this year, and if I do see it, I will post pictures in the Facebook group I am. I'm really excited. Okay, I'll live vicariously through you, just like I do every other day of my life since we've met. Al Right, well, another one that I liked. The rest of this episode just gonna be me depressed my new Christmas. You do have so many more things to do up there, we don't We have talked. Well, Okay, here is one thing that you can do in the North that would not be possible there. So a lot check if you if you live in the North, if you're depressed like me, then you know that there might be parks around that flood a little section of the park, not not much, you know, would be maybe like a foot of water and like a divot area and create like an ice skating rink. So we have a couple of those around here. So then that would be free ice skating, which ice skating can be expensive. Um So if you find a pair of ice skating shoes at or ice skates at a thrift store, and then you find a local park that has frozen over a patch of land. That's a fun little thing to do when it's frigid. Yeah. I used to ice skate competitively. Of course you did, um. And it was not cheap. It was the most like expensive sport. How long did you do that before? When did you stop that? Um? I did it in middle school, in high school. What's amazing. Yeah, I bet you still have skills. Um. I try to go every holiday and just see what I can still do. And I can still stay upright? You still skate without the help of the edge. Yeah, yeah, we'll see at these parks there is no edge. You are without borders. So if you fall, skaters without boarding bound where beyond the border. Here is something we can both do together but separate, and it's some cookies. I don't do a lot of baking or cooking for that matter, if you know me, But I do take the holiday season as an excuse to use my kitchen aid mixer weekly if not more, um, and make cookies from scratch. Look at you. So I will do with all those cookies. I'll give them as gifts or take them if I have a potluck, because cookies are really inexpensive to make, and you can freeze the doe to have them like later, you know, in January February, and they are really quick if you need like a last minute something to bring to a party or or what have you. Yeah. See, I'm similar in that way. This is like kind of a double whammy because not only is it something to do that's inexpensive, but it doubles then as a gift. And I feel the same way about like d I Y Gifts And I know we'll get more into that in our next episode wait for it, but went wink wank that's upcoming. But that is something fun for me to be at home to put on some fun Christmas music and either d I Y Gifts or bake or something that is kind of yeah, two birds, one stone kind of idea, yes, And I feel super domestic and I get to experience experiment with new cookie recipes. So there's always this Martha Stewart chocolate gingerbread one that I'll do every year because it's just so delicious and soft and perfect. And I can never get cooking perfect. Like cooking is an art, but baking is a science and science. I know, like I can do science so I like that. I can rule that one on a bumper sticker. Thank you, Yes, I would. I can do I can do science, so I can really make perfect cookies because everybody can make perfect cookies. It's possible for you and name and you can. You can invite a friend in on this, so how we talk about cooking together and maybe splitting it up. You can also do this with friends. So it's another way to spend time with people over the holiday season, um baking together and either exchanging the cookies or just you know, taken home what you made if you don't trust your friend, or doing the cookie exchanges. Is there's so much There's so many things you can do with cookies. Yeah, I feel like there's always a lot of questionable cookies a cookie exchanges. Yeah, yeah, you always get the weird ones like who eats that? Why is this always show up? Why why did you do that? It usually has some version of like a weird fruit or vegetable, and it's like why did you feel the need to put zucchini into chocolate chip cookies? Like no, don't ever, don't ever try. This is the one time of year when vegetables can stay out of it. Somebody's gonna come at us with a really good zucchini cookie recipe. Listen, that's fine, but don't put it in the cookie box. Don't put it in the cookie exchange and give it to your children. Dan, don't don't act like that's a gift, Like that's a fun gift cookies to your kids, just like the chocolate chip for your friends. Yes, you're responsible for your children's health, not everybody else's. Okay. Also decorating, why not right? You can spend so much time decorating, and this can be frugal too, because paper snowflakes. One year I went I went nuts with the paper snowflakes. I put them all over the ceiling. You you walked in, it literally felt like it was a drop ceiling because there were all these like it. Probably it was. I mean, I'm not going to say it came close to Elf, but like if you've seen Elf and you've seen how he decorated the toy store like it was, it was a little bit like that. You have to be really crafty. For I am not super crafty, so paper snowflakes would not be my thing. I do have a good group of Christmas decorations. They've been with me for a long time and I used them every year. And I don't spend extra money on Christmas decorations, but I do for you love every year putting those decorations up good for you because I am of the mind that less is more. Yeah, so I'm my my roof is not covered with snowflakes, nor is my ceiling. Listen, this is this is a little bit before my minimalist days, and I will say Christmas can sometimes trump minimalism for me. Although I have gotten rid of a ton of Christmas decorations, it all fits into a small box now, which is a little bit sad for me. M Paper snowflakes because yeah, you can even use use it out all magazines and and then throw it away recycle it. I mean, her snowflakes aren't necessarily white. Well usually they are, but I just had the idea, like, literally, just now that do it with magazines. Why not? That'd be fun for sure if that's what you're into. You could also you could also be into volunteering number nine, which was one of my favorites. I used to work at a group foster home and every year you could be sure that every weekend a new group would be coming in. And while it seemed on the surface a very superficial let's get our serving out of the way because it's December moment um, there would be an hour or so where I would not have to worry about all the kids staying alive. Like I knew there were other adults in the room making sure they stayed alive, and that was rest for every aunt. It when you're watching six kids by yourself, every every minute counts. So even if you are feeling like you don't want to be like that superficial person that only serves around the holidays or whatever, I know that anything you do is going to be helpful as long as it's organized through the organization and they say it's helpful to them, right, Yeah, don't come in thinking you know what's going to be helpful, ask ask these places and similar I can vouch for that as well. I mean, all of my work has been in the nonprofit world, and it is a bit disheartening that you only really do see it around the holidays. So if you catch a spark for it, continue it throughout the year. But I will say I did love the holidays for this time because community came together and as the worker like were if even Yeah, you are helping not only like the clients or the participants in a program, but you're also helping the people who serve in those programs on a daily basis. So like you may not you may not realize like the full impact of what your service is doing, but it helps and and it gives them something to look forward to. It's a change of pace to have you people come in and to serve alongside and to assist in what you're doing. So I think there there is a greater impact than you may realize, even on the people who do it year around who may be working that holiday. There's a lot of people in the nonprofit world residential facilities that that are working on the holidays. So definitely keep that in mind because it can make a big difference for people. Yeah, it's a good thing. Yeah. Another idea that that this article listed as far as fun frugal things to do, and and I also had heard this from a friend of mine, Elizabeth shout out Elizabeth um making gift wrapping an event so she'll get together with friends or family that may be you know, obviously not family members who are receiving the gifts that she's wrapping, but getting together and making that a thing where they all drink hot chocolate, they wear the pajamas, they turn on a Christmas movie, and they have a rapping party. So I thought that that was a fun way of just like incorporating people into all aspects of what you're doing. That it doesn't have to be this frenzied thing that you do in the middle of the night by yourself. That yeah, you can, you can make any part of it fun. Yeah, with people. I think that's especially good if you have kids and you're trying to keep the gifts away from your kids until they're wrapped, And that's a, yeah, a really fun way to do it. Well, I mean that's all, which that doesn't mean that that's all for this show, because it's about time for the best time. The best time is the bill of the week. That's right, It's time for the best minute of your entire week. Maybe a baby was born and his name is William. Maybe you paid off your mortgage, maybe your car died and you're happy to not have to pay that bill anymore. That's Bill Buffalo bills, Bill Clinton. This is the Bill of the week. Oh, this is for the bill of the week from a new listener here in the home all of Indiana. On my long compusive metary worked as a medical coder, breaking in the field. Oh where have you been, billy boy, billy boy, Oh, where have you been? Charming billy? I have been to seek a wife. She's the daughter of my life. She's a young king. And can I leave her mother? Did she take a jerry pie? Billy boy, Billy boy, can she bake a cherry pie? Jarming billy, she can make that jerry pie? Got the Captain Winket's side. She's a young thinging dead. I leave her mother. That's it? You got yes, heck yes, Oh my word, that was bold, and that was fun, and that was frugal, and that was on topic. And that was a cappella and and and you should see my face. I love it so much. My face anytime we play the Bill of the Week is just a reaction to jail. Yeah. We should probably we should probably video our reactions because they're always raw. And um, you're getting exactly my reaction. And I love it. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I I swear to you. We we do. We have the best listeners with some some creativity, just providing fun for all. My favorite thing about this bill I have to say is that the transcription of it says her name is brother Bill. It's his brother bill of the week. So before I heard this, I just denoted it as a bill of the week from brother Bill, and and then I heard it, So that's amazing. Thank you so much for your serenade of billy Boy. And I think you did two verses too, so we didn't We didn't miss out on much. She did, she got it, she nailed it. It was lit. She So if you have a bill of the week, if this has jogged your creativity and you want to share something with us, head over to Frugal Friends podcast dot com slash bill and leave us yours. It can be spoken or sung. We had a song that was spoken actually before spoken word nothing in case you have that picked that up from listening to this podcast already. Literally nothing is off limits. Yeah, well except for um playing songs from the radio because we could actually get in trouble for that. Yeah, we can't. We can't do a lot of that or profanity because then we'd have to put the e hunter. Yeah. But anyways, if what we gave you the first half of the episode wasn't enough, we would like to wrap up with some of our own ideas because nobody asked us what we thought when they wrote these articles. I didn't get that phone call. No, so you get it here and now here we go. I'm starting us off strong with some gingerbread houses, am I right? You don't have to buy a kit either. You can make your own gingerbread houses. You can do this and that's a fun thing to do with people. Also, how do you make your own gingerbread like construction equipment like walls and things? How do you do that? It's ginger bread. You make gingerbread, just roll it out. Yeah, there's there's recipes. I could post a recipe for you online, but you can. It's you make it. It's like making a gingerbread cookie. But then yeah, certain ingredients that would make it, you know, not not bread like it wouldn't fall apart. They're more yeah, like hard cracker cookie. Okay, And then you know the icing is is your glue and mortar. And depending on whether or not you're going to eat it, you can use anything from your fridge to decorate that sucker. You can incorporate your kale here if you'd like. Yeah, as grassy have trees, anything to make your Christmas tree for your gingerbread house with your kale, because what else are you going to use it for? Exactly exactly, it's all You can eat that stuff, put it on your gingerbread house unless you're gonna missage it. Oh yeah, you can massage kale, which have we ever clarified that. I think we tried to that you should massage your kale with your hands for sixty seconds. Yeah, you're the only You're the person who introduced me to that, and I noticed the difference that it made from massaging the Kale's great. Anyhow, that's off topic. Also check into your local cities if there are special events, Like in my area and Philly, there's there's this German Christmas village with special German food and Christmas gifts and it's just a really fun thing to walk through and enjoy, even if you don't purchase anything. It's it's different. It's unique. Anytime places shut down roads, it's fun, except for if they're shutting it down because there's like, um, there's tragedy on the loose, that's not fun. Also, craft shows these are fun. Usually you can find these at your local church and you get to see all the stuff that the granny's have been working on throughout the year. Isn't that sweet? But also this is the way to support local too. It's not all grandmas who sell at craft shows, just mostly, but there there are some cute things if you want to buy some little crochet and knitted things and just have a fun day out. Um. And then this is something that I enjoy doing. I like to take on a winter project. So this isn't this isn't maybe just Christmas time. It starts around this time of year and then bleeds into probably February. But I more so take the approach of rather than splurging money on myself and that being like my you know, treat myself thing, I would prefer to give myself some time like treating myself with time and things that I enjoy doing. So this is one of those things I'll do like a winter project every year, and that's fun for me to either watch a Christmas movie or listen to music while I'm working on something. So this year I'm going to make a quilt so it's just fun. Yeah, you seem to have a little bit more time in the evenings. At least I try to cut out more time in the evenings to treat myself to some time on projects I enjoy. That's awesome. Yeah, that's a great idea. I wanna. I have enough projects going on, but I will carve out more time to work on them. Yeah, you do have a lot of projects. I'm not saying every year I get to do this, but if I do, that's my treat, not like five dollar coffees at Starbucks. I'd rather like spend time doing something I like. Yeah, what about you? What are your tips? Jen? Um, Well, you're an inspiration, so mine kind of seem a little silly. But you live in Florida, so we know who really is silly. Yeah, everything's silly here. Um. So, I really like the corny Christmas stuff. We have a lot of over the top and corny things here and I don't know why. Maybe it's just because we're corny and over the top people, but I like it. I like you. Yeah. So I have been to a drive through live nativity, uh that I mean? And live nativities are are fun. Sometimes they have real animals, but this one wasn't drive through, so it was especially interesting. I'm sure I felt super authentic to be in your car, in your car right looking at the Babe Jesus so on the side of the road on a busy road in Florida. Yeah. Um, so that is comical. Um. I also love over the top light displays. I mentioned the lights on Jeter Bend and so those are an actual legit light display that will wow you. We personally have a light display near our house that will wow you, but for different reasons. And it's because from the outside it looks awesome and the closure you get into it, like they'll do tours and stuff, the weirder it gets the deeper you get in. And so Travis doesn't like it, but I love it because it's so kitchy, Like you have to know what you're going into with this stuff. So sometimes if you live in a small town or there's not as many options for doing things, still participate in some of these things because you can still have fun just as long as you know what you're getting yourself into, right, And these people work hard to put these things on, and uh, it's still fun to kind of see what's going on, and to just kind of appreciate the kitchy, uh corny nous of it. That one. Yeah, so that was a that was kind of my contribution to it, because I mean, other than that, we just weird going to the beach stuff and going to Disney Gosh, that is weird. I know. I could give you my Disney tips for Christmas if anyone will be near Disney World. There are so many things to do outside of going to the parks that are super free. Yeah. There are giant gingerbread house displays like inside the Grand Floridian and other hotels that you can get in see for free. Uh, there's a Christmas tree, big display at Disney Springs that's free and yeah, and then they all have live performances and thanks for the kids to do. Wow. So very Florida stuff. Sure, But basically I mean check your area because there is guaranteed free stuff all around you. So so go and do that. Don't assume that you have to just do the thing you've always done that costs a ton of money. Yeah, if you are exhausted by Christmas in general and you're like, I just don't see how I'm going to get out and do all this stuff, take some time for self care to stay. Maybe don't do everything, but there's never more going on during the holidays, and for frugal people, it's it's just a treasure trove and take advantage of all the free things because they don't come up this frequently the rest of the year. Good one. Well, speaking of free things or frugal things, we are still doing our book club. So it's December right now. In case you haven't picked up on that one context clues, we're reading The Millionaire next Door by Thomas J. Stanley, and we're continuing our giveaway of that book. So if you want a free copy of The Millionaire next Door, leave us a review on iTunes or Stitcher, Screenshot the review and send it to Frugal Friends podcast at gmail dot com. We are giving away one copy for every five reviews, no limit, and we will select winners at the end of the month. Yes, and if you are listening to this right now and you're thinking, gosh, I want in on this, I want free things, I want all the free things. But oh man, I've never written a review before. Google always wants me to do it. Yelb always wants me to do it. I just don't know what to say. Well, here's an example, and again it's always a five star example, because that's what a review is. And this one is from m go to Humby and they say, great, great podcast, a great name, great podcast, great name. I really enjoy this podcast and all the information it provides. I especially like these girls are young and offer practical advice after doing their own research. If you're looking for ways to save money or learn more about paying off debt, this podcast is a great start. Gosh, they think we're young. What gave that away? Is it my voice? Now I'm fifty? How do they know I'm so young? I am young that heart. I'm co old at heart, cold, cold hearted young person living in then. I've been old since I was young. So many people say that they feel young, right, so many people are like, oh man, I'm I'm this age, but I feel twenty one. I've never related to that. I always have just felt like forty two. I'm not forty two, but that like that's how I feel. I feel forty two. Yeah, my body feels twenty nine most days. Um, but my insides, my heart, and my soul feel about nine two. Amazing, so much wisdom in there. Yeah, I just I feel middle aged on it all, Like I'm not, I don't have all that wisdom, but like my body also is not doing what it should do anymore. It's just kind of like that. It's like middle school all over again for adults just forty two. Well, thanks for tuning into the Self Deprecating Ages podcast. If you want to hear more from us every single Friday, hit that subscribe button wherever you're listening, and will come at you every week with more frugal and possibly self deprecating goodness. See you guys by Frugal Friends is produced, edited and mixed by Eric Serrian. But also, when you're forty two, you don't you don't care what other people think about you, right, So so I heard somebody say, like when she turned thirty five or forty one of those ages, she stopped caring about what people thought, And I was like, oh god, that happened for me. I don't know if that's normal. That stopped from me at third teen, and you could see that based on pictures of me at thirteen. But I just don't. I don't care, And you do hear that people are like Yeah, that's the thing that separates people in their forties and fifties. You just starting not to care anymore. And I'm like, I don't know what that's going to mean for me when I am in my forties and fifties. Because I don't care. I have to actively remember, like, oh god, you're still in your twenties. Put some effort into it. Act young at your age. Yeah, I have to constantly remember to try and act my age, like, oh, I should get that pop culture reference, but I don't. I threw in a pop culture reference at the beginning of this. I don't know if people are still doing that. It's I dobably like last month. I don't think they're still doing that. But I did try it about that until like the tail end of that, right, So I'm trying. I do live under a rock, and that's okay, because again I'm forty two and I don't care. Rocks are free, and rocks are free. They're great living places. Have you seen how many critters like to live under rocks, Like there's a reason it's cold and dark and it's perfect. Mm hmm.