Being the first year we have a child old enough to participate in Christmas (last year she was only 2 months old!), I was SHOCKED at how easy it is to get so caught up in the holiday that you totally blow your budget buying for your child. Believe me, I was almost there. But by thinking through the holiday early and shopping early I was able to get Lily’s entire haul for $150! And she is not going without, let me tell you.
I think something many people get hung up on is getting your kids the best of the best! We are keeping it simple and I tried to really play into Lily’s interests so she will be so excited on Christmas morning! She is a very easily excited child, so Christmas morning should be no different!
So here’s her list:
Kitchen Set – I bought this used from a Facebook flea market group for $20. It’s small for our small house but in perfect shape and she will never know the difference that it was used!
DVD Player – This was on sale for $52 when I bought it!
Doc McStuffin’s Doctor Bag – $7 on sale at Walmart on Thanksgiving (yeah, I was one of THOSE people this year- totally worth it!)
First Baby Doll – $10 at Target
Vintage Baby Cradle – this was mine was I was little! $0
Sesame Street Wooden Puzzle Box – $3 at Walmart on Thanksgiving
Clothes, PJs and shoes from the Children’s place – $30
Dolphin Tale and Happy Feet 1&2 on DVD – $4 ($2 each at Walmart on Thanksgiving!)
The Little Mermaid on DVD – $5 because I returned a duplicate gift we got for Lily’s birthday and put the credit toward the movie
Small stuffed Sebastian from the Little Mermaid and LotsoHuggin Bear – $5 at Disney Store on sale
Container of foam bath letters and numbers – $5 Walmart on Thanksgiving
Princess purse, cell phone, necklace and two books – $15 from Target and TJ Maxx
I think Lily’s going to make out pretty well for Christmas! I also joined The Disney Movie Club for her, so she is getting The Princess and The Frog, Tangled, The Tower of Terror (ok, that’s kind of for me!), Disneyland Singalong Songs and Sofia the First Ready To Be a Princess, but sadly they will not be here for Christmas due to a processing problem on their end! But — I only paid a dollar for all 5 of them… with a commitment to buying 4 more Disney movies in the next 24 months at regular price. That is no problem in this house! Who knows, I may save a few of these for her Easter basket!
So here’s to not going broke this year at Christmas! I know as she gets older it will be harder to get everything at a low price, but I will continue to shop all year and work hard to get everything at the best price I can and still make sure she gets it all!