Now that we’ve made it past the Christmas holidays, and we are already into the New Year, we wanted to take this opportunity to let you know the plans we have for the Christmas on Cash blog.

As you may or may not know, Angela Wills started this amazing blog this past November, with the goal of making it an information filled resource for all of us to make it through Christmas without losing our marbles, and our bank accounts!  This was in addition to running a successful WordPress design business.  Near the end of this year she made the decision to turn over the reigns of Christmas on Cash to my wife and I, so that we could continue the great work she has started, and she could continue to focus on her main business.

I have been a devoted follower of Angela for some time now, so when she asked me to take over I was thrilled.  We share many of the same views about the holidays, raising families, and keeping traditions alive without the added stress of overspending.  We have raised three girls, so we know a little something about stress!

 

 

My wife Susan is an accomplished artist and crafter, and I will be leaning on her for the artistic side of this site.  My interests are in budgeting and planning, so our hope is by combining our strengths we will keep this site going strong for you well into the future.

We would love your feedback and please let us know your ideas in the comments below on what topics you would like us to cover in 2012!

Thanks,

Chris and Susan Yates

You may think that saving money is the only benefit of sticking to a budget at Christmas and paying for things with cash. Not true! That is just one of many benefits!

Here are some bonuses that you may not have realized:

You Can Relax – If you decide to have a no-fuss Christmas, just imagine how relaxed you’ll feel. You won’t have to spend time at any crazy malls,  or make last-minute trip to the store in a blizzard, you won’t have to stand in any massive lines for pics with Santa,  and you won’t have to feel like you didn’t put enough thought into each present. Read more »

Credit card debt is an easy trap to fall into, especially during the holiday season. You see commercials about sales, you get emails about sales, and anytime you walk by a store, you see a sign about a sale!

It can be all too easy to reach for a credit card, thinking that you’re going to get a bargain. Before you do, think twice! That purchase may cost you a lot more in the Read more »

Advent is countdown to Christmas. Every year many of us run to the department store or grocery store to grab the $2 cardboard printed chocolate advent calendar. I did!

Here’s a picture of the one I bought for myself (and I got one for my kiddo, too):

While I do enjoy the Chocolate a Day I get from these calendars I thought I’d do an article here on Read more »

This year, consider giving your Christmas a “make under.” You’ll reduce your stress, and your expenses! Here are some tips to get you started:

Do you normally invite your family over for a formal dinner? This year, have a potluck instead! You won’t have to spend hours planning a menu, grocery shopping, and cooking. You’ll only have to cook one dish, and it will be fun to see and try what everyone else made.

Instead of buying every person in your family a gift Read more »

I want to welcome my friend Christie Ingram of Organize My Biz. I asked Christie to guest post because I know she’s a crafty lady and I just KNEW she’d have some great tips for awesome holiday Crafts. Well she did not disappoint me! Read on for some GREAT suggestions…

Source: Uploaded by user via Christie on Pinterest

Craft stores like Michaels can be your best friend when using cash for Christmas. Even if you are not what some would consider a “crafty” person, you can find your inner artist with a wander down the paint aisle. Paint is the easiest way to change or enhance any item. Use paints and other supplies to turn cheap or thrifted items into one of a Read more »

After my post on the $5 Christmas Challenge I received from my brother I started thinking about great Christmas gifts I can get for under $5. It’s not an easy task, that’s for sure. Even Christmas Gifts under $10 would Read more »

 
Today I got an email from my brother that made me wonder if he’s been reading my mind. It went a little something like this… Read more »

When you plan ahead for the holidays one awesome advantage is being able to shop for the best deals.

I recently had the opportunity to grab up a gift for $300 off the regular price. Had I waited until the day or week before Christmas it’s highly unlikely I’d have found the savings and have bought such a terrific gift. The deal, by the way, was a Read more »

I posted a link to my new blog here on my personal facebook account and my friend Kim posted this:

This is great advice so I wanted to share it here.

As I mentioned in my About page I have been stressed almost every year about buying Christmas presents. Just like Kim mentioned Read more »