Easter on a Budget: Money-Saving Ideas
Updated: November 25, 2022
Easter is nearby and we’re actively preparing for its celebration. Although it isn’t the most expensive holiday, it can still affect your family budget and lower your savings rate. There are ways to celebrate Easter on a budget and still make it special. Before we dive into these ways, let’s have a look at some statistics expected in 2022 and make sure the holiday can really impact your wallet.
Easter Celebrating and Spending Expectations in 2022
This year’s Easter is going to be a bit different from the last one despite the Covid-19 is still ongoing. Many people missed last year’s festivities and now are eager to catch up. More and more Americans get vaccinated and gain more confidence with regard to gatherings. According to the latest CDC guidelines on holiday celebrations, it’s preferable to organize a holiday meal with your family members or have a larger gathering outdoors.
This tendency means that the average Easter spending is expected to be higher this year than before. Moreover, according to the National Retail Federation’s survey, it is going to be the highest recorded ever. 79% of Americans are planning to mark the holiday and spend $21.6 billion in total. $179.70 is the average sum planned to be spent per person.
Let’s try to cut this amount and explore the smart ways to celebrate Easter on a budget.
Plan & Budget to Save on Easter
Planning for any holiday starts with a budget. Figure out how much you can afford to spend on the holiday. Make your Easter budget as realistic as possible. A too-tight budget will be hard to stick to, while a big budget won’t let you save anything. The earlier you start the better.
Create and Review Your Easter List
As soon as you determine your holiday budget, make a list of things you need. Check it twice for mistakes or opportunities to shorten the list. For example, you can trim your list by doing the following.
Reuse Old Easter Stuff
Pull out all Easter things left from your previous celebration and go through them all. For example, Easter baskets (their filling is much more important) and decorations can be easily reused for years to come. Don’t buy anything until you’re sure you can’t use what you already have.
Avoiding Special Easter Outfits for Kids
Cute suits and dresses with ducks, bunnies, or eggs look great, but your kids will probably wear them only once this year. First, look for a suitable item in your kid’s closet. If you decide that you definitely need to buy something new, be practical. Purchase only one item and combine it with something you already have. Another option is to buy a dress or a suit that can be worn for other events.
Color Easter Eggs Yourself
Dyeing Easter eggs is a part of the holiday, but it shouldn’t necessarily cost much. You can color eggs yourself with the help of vinegar, food coloring, and water. One more idea is to let your kids decorate eggs with anything they wish or color them with markers or paints.
Limit the Candy for the Easter Egg Hunt
Instead of filling eggs with sweets, fill them with something else, for example, with homemade goodies, coins, stickers, and whatnots. Put only one thing into each egg. You can also buy a puzzle and fill each egg with one piece of it. One more idea is to hide real dyed eggs.
Cut the Menu Items
Don’t overload the table with a great variety of dishes. Otherwise, you won’t be able to eat them all. Focus on simple dishes with inexpensive ingredients. Try to use the food that you already have in your fridge or freezer. One more idea is to ask your guests to bring a dish to the party, at least a side dish or a dessert.
Focus on Celebration, Not on Gifts
Instead of buying a ton of Easter gifts for your kids, focus on celebrating the holiday. Do fun things together – play games, hunt eggs, or do crafts. In other words, gift your time to the kids. One more way to save on presents is to give useful things you’re planning to buy in any case as special Easter gifts.
Buy Easter Stuff on a Budget
Now you have your final list of things that you need to buy for the Easter celebration. It’s time to find out how to save on these items.
Shop Sales
If you have made your budget and planned your Easter list beforehand, you can try to take advantage of various sales. Just start buying all necessary Easter stuff at least a couple of weeks before the holiday.
Use Coupons
Use a usual Google search tool to find out if there’re any available coupons. Check your mail and email for exclusive coupons in case you’re a loyal member of any store. You may also try asking the cashier for a spare coupon.
Don’t Rush with Your Online Easter Purchases
Let the items you plan to buy stay in your shopping cart for some time before you complete the purchase. Retailers are likely to email you discounts to make you buy these things.
Take Advantage of Free Shipping
Some stores offer free shipping if you pass a spending threshold. If you’re a credit cardholder, try using your credit card shopping portal to get free shipping. Some credit cards allow you to get your purchases delivered for free through third-party companies.
Try to Maximize Your Rewards
If you can’t buy certain Easter stuff cheaper, you may try to get extra rewards for purchasing the items you need.
- Some credit card portals have links to shopping websites. You can use these links to earn rewards.
- There are also cash back sites and apps that allow you to earn cash back while doing shopping.
- Some stores let you get debit card cash back while making purchases.
- Are you an Apple Pay user? Get Apple Pay cash back for doing shopping using the service.
There’s also one more trick to rack up your credit card points. It is described here in detail.
Conclusion
Now you know the most effective ways to save on Easter. All you need is careful planning upfront. With the tips above, you’ll manage to make the holiday special and won’t let it blow your budget.
