For many, Easter is the unofficial start of spring. The skies are more sunny, temperatures are rising, and it is time to head outside for the Easter egg hunt!
The average American celebrating Easter spends a minimum of $150. This may or may not include new clothes, decorations, Easter Basket, and candy. The cheapest Easter Basket at Walmart in 2024 is $15. While this is a fun and celebratory holiday, it can also be very expensive.
Just because this holiday can potentially be expensive, do not let that keep you from having the best holiday possible. There are ways to cut costs without sacrificing fun or memories. Easter does not have to break the bank. Use these budget-friendly ideas for your Easter Celebration.
As you will see me preach on this blog, make a budget and stick to it.
The first step to saving money for Easter or any holiday is to make a plan. This can be done a number of ways. You can start a sinking fund a year before, 6 months, or 3 months before. You could budget the amount into your monthly budget for the month of Easter, or the paycheck the week before you plan to buy. My advice is to brainstorm what you plan to buy or need and figure out what the cost is. Can you do this was one paycheck, or do you need a month or more to save? I recommend putting a little away each month a year before so you have the funds for the next Easter.
Will you need to purchase Easter Baskets? Can you make your own for a cheaper price? Do you attend a religious Easter service? Will you and your family need new clothes for this? Can you reuse clothing and make them into a new outfit? Can you purchase items at thrift stores?
Let's talk about Easter meal. Plan this meal in advance. Start looking weeks ahead for items on sale or coupons you can use. Think outside the box for this meal. No one says you have to have an Easter ham in order to have a family dinner. If it is warm enough, have a cookout while the kids look for Easter eggs. Have a picnic. There is no hard fast rule of what an Easter meal has to be.
No matter what your plans are for Easter, the main important goal it to plan ahead of time and determine your budget and work from there. Making a budget and following a plan will keep you on track.
Shop Smart
Never pay full price for anything. This means before Easter season kicks off, stores are flooded with Easter deals. See if your favorite store has a discount or promotion. Also, check online for Easter Sales or Easter Deals. Check with local small businesses.
Do you have a rewards or loyalty card at your favorite store? Take advantage of your rewards card. Don't forget places like CVS and Walgreens. Also, check TJ Maxx, Burlington Coat Factory, and Ross.
Don't forget after holiday sales to stock up for next year. Most stores are reducing price up to 75% off.
Save with New Accessories and Buy Secondhand Clothes
For most families, buy an Easter outfit means wearing it one time. This can be expensive if you have multiple children in your family.
Head to a thrift store or consignment shop. You can also find deals on new clothing on Amazon. You can purchase new to you clothing from a thrift store or consignment shop for the whole family for less than $100. You can also check sites like Facebook Marketplace or Mercari used clothing online stores. Do you have children the same age as friends. Have that outgrown old Easter clothing from the year before. Do a friendly swap.
If you are buying new clothing, think about how this can be repurposed throughout the summer. Are you attending graduations, weddings, or special events that you can wear these clothes to? Can you used it for work wear or church wear? Find ways to repurpose the item you purchase.
Do you have clothes in your closet that you can spice up? Add a new pair of shoes, belt, spring jacket or cardigan. Add a suit jacket to men's trousers, cute frilly socks or tights to little girl's dresses. Get creative with your wardrobe.
Give Inexpensive Gift Baskets
Let's channel your inner DIY Rockstar creativity and make some homemade Easter gifts. Save some serious cash by making your own Easter baskets.
Start with the basket itself. You can find these at the Dollar Tree, Dollar General, yard sales, Goodwill, and some times people in your community wanting to get rid of them. The base for Easter baskets are the colorful grass. You can get this around $1 per bag. You can also use the alternative colored tissue paper to reduce mess and you may have this one hand.
Now it is time to get creative. The key is to stock up on cheap candies and treats or crayons/markers, coloring books, snacks, toys/stuffed animals. If you want healthier treats instead of candy you can opt for trial mix, fruit, or nuts.
Another way to save money is to think about what your children need. Kind of like Christmas shopping and birthday shopping. Are you going on vacation? Maybe put beach toys in there. Have they been asking for a certain toy or book. Include that. This gets you double duty out of your money.
Lets Talk Easter Dinner
(Blog coming soon with Affordable Easter Dinners)
Easter extravaganza doesn't have to cost a fortune. Without sacrificing fun and memories, remember these steps to save money:
Make a budget and stick to it
Smart shopping for everything
Buy secondhand clothes and revamp clothes in your closet with new accessories
Give handmade gifts
Think outside the box when preparing Easter Dinner. Cookout, picnic, etc.
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