The holidays are an expensive time of year, but that doesn’t mean you have to splurge on every activity. Here are 34 cheap activities to do during the holidays with your family and friends that won’t break the bank!
Welcome to your guide to creating unique and unforgetable holiday memories without breaking the bank!
With the holiday season upon us, it’s the time of year we get to celebrate the warmth of spending time with loved ones, the magic of twinkling lights, and shopping for gifts. But let’s face it, this time of year can also put a serious strain on our wallets.
But not every holiday activity has to break the bank. This list rounds up the best unique and memorable, yet cheap activities to do during the holidays that will let you savor every moment without worrying about straining your wallet.
So, grab a cup of cocoa and enjoy this budget-friendly guide to making this holiday season not only unforgettable but also affordable!
This Post Is All About Cheap Activities To Do During The Holidays
This Post Is All About Cheap Activities To Do During The Holidays
1. Thrift for a funny white elephant gift
The best part of a white elephant party is all of the whacky gifts you get to exchange! Thrifting can be the most fun and affordable way to find a white elephant party jem!
2. Make DIY homemade tree ornaments
Who says you have to buy expensive ornaments? Make DIY tree ornaments to hand up this year and your Holiday season will become even more special and memorable.
3. Create a hilarious holiday calendar for friends and family
Pick a fun theme, dress up and take hilarious pictures to turn into a calendar for the new year! Shutterfly has reasonably priced options and often has excellent deals too!
4. Host a potluck
Host a potluck with your friends. Have everyone bring their favorite dishes. Hosting a potluck is an awesome way to get to know your neighbors as well!
5. Come up with a holiday themed scavenger hunt
Come up with a holiday themed scavenger hunt list and drive around the neighborhood crossing things off as you find them. You can find lists online, or come up with funny ones yourself. Some of my favorites are finding a dog in a cute Christmas sweater, or a house with a baby Yoda wearing a Santa hat!
6. Spread holiday cheer by decorating a tree in your neighborhood
This is my family’s favorite holiday tradition. Buy some cheap plastic ornaments, and decorate a tree in your neighborhood. It’s a great way to spread holiday cheer to your neighbors. Just don’t forget to take down the ornaments and clean up after yourself after the holidays!
7. Learn to knit or crochet fuzzy socks
Making things yourself always makes you appreciate them so much more. Learn to knit some fuzzy socks for yourself, and once you get good enough you can make them for all your friends and family as a cheap yet meaningful gift!
8. Sign up for a virtual cooking class or follow a recipe on YouTubue
Follow a recipie to make an amazing holiday dish. There are lots of affordable online classes. But don’t skip looking on YouTube first, YouTube has millions of amazing and free cooking videos!
9. Grab a hot cocoa and drive around rating peoples holiday decor
What can be more fun then driving around and acting as a judge for your neighbors holiday decor? Come up with a list and score your neighbors decor based on it. As a bonus get in your steps by making it a walking tour!
10. Pull an all nighter watching nostalgic Holiday movies
When was the last time you stayed up all night long? Get cozy with your friends and family, make some hot cocoa and get into your comfy PJs and see how long you can stay awake watching your favorite nostalgic Christmas movies. As a bonus, pair your movie night with a cozy self-care activity.
11. Find a big hill and go sledding
Don’t have a sled? Use a cardboard box to sled down the biggest snowy hill you can find. This is such a fun and free activity to do during the holidays!
12. Go to a locally hosted bingo night
Join a locally hosted bingo or trivia night. It’s the best fun and free way to meet people in your community!
13. DIY an ugly Christmas sweater
Arguably the best part of Christmas is putting on your ugliest Christmas sweater! This year go all out by DIYing your own. Best part is, you can get as creative and make it as ugly as you possibly could imagine!
14. Host a onesie pajama party
Onesies are cozy, fun and dare I say kind of adorable? I don’t know about you but my least favorite part about a party is dressing up in uncomfortable, fancy clothes. You can eliminate that by having everyone show up in comfy onesie PJs. Now that’s what I call a party!
15. Have a holiday Karaoke night
Yes, sometimes I too get annoyed listening to Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’ for the millionth time. But it’s a classic for a reason. It’s fun to sing along to! Host a fun holiday Karaoke night and sing all the classics to your hearts content.
16. Play a holiday movie drinking game
Yes, watching Elf every year can get a little repetitive. Spice it up by turning holiday movies into a drinking game! Just don’t go too crazy with it or you might wake up with a holiday hangover.
17. Recreate awkward family photos
Find your funniest family photos from years ago and recreate them. This is also a meaningful, fun, and affordable gift idea for your parents!
18. Set a budget and shop for the ugliest/ funniest tree ornament
Grab some friends, set a budget, and set out to find the most bizarre Christmas tree ornament you possibly can. You can keep it for years and look back on a fun memory every holiday season.
19. Bundle up and do a bonfire
Put on your warm clothes, grab a big cozy blanket, and light a bonfire outside. I swear, a warm toasty smore tastes even better when it’s cold out!
20. Do a DIY only gift exchange
Who says you need to splurge on gifts? Get creative and do a DIY only gift exchange with friends or family this year. This is not only a meaningful but also cheap activity to do over the holidays!
21. Host a gift wrapping party
Gift wrapping can easily become a tedious task when you do it alone. So get together with people and host a gift wrapping party. Boring tasks are way more fun with friends. No peeking allowed though!
22. Have a snowball fight
Bring out the child in you and have a snowball fight outside… banking on the fact that you live in an area with snow!
23. Create DIY Snowglobes using mason jars
Making snow globes is super easy and fun! All you need is a mason jar, lots of glitter, some figurines and a hot glue gun!
24. Host a trivia night
How many reindeer are part of Santas Sleigh? Which country did egg nog come from? These are just a couple of examples of holiday trivia you can ask! Make up questions yourself, or find plenty of lists online.
25. Volunteer at your local animal shelter
Volunteering your time is not only a free activity to do during the holidays, it’s also a way to give back to your community. Plenty of animal shelters let you sign up to take dogs on walks. So get your steps in and spread some holiday cheer to the pups looking for their forever homes.
26. Make DIY holiday decor for your home
No one said the holidays have to be expensive. Making your own decor is super cheap and fun! You can get creative and make your own candles, wreathes, or even ornaments. Here are plenty of holiday DIY ideas to inspire you!
27. Organize a secret Santa gift exchange
Secret Santa is so much fun with a group of close friends and family, and it keeps your budget low since everyone only needs to buy one gift.
28. Set up indoor camping
Camping doesn’t need to be a summer-only activity! Set up your tent in your living room, grab a few sleeping bags, and turn on a flashlight to make it extra cozy. It’s extra fun if you have a fireplace to roast marshmallows on!
29. Compile a cookbook with your favorite holiday meals and traditions
This is a lovely idea that can be passed down from generation to generation. Compile a cookbook with all of your family’s favorite meals and traditions and add to it for years to come! This has to be one of my favorite cheap activities to do during the holidays. Include some family photos every year as well to make it extra special!
30. Make mulled wine
Turn a budget-friendly bottle of wine into a delicious and boozy holiday drink! Plus the warmth from the wine and the buzz from the alcohol are an excellent combo to keep you warm and cozy during winter!
31. Go watch a holiday parade
Holiday parades just aren’t as popular as they used to be. But that doesn’t mean they are any less fun! Get together with a few friends and make an event out of it. It’s bound to get you all in the holiday spirit!
32. Host a cozy game night
Whether it’s board games or video games, either way this is a fantastic way to spend time with the people you love without spending any money. Bonus point’s if everyone comes wearing their comfiest PJs and you snack on a bowl of homemade caramel corn!
33. Craft fun holiday DIY cocktails
Get together with friends and have everyone bring the ingredients to make their favorite version of a holiday cocktail! It’s like a potluck, but with a fun twist!
34. Make your own caramel popcorn
Trust me, this is so much easier than it sounds. Making your own popcorn is so delicious and much cheaper than buying a store-bought version. Plus everyone can throw on their favorite toppings. Personally, I don’t think you can ever go wrong with M&M’s!
Hopefully you enjoyed these 34 super unique and cheap activities to do during the holidays!
