Christmas Traditions on a Budget: 10 Our Family of Eight Loves

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With six kids and a real budget, our Christmas traditions aren't fancy. Most of them cost little or nothing. But they're the parts of December my kids talk about all year, and one of them goes all the way back to my own childhood.

Here are the 10 Christmas traditions our family of eight loves, plus the one we tried and dropped fast.

1. The Christmas lights drive

This one is my favorite. We pile into the car and drive a couple of towns over, where people really put on a show. Way more than our Dollar General lights could ever muster. Then we ooh and ahh at every house.

When I was little, my mother took me on the same kind of Christmas lights ride. Every year it brings those memories right back, and now my kids get to make their own. All it costs is a little gas.

2. Christmas movie nights

My 12-year-old is the big movie buff in our house, along with his dad. The two of them brainstorm a list of Christmas movies the whole family will enjoy, and we work through it all December. We watch at home, so it costs nothing extra.

3. Baking together

All the kids help with the Christmas baking. Our kitchen is small, so it's usually one or two at a time, which honestly makes it more fun. Everybody gets a turn, and nobody ends up elbow to elbow.

For the younger kids, we have this kids' baking set. It's cute and colorful, and it gets them excited to help. We use pieces from it right alongside my grown-up tools. We also pull out our Christmas cookie cutter set, and the kids take turns picking the shapes.

My 14-year-old is the best baker in the house. Her cinnamon rolls are amazing, and they've become our favorite Christmas dessert.

4. A special Christmas breakfast

Christmas morning gets a special breakfast, not the usual cereal. It's a small thing, but it makes the day feel different from the very first bite.

5. Decorating the tree together

We decorate the tree as a family. It's never perfectly balanced, and some branches end up with five ornaments while others have none. That's how you know the kids did it.

6. Homemade ornaments

The kids make ornaments for the tree. They cost next to nothing, and they're the ones I'd grab first if I could only keep a few.

This DIY ornament craft kit makes it easy to get everyone started.

7. The kids make and wrap gifts for each other

My kids make gifts for each other, and they wrap them themselves. It keeps the focus on giving, not just getting, and it costs very little. The wrapping isn't always pretty, but they're so proud of it.

A couple of craft kits make it easy. The kids love this wooden magnet craft set, and the girls use this bracelet and charm making kit to make bracelets for each other.

If you're shopping for the store-bought gifts too, here's what my six actually love in my post on Christmas gifts for kids by age.

8. Giving to others

Many kids and families have nothing at Christmas. So every year we give to the toy drive at the kids' school. I always want our family to remember and appreciate what we do have.

9. Gratitude before gifts

On Christmas morning, before anyone opens a single gift, we all take a moment to say what we're grateful for. It's usually a Thanksgiving tradition, but I think it helps put everything into perspective right before the wrapping paper starts flying.

10. One gift at a time

Everyone is up early, including me. The kids used to have to wait patiently for Daddy to get up, and they've gotten better at it over the years. Luckily, he's never too far behind.

Then I pass out one gift to each kid, and they all open at the same time while I take lots of pictures. Each gift goes in that kid's own pile, and we do it again until everything is opened. It slows the morning down, and I get to see every face.

Every kid gets the same number of gifts, too. I explain exactly how I set our budget in my post on Christmas on a budget.

The one we dropped: Elf on the Shelf

I always thought Elf on the Shelf was a little creepy. I tried it anyway, and it scared the daylights out of the baby. That was the end of that one.

Start one new tradition this year

Pick just one. You don't need ten. The best traditions start small and just keep happening.

Keep it cheap. If it costs a lot, it's hard to keep up every year. Most of ours are free.

Plan it for break. Movie nights and baking fit right into the days off school. Here's how we keep ours loose in my winter break routine.

Christmas traditions don't have to cost much to matter. Ours are mostly gas money, flour and a list of movies, and my kids wouldn't trade them for anything.