by Natalie “Lee” Arneson
Decorating for the holidays can feel expensive, especially when you’re in college, but it doesn’t have to be. As a fellow college student with a part-time job and an unimpressive bank account, let me tell you my tips and tricks for decorating on a budget.
If you have any relatives or friends with decorations they’re no longer fond of or have been thinking of getting rid of, ask if you can have them. It nevers hurts to ask if the item is going to be donated. While decorating my dorm last year, I asked my parents if there were any decorations I could have or borrow, and I went back to school with some pretty cute decorations.
This past week, I took out $50, threw on my best mask, and went to get the most bang for my buck in Christmas decorations. While I did all my shopping here in my hometown of Portland, I stuck to shops that would be accessible to Evergreen students in the Olympia area. I began my little journey at Fred Meyer. While Fred Meyer can be on the more expensive side of things, especially when you don’t have a lot of cash, the great thing about them? There’s always deals. Since the deals only apply to those who have a membership, I would only recommend shopping here if either you or a member of your household has a membership card/phone number to apply at check out.
At Fred Meyer, I bought one of the glass snowmen in the picture below, as well as a string of 120 lights and a festive scented candle. All items were on sale, and there was a 15% off coupon hanging up around the store that I also applied at checkout. What would’ve been about $32 and some change ended up costing me only $19.02 after all the deals and coupons were applied. Again, I’d only suggest shopping for decorations at Fred Meyer if you or someone in your household has a membership.
Next, I stopped into Joann Fabrics to see what I could find. Again, Joann Fabrics is one of the stores that can be more expensive, but they’re also one of the stores that is always having deals. My favorite thing about Joann Fabrics is that you don’t need a membership to use the coupons or get the deals. If you go to Joann Fabrics’ website, all you need to do is click the coupons tab to see what deals they’re offering both in-store and online. While I shopped in-store this time, I would say it’s better to shop online and have your things delivered or get curbside pickup since the majority of Joann’s coupons have been online only as of late. In the store, I was able to buy $32.98 worth of decorations for $14.48.
While I didn’t stop here on my little excursion, I highly recommend going to Goodwill for inexpensive Christmas decorations. Goodwill is a great place to find eclectic decorations, oftentimes things you don’t see in retail stores like Fred Meyer or Target. Back in late November, I went to Goodwill and purchased two holiday mugs, two festive candle holders (one in the shape of a fireplace), and the perfect Christmas present for my mother, all for $13.95.
I also recommend browsing around online stores, both for decorations and gifts. Ever since the pandemic started, most online stores are offering more deals, especially now that the holidays have come. The biggest thing to look out for with online shopping is the shipping fees. If the online store has a physical location near you, it may be best to do curbside pickup if it’s offered, that way there’s no shipping fees. If you’re looking for Christmas gifts, it’s always a great thing to shop local businesses. If you’re new to Olympia, I highly suggest looking online and reaching out to peers to find some of the amazing local businesses in town. A couple local businesses I would recommend are Pickers in Paradise on Fourth Ave, Encore Chocolates and Teas on Fifth Ave, and Rainy Day Records also on Fifth Ave.
At the end of my little shopping trip, I ended up only spending $33.50 out of the $50 I took out. Had we not been in a pandemic, I would’ve gone to more stores and seen what other deals I could get. In general, a good rule of thumb I like to follow is to always look for coupons, never underestimate what you can find in a thrift store, and if you can get decorations for free, that’s the best way to go. Happy shopping and happy holidays!
