3 Little-Known Ways to Save Money During Chanukkah

When you have a holiday like Chanukkah that lasts eight nights, you might spend a lot of money when celebrating it. But believe it or not, it's possible to celebrate Chanukkah from start to finish without racking up a giant credit card tab. Here's how you can save money while enjoying the holiday to the fullest.

1. Make some of your presents

It's customary to give out gifts on Chanukkah, and some families like to exchange gifts every single night. If you're going this route, it's a good idea to swap some store-bought gifts with homemade items.

Instead of a toy or gadget, you might give your child the gift of their favorite chocolate cake or sugar cookies. Similarly, for your spouse, instead of yet another sweater or polo shirt, give the gift of cooking their favorite meal. Or, give the gift of taking over the housework for a week so they don't have to spend their spare time cleaning.

Homemade gifts can go a long way. And some might not even cost you a dime. Also, don't be afraid to encourage your kids to offer up homemade gifts for one another. You could, for example, have an older sibling give the younger one the gift of homework help for a week.

2. Choose family time and experiences over gifts

When you have a holiday that's eight days long, you have several opportunities to do fun things together as a family to celebrate. So swap a few nights of gifts with family time instead.

Have a movie marathon night where you're generous with your kids' popcorn refills. Go for a weekend Chanukkah hike and treat your kids to a warm hot chocolate at home afterward. Or, decide that you're going to spend one night volunteering at your local temple. Looking back, these are experiences your kids are more likely to remember than the specific gifts they received.

3. Book your travel strategically

You may need to travel to celebrate Chanukkah with your family. But since the holiday is more than a week long, you have some leeway when it comes to booking a flight.

If you work remotely and have the flexibility to leave town whenever you want, price different options to see what makes the most sense financially. And if there's a group of you traveling to the same destination for the holiday, see about splitting the cost of a rental car and driving if doing so is feasible -- meaning, you're not looking at too long a distance and you can swing the time off of work.

TransUnion reports that more than 50% of Americans plan to spend over $500 on holiday shopping this year. You may be able to get away with spending much less if you set priorities this Chanukkah and take steps to make the cost of getting out to see family less expensive.