Budget-Friendly Easter Baskets

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‘Tis the season for me to shop early and then eat ALL the Easter candy before the day arrives. I’m worse now than on Halloween! Tell me I’m not alone?? Anyway, with that confession out in the open, let’s go through some tips for a budget-friendly Easter.

Set a budget

Always. My first piece of advice, whatever the upcoming event – set a budget. If you decide that $25 is enough candy for anyone, then make sure you don’t spend $75.

Your budget is your best friend when it comes to making your money work for you. If you have been using a budget for a while, you can scroll back to last year to see how much you spent, to give you an idea.

And don’t forget those priorities! Are you trying to get out of debt or still working on your Emergency Fund? Then this is a year to scale back the bunny baskets or get creative. Don’t worry; we’ve got some ideas to help you out!

Rethink Egg Dyeing

Every year I get excited at the idea of creating beautifully dyed eggs. I’ve done this since before I had a kiddo to ‘enjoy’ the process with. (It’s magical, yes, but arguably so much more work with toddler hands involved!!)

But – hard boiling a dozen for about three minutes of fun has started to feel wasteful to me. If you eat hardboiled eggs then maybe this is still a fun tradition, but you can get paper eggs to colour and I’ve even seen plastic eggs that can still be dyed, but without the food waste!

Reuse

When I was a kid, I used the same sweet Easter basket every year. My momma still has it. So, for Dex’s first Easter, I bought a cute bucket from Target, and that’s what he has used.

You do not need to buy a new basket every year.

Let me say that again: you do NOT need to buy a new basket every year. There’s nothing wrong with using the same one year after year.

The same goes for the grass that goes at the bottom of the basket and the plastic eggs. Pop all this stuff in a box in the garage for May through March and then reuse it next year!

Budget-Friendly Easter idea - reuse the plastic eggs! — We’ve been using the same Easter eggs since this sweet baby’s first Easter!

Don’t get sucked into the hype

I think I’m turning into a grumpy old lady because I think this during every single holiday season. We can go bigger-better-more at every event.

Ask yourself: is this necessary? Do your kids need a new giant baby chick stuffy? (Especially when you know the one from last year is wedged behind their bed?!)

Will Easter be ruined without the (yes, beautiful) pastel coloured egg wreath with the fifty dollar price tag?

Is an egg hunt any less fun when every egg isn’t colour-matched or themed?!

The answer to each of these questions is no.

And, while I’m at it – avoid Pinterest. Well, ha, don’t because you probably got to this page from Pinterest. And I LOVE all the creative ideas I can find there. BUT – try to frame your scrolling in what is cute and clever, but then think of how you can do it without spending a hundred bucks on an Easter Basket of goodies.

It is easy to be swept away by the amazingly creative ideas out there so be mindful not to get overwhelmed!

Think beyond sugar

My kid is unique – he doesn’t eat a ton of candy. Not because we restrict it, it’s just who he is. He is happy to have one or two chocolate eggs and move on with his day. In fact, I still have PILES of candy from Halloween and Christmas. What a weirdo, right?!

I think it’s pretty awesome because I can get more creative in his Easter basket. Here are some ideas for non-food items that can be just as fun to find:

art supplies
bubbles
sidewalk chalk
flower seeds
garden tools
small toys
puzzles
books
small gift cards
nickels
nail polish
stickers
pens
frisbee or other outdoor toys
umbrella
fishing lures

Shop Smart

There are dollar spots and dollar stores for a reason, friends. Your first stop when hunting for goodies to fill your baskets should be the discount sections of your favourite stores, not the toy aisle.

Grab treats, toys, accessories, and games all for less money than if you head to the seasonal department!

You can also check out thrift stores or even garage sales (depending on your climate) for new-to-you toys or games.

This is a great way to do MORE with your budget!

Homemade Coupons

I love putting jelly beans and gummy candies inside the plastic eggs, but you can pop some other fun things in there too. How about homemade coupons?

Family movie night
Stay up 30 minutes later
Game tournament
15 minutes extra screen time
Decide what’s for dinner

You can create a list of ideas that work for your family, write them on slips of paper and tuck them into the eggs! A great, budget-friendly Easter option!

Things they need

Just like in a Christmas stocking, I also like to include some small things they need – socks, lip chap, fun bandaids, bubble bath, lotion, sunglasses, rubber boots, flip-flops. The list could go on and on. But if you are looking to rock a budget-friendly Easter, this is a great way to make your money go farther. These are things you would be buying around now anyways!

Start Early

As always, with budgeting, the best advice is to start early and get intentional. If you wait until Good Friday before you even start getting ready, you’ll be left scrambling and wind up paying more than you need to. Set a budget and start shopping earlier – that gives you time to check through those dollar stores or create a few homemade treats that your kiddos will love!

Wrap Up

That’s it for budget-friendly Easter advice this year. I’d love to hear how you get creative with Easter in your home. Hop over (see what I did there?) and join our Facebook group for daily inspiration and sharing!