Inspired by a true story, Christmas for a Dollar is a holiday classic about a family that finds out what truly brings joy and love at Christmas. In the midst of the Great Depression, the Kamp family has struggled since Mrs. Kamp's untimely death. The older children do their best to take care of the family, but the younger children, including Hopalong Cassidy fan Norman and straight-talking little Ruthie, struggle the most with a bleak-looking future. With mounting debt from Norman's battle with polio, the siblings fully expect a Christmas without presents. However, when Father scrapes together a dollar in coins, everything changes. As each child comes up with a special gift to give another member of the family, they soon begin to discover that the spirit of Christmas is priceless.