Even though the holiday season is meant to be a joyful and festive time, it can put a financial strain on people, who are trying to get their loved ones gifts. Budgeting during this time is really important to avoid debt and reduce stress. It will help you to thoughtfully spend your money and time so you can enjoy the festivities more fully.
There are some things you can do to make gift-giving go more smoothly:
Set a Gift-Giving Budget
Decide who you need to buy gifts for and divide your list into two categories: primary (close friends and family) and secondary (coworkers and acquaintances). Once you have your gift list, set spending limits for each person. You can use a spreadsheet to keep track of all of your information.
Inexpensive and Thoughtful Gift Ideas
If you are really strapped for cash, think about making homemade gift cards for services like as cooking, watching the kids, or going on a date day.
There are other gifts you can make for your loved ones. Here are a few possibilities:
Make your own photo album
Take a mason jar and fill it with 365 notes that say what you like about that person
Make a playlist with someone's favorite songs (there are plenty of free song apps out there that are free with commercials like Spotify)
Create coasters or planters from recycled products
Design a personalized recipe book by gathering favorite recipes or old family recipes
Bake a batch of cookies or fudge
Knit or crochet something special like a blanket, toy, or sweater
Check Out Holiday and Year-Round Discounts and Sales
If you are planning to buy a gift on a budget, make sure to take advantage of discounts and sales. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are always big days to get some discounts. Some people also like to find great deals throughout the year and save them to give to their family and friends during the holidays. You can track prices and sales with apps like Honey, PriceBlink, or Slickdeals.
Wrapping Up Your Gifts
Rather than spending an arm and a leg for really fancy wrapping paper, you can always use one of the following ideas to wrap up your gifts:
Take a brown paper bag and cut out the bottom to make a shape that can be used to wrap a gift (you can decorate the bag with crayons and markers if you want something more colorful)
Use left over fabric or a pillowcase that you can get back to wrap up your item
You can use old sheet music or print some out
If you have an old calendar you could use the pictures from it to decorate your gift
Have your child draw some pictures and wrap gifts in them
It can be a fun task to find meaningful and reasonably priced gifts.
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