Christmas comes but once a year, and it’s almost here! Are you ready? If you’re like most families, I might receive an “are you kidding me?” type answer. And that’s ok, we can’t all be “that person” who is completely finished and ready for Christmas before the Thanksgiving turkey even goes into the oven.
If you have a large family it can be stressful to purchase gifts for everyone on your list. So, for those who aren’t finished (or haven’t even started) with Christmas shopping, we’ve gathered some great tips to help you save money and still enjoy the Gift-giving season.
Budget
As always, set a Budget for Christmas! Make sure to include everything you need for Christmas- gifts, wrapping supplies, food, etc. If you have the information available, look to see what you spent last year and use it as a guide to budget better this year – There are usually always some ways to cut down a budget when you start looking closely. If you didn’t keep track of spending last year, then you can start this year and just make sure you save it for future use!
Be sure to write your budget down on paper, including everyone you need to buy for and how much you plan to spend. You can use this to also write down and plan out some gift ideas. There are some great Christmas budget printables out there from fellow bloggers to help you!
Same Gift for All Adults
It can be hard to purchase everyone the perfect gift on a budget. A budget doesn’t mean you can’t get a nice gift, but consider getting each adult the same gift. Try items likes cozy throws, a crockpot, or robes. There are just so many things you could do here.
Buy for Kids Only
My greatest joy at Christmas is to watch the little ones’ excitement as they open a gift. In a large family, it may be better to just purchase gifts for the kids or those 18 years and younger.
Gift Giving Game
Have a little fun and try gift giving by playing a game like White Elephant, Dirty Santa, Secret Santa or Pollyanna. They’re all similar but each person that wants to play brings one gift. In some games, the gifts can be stolen by others, which is actually a lot of fun! Set a budget for gifts or try a theme like no shopping, as seen on TV, recycled or funny gifts. Games like this are a blast and so much better for your budget.
Draw Names
Have everyone who wants to participate put their names in a bucket and choose another name. Remember to set a budget for what is allowed to be spent, a minimum and maximum like $25-$30. Sometimes everyone can afford to buy someone a little nicer gift by doing this since they just have to buy one gift and not several. Just make sure everyone agrees on the budget beforehand. Have the kids also draw names and set a budget for their gifts as well.
Homemade Gifts
Not everyone is crafty, but everyone could either make a handmade gift or purchase a handmade gift for each person. You can cut down on costs here depending on whether you have to purchase a gift or if you can make it yourself. Crochet dishcloths, wood products, coupons for a service, and food items too like breads, foods you have canned yourself like salsa, pizza sauce and jellies and jams are always great.
Baked Goods
Sometimes you just want to give someone something so they know you’re thinking of them. Consider giving something tasty that you’ve prepared yourself like baked breads, candy, cookies, chocolate covered pretzels or nuts, and canned goods!
A Joint Gift for Couples/Families
A joint gift can be a lot of fun to put together and receive. Try thinking of something the couple or family would enjoy doing together. Consider things like a fun board game, an activity they can do together, or make a gift basket for movie night and include movie tickets or a movie, popcorn, candy, and drinks.
This Christmas, don’t be afraid to break traditions and try something new, especially if money is tight this year! Using some of the tips above, you will have a lot of fun this Christmas and not have to stress over spending way more than you should have.
When you overspend at Christmas and stress over what to gift to family and friends, you begin to dread Christmas and look at gift giving as a chore. Don’t allow yourself to fall into this mindset! Enjoy the holiday season this year by taking the stress out of gift giving and bringing some relief to your bank account!
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