Christmas Gift Giving on a Budget

Planning your Christmas gift giving on a budget can be hard, but it is not impossible. This year more than ever, we are all pinching pennies and trying to save a buck. But how do you make that translate into budget friendly Christmas gift giving? Whatever your budget, you can make this Christmas meaningful while ensuring your bank account doesn’t take the fall.. Stick around to see how!

Christmas is a time of giving, but it can easily turn into a time of over spending. We have all felt the anxiety of overspending for the holidays. You know the feeling I am talking about. You start to tally up your total expenditures after a shopping spree only to realize that you forgot 6 of the 36 people you are buying for and your bank account has already taken a big hit in a big way. You either feel obligated to buy for everyone, or you feel guilty that you didn’t buy more for one person or another. So you head back into the store even though financially it means you will be eating ramen for New Years.

This is something I struggle with every year.  I love Christmas and gift giving is one of my favorite parts, especially when it comes to my kids.  I love to see their little faces light up. I want them to have a memorable Christmas and often end up buying more than they need or ask for. But is that really what the season is about? Does it make sense to spend all that money and exactly how long does that joy last?  I asked my kids the other day, “do you remember what you got for Christmas last year?” Would you be surprised if I told you they didn’t remember a single thing that they got.

Let’s break the gift giving extravaganza down. First you have the initial rush of opening these wonderful gift and the few blurry photos to commemorate the feeling. But then you have to find a home for all of the toys that they will ultimately only play with for a few days and then forget about.  So is all that spending necessary or can you really do your Christmas gift giving on a budget?

I also really struggle with curbing my buying impulses for people who “may” buy me a gift.  I always feel guilty when a friend or coworker buys me a gift and I didn’t buy them one in return.  This then forces me to go out and buy something for them to ease the anxiety of my poor planning.  It reminds me of the Big Bang Theory episode where Sheldon buys a slew of gift baskets for Penny so he is prepared to give her an equal value basket in return for her gift to him. Ultimately her gift is so great, he gives her all of the baskets!  Yep that is me. Bless my heart.

This year I am working really hard to get creative and stick to a minimal budget.  Not only in an attempt to save money since we are in the middle of a whole home renovation and COVID, but also to minimize the amount of stuff that has to be packed up and transported to the new house when we move.  I want to share what I am doing this year to stay on a budget and alleviate the Sheldon/Penny conundrum of unplanned gift giving. 

Reduce your gift giving scope

Often times we want to give to everyone.  Mom, dad, siblings, all the way down to sweet aunt Eloise who you only see once a year at Christmas.  If you have an extended family that loves to give gifts, instead of buying for each person set up a secret Santa or gift exchange.  This can be a fun way to exchange gifts and can be a cost saver.  We do a White Elephant gift exchange every year at my momma’s that is so much fun.  Everyone really gets into the stealing of gifts and it turns into a big game.  This is far more memorable than the mountain of gifts that you may get that you will never use or need. 

Set a dollar limit and stick to it

If you just can’t cut back on who you give gifts to, instead cut back on your allowable spending limit.  Set a price per gift per person at no more than say $10. You can get great meaningful gifts on Amazon or at your local Target store that will also be budget friendly. Not only is this a cost saver, but it is also a fun challenge for yourself to see just how creative and frugal you can be while delivering a great gift.  I recommend listing out your gift receivers hobbies or interests and searching within those bucket groups to come up with some really cute and thoughtful ideas. A good rule to follow is, if you don’t know their hobbies and interests, you probably aren’t close enough to get them a gift even if they get you one.

Save on Shipping

This year especially we can expect to utilize mail order more than ever due to the need to cut down on social gatherings. This can really eat into your Christmas gift giving budget if you aren’t careful. Some great tips on ensuring you are not exceeding budget is to take advantage of free shipping services such as Amazon to not only get your purchases to you, but to send directly to your recipient! No wrapping, no shipping, just pure holiday cheer!

Make It or Bake It

Who doesn’t love a thoughtful handmade gift or home baked goodies around the holidays?  Some of my favorite gifts I have ever gotten were made by the hands of the people I love the most.  Some great handmade gift ideas include:

• Home canned goods-check out our recipe for Applebutter as an idea. It is delicious and festive
• Cookies/cakes/muffins- with life being so busy some people don’t have time to bake during the holidays, not only is this gift meaningful, but it is also a lifesaver to those who hate to bake.
• Handmade ornaments to commemorate the year- there are some really cute ideas on Pinterest for Covid related ornaments that are super easy to make and require little in the way of materials.
• Always delicious fudge or rock candy
• Anything you are great at making! Do you sew, knit, crochet, paint, or woodwork? Use your talents to get creative and make one of a kind gifts. 

Do as Santa Does, Make a List and Check it Twice

Once you have decide on who you are buying for it is important to create a list and stick to it. If you do not have a plan you are destine to overspend.  A good motto to stick to is, one thing they need, one thing they wear, one thing they read, one thing they want, and one thing they don’t know they want yet.”

Then I am listing it out with a price tag as I buy it so I can keep on top of how much I have spent and where I am to my budget. Otherwise I would go Amazon crazy and end up in the same boat as all the years before. Check out our Christmas Planner to help you get started!

Opt for Free Experiences instead of Expensive Gifts

Another great cost saving idea is to make the holidays special not by gift giving, but by creating memories through shared experiences. Take your kids out for a late night drive to look at Christmas lights complete with a thermos of hot chocolate and Christmas Carols. Gather up coworkers or friends to lend a helping hand at a local food bank and bring along some homemade goodies or take a photo and get free prints made up to give to everyone participating. Visit a Christmas Tree farm with the family and have an impromptu silly photo shoot using Santa and Elf hats or any number of Christmas decor you have already. The possibilities are endless!

I hope some of these ideas spark you to save some money this Holiday Season! Do you have any other great Christmas budget ideas?

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