The holiday season often pressures people into going on an insane spending spree. Christmas alone rakes in $400 billion for the U.S. market! According to a Gallup poll, the average American adult sets aside at least $720 for the gift-giving season.
With the global economy in recession in this current climate, perhaps some clever temperance should be the rule of law to prevent possible financial doom. You never know… a simpler, much more creative and shrewd holiday may work out even better and create lasting memories for you and your family.
Here are some ways you can preserve the joy and fun of the holiday season without spending big on top holiday gifts.
1. Minimize Shipping Costs
Sometimes it’s great to get a cheap-yet-amazing gift, but what most people don’t consider are additional costs. If your daughter is in another city, or you have a relative that lives even farther away, you’re going to have to pay a lot in shipping fees.
Fortunately, there are some tips you can use to keep your delivery costs to a bare minimum:
- Keep your gift weight in check. Instead of buying a heavy antique, consider a lightweight bag or a book. It might even make a bigger impact if you choose wisely.
- Your gift’s protection holds paramount importance, as there’s no point in sending a gift if it doesn’t arrive safe and sound. The key to wrapping your gifts safely is to keep ample cushion space between each item. As a rule of thumb, keep at least two inches between each piece. When it comes to sealing the package, use a wide packing tape, covering each and every corner of the box. Scotch tape or duct tape won’t do a good enough job.
- You don’t need to buy expensive packing materials, such as foam peanuts or bubble wrap. Old and outdated newspapers will suffice! These newspapers can also be taken out by the recipient and recycled, which is also a huge plus if you’re concerned about protecting the environment.
- The fastest low-cost holiday shipping in most states is USPS. However, you should check other services, such as UPS and FedEx, as prices vary across different regions. Go to your desired shipper’s website and type in the package’s weight and size to get a selection of available shipping options, along with their delivery dates and prices.
- It just doesn’t make sense to first buy a gift online, then have it sent to your home so you can wrap it up, and then have it delivered to someone else. Sending directly is the best way to save money. You might not get the opportunity to wrap the gift with your own hands this way, but you can still request an online store to include a heartfelt message or a greeting card. Many services include gift cards for free. Just make sure you verify the gift-wrapping price before finalizing the order, as some stores charge up to $16 for a single gift wrap.
2. Shrink Your Gift List
Even if you spend only $10 on a single gift for a 60-person gift list, that’s going to add up to $600—this is a staggering number! To save money, you need to decrease your recipients to a more manageable size.
Shrinking your gift list not only saves you money, but also the time and labor you have to spend on scrambling for gifts in crowded malls.
However, there’s one huge problem with this approach: you have to leave out someone and risk hurting their feelings. This is bound to create confusion, especially in the minds of those who are used to getting a present from you on almost every occasion. They might think you have a thorn for them in your heart and make wild assumptions.
Here are some ways you can cut down your gift list without offending anyone:
- The best way to keep people’s feelings in check is to be upfront and honest. People only feel betrayed and hurt when they’re kept in the dark. It’s quite possible some of your friends are also worried about the size of their gift-giving budget. If you talk to them, they might not even need any big explanation.
- Instead of giving each and every member of your family a separate gift, consider buying one for all of them to enjoy together. Many members of your family may have similar interests. For example, you could buy your kids a video game they’d all love playing together.
- Some people go out of their way to get gifts for people who aren’t really close to them. This list may include your distant relatives, your kid’s friends, etc. Instead of buying a proper gift for them, why not just send a simple greeting card or letter? They might respect the sentiment behind it even more than an expensive gift. A flashy gift might even make them feel obligated and pressured to send something of equal value.
3. Give Homemade Gifts
Homemade presents are much more valuable than something bought off a store shelf. They represent the love and time you’ve invested in their creation. But all homemade gifts are not equal—a great homemade gift should really look like it has a personal touch.
If you want to make a homemade gift that stands out, think of your interests. Do you have a special liking for photography, or perhaps carpeting? If yes, then utilize these skills. The end product will turn out a lot better if you involve a talent you’re well-versed in.
Even if you don’t think you’re a pro in something, you can still explore and find many great ideas for homemade gifts you can make. Here are some to nudge you in the right direction:
Jewelry
Threading different sizes, colors, and shapes of beads is a great way to make homemade jewelry. And beads aren’t that expensive at all if you order them online. One pound of organized beads costs less than $10 from the right store. Another option is to make your own recyclable paper bead bracelet.
Toys
Toy’s don’t require expensive tools. Especially if you’re making a toy for a kid, you can easily carve out some wood, refine its coarse layers, and paint it with bright and uplifting colors. Similarly, a jigsaw can be transformed into an excellent wooden puzzle.
Food
Who doesn’t love food? A couple of hours in the kitchen is all you need to put a big smile on your family members’ faces. Is there a particular dish your kids die for? Well, what are you waiting for? Wear that apron and get cooking! Cookies, candies, homemade mango chutni… the choices are endless.
Services
Sometimes, people love the gift of help. You can give a gift coupon, offering your babysitting or tutoring services for a night. To make sure you’re free when the recipient decides to use the power vested in the coupon, give them a calendar of your schedule so the coupon can be redeemed without any issues.
4. Regift
Regifting isn’t often considered the best option, but times are changing. There are many ways you can regift a present without making it seem like an unthoughtful gesture. You don’t want to give your sister the same cookie jar she gave you last year — that’s going to boil her up like a steaming pan of lava. You also definitely don’t want to give her the same Yankee’s T-shirt that your uncle gifted you. Word might get around and leave you stuck in an embarrassing situation.
If there’s something you know your intended recipient won’t know has been regifted, then choose that. It could be something from a distant relative (perhaps a distant cousin), or a work colleague. There’s nothing wrong with this kind of regifting as long as you don’t approach it tactlessly.
5. Don’t Let Marketing Tricks Fool You
Retailers employ an army of marketing gimmicks to get you to buy stuff; don’t buy into the temptation. According to a study, consumer time spent in-store and likeliness to buy increased by 34% and 17% respectively in the presence of popular Christmas music. A similar trend was also found when Christmas scents were deployed. To avoid being sniffed into financial destruction by these scents and sounds, try opting for online shopping. Online shopping has its lures, but it still removes the many pressures of buying gifts on the spot.
Make sure you properly research online even if you’re going to a retail store. Ask yourself the following questions before making any purchase:
- Who are you buying the presents for?
- Why are you purchasing them?
- How much budget can you allocate for each item?
Make a list of gifts, and apply these questions to each item to narrow down your choices. Always keep this list on hand as well, so you don’t go off-course.
Bottom Line
If you have a small budget, there are a lot of things you can do to lower the time, labor, and price of gifts. You can also do this without making anyone feel left out. You can shrink your gift list, choose a shipping company that doesn’t break your bank account, break some sweat and make your own gifts, and the list goes on. These options might take some thinking, but they’re worth the trouble when your finances are at stake.
