The holiday season is here! And with the holidays comes the tradition of gift giving. Giving gifts can be a wonderful way to show family and friends you care, but it can also be expensive. The average American plans to spend close to $1000 on holiday shopping.
Holiday gifts don’t have to break the bank. There are many gifts and gifting methods to make the holidays cheerful AND fit your holiday spending plan.
Affordable Gift Ideas
Go homemade and get creative.
This can mean baked goods, crafts, card, Christmas ornaments or decorations, holiday cocoa mix, bath bomb, pedicure in a jar, and more. Have a skill like crocheting, cross stitch, baking, woodworking, making jewelry, photography, gardening, painting? Put it to use to make special gifts this year. Short on ideas? Do a quick search online or check out this idea list.
Think personalized
Instead of a lot of gifts, make one gift special. Give a framed photograph, create a family photo calendar, personalize a nick knack or tool with someone’s name.
Give the gift of your time
Agree to spend time together doing something like an activity or a trip instead of giving gifts. Consider bowling, a board game night, ice skating, or playing mini golf.
Write out service coupons
Give out your special skills and time or a much needed chore that you know Grandma likes to have help with. It could be raking the leaves, it could be a car wash, it could be cooking dinner. Make your coupons thoughtful and they are sure to be appreciated.
Share a tradition
Does your family have a special cookie recipe? Or do you always play a certain board game? Share one of your traditions as a gift. Friends will appreciate the thought and the willingness to share something special to you.
More Affordable Gifting Methods
Talk with your family and friends about doing an exchange instead of buying a gift or multiple gifts for each person. Make sure you set a price limit for the gift so everyone is on the same page.
Drawing Names
You could play secret Santa or just draw names and have people share gift ideas of things they would like.
Exchange Games
Each person brings a gift and then you play a game that determines what you get to take home! This might mean reading a story with right left passing directions or rolling dice and getting to steal every time you get doubles. You could even just bring one gift per family and play a passing/unwrapping game where whoever can unwrap the gift while wearing oven mitts wins! The options are limitless and can add a lot of fun to your time together. Check out more ideas here!
Pick a theme
Choose a theme like plants, clothing, board games, music, food, etc. and have everyone bring a gift that fits the theme and then do a trading game.
Recycle
Go white elephant and agree to bring a gift from home you already have. Or agree that gifts can be second hand, have to be from a thrift store, etc. This can bring down the price and might add some laughs to your exchange.
However you choose to give gifts this season, remember that it isn’t about the price tag. It’s about showing you care, being thoughtful, spending time with those you love, and enjoying each other.
