Holiday Gifting on a Budget
The holidays are such a fun time of year where we get to think of all those we love and are grateful for and think of things that they would love and appreciate. However, that list can get long which can rack up the spending quite a bit. Today we are here to help suggest some of the best ways to holiday gift on a budget! We have come up with 15 ways to give without having to spend a ton, while still producing a “wow factor”.
Shorten your list. This can be difficult trying to trim down your list of recipients, however this is the fastest way to lower your gifting budget. Not every neighbor, teacher or friend needs something from you to know you love and appreciate them.
Shop the sales! Amazon Prime day, Black Friday, Walmart Deal days, etc are great ways to stay within your budget! Be sure to check the prices before the sale dates so that you know whether the deal is good or not! Occasionally companies will raise the normal price before the sale and then try to convince you it is a better deal than it actually is.
Plan throughout the year so you aren’t having to purchase everything at once. I am someone who loves to purchase gifts throughout the year as I see good deals or think of something a friend or family member would love! Just be sure to keep track of your purchases so you don’t forget about them or over purchase!
Write a letter and include a handmade craft or memento. This is an awesome way to show love and appreciation on a budget! It can cost little to no money and is something that can be more sentimental than a store bought present.
Make treats or cookies for neighbors/or friends instead of purchasing something more expensive. This can also be a fun activity to do with family or friends! Make a night out of it and make fun plates or goody boxes to pass around to neighbors.
Chat with friends about not doing gifts for each other. This is often my go to with my friends! Just mention that you will carve out a day to do lunch or something else together instead of spending money on a gift!
Do a gift exchange so only one gift needs to be purchased instead of multiple. This is great for large groups of friends or big families! Put names in a hat and have everyone pull one name out! This way you are only purchasing one gift instead of multiple!
Consider acts of service instead of purchasing a gift - help install Christmas lights, shovel a driveway or bring dinner to someone instead, read to the elderly, etc.
Try shopping secondhand! Look at thrift shops, your neighborhood page or facebook marketplace! There are so many great things to be found secondhand and they are almost always at a better price than new!
Put together photo album or calendar through Chat Books or Shutterfly for grandparents or parents. This is a fun sentimental gift that is awesome and usually fairly cheap! You can almost always find promo codes or discounts for these around the holidays too!
Get a nice picture frame and put an updated photo of you and your family in it. This is a great smaller gift for family members - similar to the suggestion above but usually even a little more budge friendly!
Make a list and stick to it. This is often hard, but totally necessary for staying in budget! Try to price out your items on your list beforehand as well so that you know what to plan for your budge.
Plan an experience instead of a gift - this can be free! This can be planning a free date with a friend or family member to go hiking, canoeing, or sightseeing. Or if its in the budget, you could do a fun class like cooking, painting or baking!
Buy smaller presents in bulk. Sam’s Club and Costco often have items like chapsticks, candles or yummy seasonal candy that can be bought in bulk and broken up into smaller individual gifts. Great for sticking to your budget!
If your budget for holiday gifting is super strict, definitely consider using the cash envelope method! Put cash in an envelope for each person that you plan on getting something for, and only use what is the in envelope. Once it is gone, you can’t purchase anything else. When doing this, be sure to also budge to for gift wrap or gift bags!
We hope this list has helped you get some good ideas for budget friendly gifts to give this upcoming season!