Keep your bank account on the Nice list this year. With Christmas right around the corner, I feel like Christmas-Gift-Giving stress is setting in. I know that this can be an overwhelming time of year for many with the pressure of giving gifts to parents, siblings, aunts and uncles, children, friends… the list goes on and on. For some, gift giving is their love language so it brings them so much joy. For others, it is painful as they chip away at their savings, trying to please and impress their loved ones with special gifts. Personally, I think we have moved so far away from what this holiday represents. We are being pulled into the advertising and marketing of all major companies and good for them – it is working! But, bad for us because we can judge ourselves or be judged by those who receive our thoughtful and heartfelt gifts.

Here are my go to tricks for saving during the Holiday Season. I hope you too can feel at peace with your gift giving and jump for joy as you find yourself not breaking the bank this year!

MAKE A LIST OF WHO YOU WILL BE GIVING GIFTS TO

Do you ever feel pressure to give gifts to everyone you know? I know we used to have friends who got gifts for their mailman, hairdresser, nail tech. While that is so kind and thoughtful, it isn’t necessary, especially if you are trying to watch your financials this year. Instead, try baking them some cookies and attaching a nice little thank you. It is the thought that counts 🙂

It is also okay to tell your friends you don’t want to do gifts this year. Instead, grab happy hour and enjoy a seasonal cocktail together. The Holidays should bring you closer together, not put added stress on your friendship. If your friends are like mine, they will be pleased to ditch the gifts and instead spend time together grabbing a cocktail. That’s probably why we get along so well.

 

 

SECRET SANTA WITH FAMILY

I have a friend that has the biggest family ever. We got talking about Christmas and I remember stressing out for them when I thought of them getting gifts for every single family member. But, they told me that each couple puts their name in a hat, and they all draw out of the hat! They put a $50 limit and then get to enjoy buying a great gift for that one couple, instead of a bunch of small dumb gifts for every single family member. Such a great idea that I just had to share! If you have a big family or do gifts with extended family, try suggesting this as an alternative and challenge them to try it just once and see how everyone likes it. Chances are they all will be ecstatic you brought this idea to the table.

SET AN EXACT AMOUNT OF HOW MUCH YOU CAN SPEND ON GIFTS

Know exactly how much your budget allows for spending. Be honest and don’t overspend. This year, I have two extra people added to the family that Chase and I get to give gifts to. Instead of stressing, we just knew we needed to adjust our spending per person. Call me crazy but we set a difficult challenge of spending only $250 on 10 people! Let me tell you that we hit it! Continue reading to find out how!

ONLY SHOP SALE

This sounds cheap, but it is called shopping SMART! I did all of my Christmas shopping on BLACK FRIDAY! Instead of going out to the mall to get all my gifts, I researched (aka scrolled through Instagram and looked for the ads for my fav stores) So, I sat on the couch, and spent a couple of hours going through my top stores for all our family. I had a buy one get one 50 % off, I had a site that was 30% off, and the list goes on and on. Obviously I am not buying cheap items, I am just getting a good quality item at a discounted rate. Watch for sales for items you want to get your family and friends. Be patient and don’t just buy to buy. Wait for it to go on sale and it will. I am pleased to say that I got all my Christmas gifts for $250 dollars! That is an all time record for me and I am so excited to give my gifts this year!

BE THOUGHTFUL AND EXCITED ABOUT THE GIFTS YOU ARE GIVING

One thing I do (giving away my secrets here) is that I get my gift receivers very excited about their gift. When you are truly excited about what you are giving, they will love it no matter what. Even if they are on the fence about the gifts, knowing how much you loved the gift you got them and how thoughtful you were, they will be very touched. It is hard to not like a gift when the giver is extremely thoughtful. Call it what you want (Yes, a Taylor reference) but it works!

 

WRAP IT UP NICE AND SEAL WITH A KISS

Presentation is everything! A nicely wrapped gift is touching. It shows you took the time to not only give the gift, but to wrap it nice for the receiver. It is just an added sprinkle of glam that elevates your gift. Also, anything aesthetically pleasing to the eye is so fun to receive.