So, here’s the thing: the title of this week’s post probably makes it sound like I am Scrooge. Believe it or not, I really enjoy gift giving. I love trying to find the “perfect” item and thoroughly enjoy seeing the recipient’s reaction when they unwrap it. I enjoy the entire process of gift-giving, even down to the wrapping. Call me crazy!
But {and this is a big but}, I believe that our consumer culture has taken the good gesture of gift-giving and completely tainted it with commercialism. When we feel it necessary to start Black Friday deals on Thanksgiving Day and to push and fight our way through the stores, you know we’ve lost our minds.
I do not mean to suggest that you should not give lots of gifts if you feel led or can afford them, but I would challenge you to think if there are ways you might simplify your gift list so that Jesus and relationships are our focus rather than how tall the gift piles are under the tree. Adults are not immune.
Not only that, but there are some people who just simply cannot afford to go nuts at Christmas. And that’s okay. It doesn’t HAVE to be about the gifts and sometimes not having much to spend on shopping is a good thing. It can force you to keep Christmas gift-giving simpler.
With all that in mind, I’ve got 5 ways you can save money at Christmas by giving fewer gifts. Fight the urge to let it get out of hand. Think outside the box a little.
1. Opt to give a service rather than a gift.
This works especially well with adults, since most of us end up buying what we need throughout the year or our tastes are too expensive for the average gift-givers {think big screen TVs or new cars}. My sister thinks I am a good painter, so I have often given her my painting services for her birthday present. Here are some other ideas:
- Housework for 2 hours
- Babysitting
- Household project
- Changing the oil in the car
2. Draw names.
This is a great way to keep your Christmas gift list under control. My husband’s family has done this numerous times and it has worked out very well. Oftentimes, we set a price limit that is sometimes a little bit higher {but still lower than what you’d spend if you bought for each person in the family} so you can get something a little nicer than you might not ordinarily be able to afford. You can do this with other groups of friends you may give to as well.
3. Only give to the children in your family.
I don’t know about you, but I think giving to children is more fun than receiving a gift myself. My family is not as large as many, but it can get crazy as families grow. Why not consider just cutting back and giving to the children in the family rather than to each and every person?
4. Suggest a White Elephant/Secret Santa exchange.
This can be another fun way to give a gift but with a little twist. Rather than giving to everyone, perhaps you could participate in a gift exchange. This would work well with your Bible study group, book club, or even your co-workers. It’s fun and festive, but keeps the gift-buying for all the non-family members under control.
5. Give hospitality.
While I haven’t actually done this specifically as a Christmas gift, I LOVE this idea. This time of year, there are so many people that I’d love to connect with that I just can’t manage to get it all in before the month is over. This is a way to kill two birds with one stone – spending time with the people who are important to you while hopefully blessing them with a meal or a fun evening in your home. {Can you tell my love language is quality time?}
If you are looking to simplify things this year or your budget is really tight, I hope this list will give you some ideas!
Some other ways to help with gift-giving craziness is to make a list, set a budget, start early, and be creative. I know people have given me a hard time this year about my excel spreadsheet, but I love to get gifts and sometimes it just gets out of control. So, in order to not go so far over my budget, I made an excel spreadsheet with all the names of people I knew I wanted to get gifts for and added the things I wanted to get them. I then started collecting early. I'm glad I have an extra room at my house because it's helped to have extra space to start in August. I set a budget for each person so I wouldn't go overboard and put myself in debt. I also have tried to be as creative as possible with gifts so that I don't just give things, but give something meaningful. By thinking through what that person likes, does or has a passion for has also helped me be more intentional in my buying. I hope these along with the one's you (Sarah) has mentioned help.
Excel is my best friend! I use it all the time for budgeting, but for some reason I haven't used it for Christmas budgeting this year, but maybe I should. I've been using the old pen and paper but it's been a little bit of a pain b/c I often misplace my list! Great ideas, April!! 🙂