We all know holiday spending can be painful when you are already on a tight budget, so in honor of the holidays we figured we should break out a few tips and tricks… instead of breaking poor Mr. Piggy.
1. Make a list. I know, I know. This seems like one of the easiest tricks in the book, but it does help. Start by making a list of all the people you would like to buy for this year. The second step is the key, prioritize! For example, in my case, my kids come first and they also have the highest allotment of money for gifts. As I go down through my list, there are usually people I know I can do a card and a nice homemade gift for instead of spending another $20 on a gift they may not even like. Speaking of…
2. Homemade gifts. If you are of the crafty variety, and you have the time, this is a golden money saver for the holidays! For those of you that scrapbook, take some of your scraps and use it to make homemade gift tags. A layered cookie mix in a mason jar is another great gift idea. Making candies and baked goods and presenting them in a nice container is also a great idea.
3. Second-hand gifts. Who says gifts have to be brand new? The area I live in has a wide variety of places I can go to bargain hunt for the best deals on “gently used” clothing and other household goods. If you are not familiar with these places, you would be amazed how common it is to find brand new items for sale. Consignment shops are also a fantastic place to pick up brand new items at a fraction of the price. Finding vintage books, collectibles, jewelry and other similar items are also a bonus for the right recipient.
4. Remember the reason. The most important thing to remember about gift giving is, it is not about the money. You are giving a gift to make the person receiving it feel special.