We’re all Charlie Brown.
As a college student, money can be scarce (and that’s putting it lightly). When the holidays roll around it can get pretty stressful trying to figure out how you’re going to afford getting your family and friends a gift. Have no worries! Follow these tips on how save money this holiday season.
- Remember that just because it costs more, doesn’t imply that it means more.
Whenever I give someone a gift, I really do think hard about it. I love giving people gifts from the heart. I’m also guilty of spending more because I don’t want my family member or friend to think that I’m giving them a cheap gift because I don’t love them enough to spend more money on them. A crappy way to think, but I know I’m not the only one! However, in all my years and Christmases I’ve never personally thought “what a cheap gift! * Insert family member here * must really not care about me because they didn’t spend a lot of money on me!” because that sounds crazy. Whenever someone gives me a gift I don’t even think about how much it didn’t cost because I’m too busy being sentimental over the fact that someone even considered me enough to get me something! Don’t go broke trying to equate your love for how much money you spend. It sounds cheesy, but it holds true: it’s the thought that counts.
2. Give a family gift.
Say you’re buying for your extended family and your uncle has like five kids. Yikes. That’s a lot of gifts. Instead of spending money on individual gifts for the entire family, go for something the whole family can enjoy. Does the family enjoy a certain TV show? Get the box set. Do they have a Play Station? Get a family friendly game everybody can enjoy. Chances are getting a family gift will cost you less than spending $20 on Aunt Linda, $20 on Uncle Bob, $20 on little Bob Jr., $40 on the twins, and so forth.
3. The art of re-gifting.
As bad as this sounds, you just don’t always use some of the things people get you for Christmas. While I’m sure you appreciate the thought, sometimes it’s just a miss. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have presents distant family members have gotten me that I just haven’t used. And that’s okay; you and your family member are about to get the bang for your buck because you’re going to re-gift those presents! Of course, make sure you’re not re-gifting to the same person who originally gave you the present in the first place (yikes). Now you’re saving money on a gift, and your family member didn’t waste their money on buying it for you. Everybody wins here!
4. Plan ahead of time.
If you’re going out and buying gifts, plan on what you’re getting ahead of time and set a price limit on how much you’re going to spend per person/family. This will help you avoid overspending. I’m guilty of going gift shopping and going “Ooooo! She’ll love this! And this! This too!” and while I wish I could afford to buy everyone I care about everything I think they’d like, I’m not ballin’ like that (yet). Plan it out and stick to it, I know it’s hard. Some people even bring a certain amount of money with them to the store to avoid spending too much.
5. DIY it.
I love making DIY gifts, and I love getting them: someone spent their time to make something for little ol’e me?! I love it. You should love it too. The internet is an endless portal of DIY projects. Are you into knitting or crocheting? Knit blankets and hats for everybody. Love baking? Who doesn’t love cookies? My family friend gives us a tin of home baked Christmas cookies every year and I look forward to them every December. Gifts from the heart matter, y’all.
Time to get sappy. Christmas really isn’t about presents or how much you spend on someone, but we’re all guilty of getting wrapped up in those things. No matter how much you do or don’t spend this holiday season, the main goal is to let your family and friends know how much you care about them. That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown!