The winter months have arrived and it is nearing the season of giving. For me, I also view it as the season of SPENDING. One of my personal worries during the holidays is NOT GOING BROKE. If money was no object I would so gladly grant everyone’s holiday wishes but this is not the case and maybe you’re in the same boat as me.

You don’t have to sacrifice the holiday spirit at all just because you’re strapped for cash. Here are a few tips to save money this holiday gift giving season.

1. START SAVING NOW. The earlier you save the easier it is to plan accordingly. It probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to start saving as early as the beginning of the year like January or February or July. $5-$10 each paycheck will add up a pretty penny, by the time Christmas rolls around you won’t be worried about pinching pennies. If you saved $5 for each week for the whole year, you would have saved up around $260!

2. SET A BUDGET. If you must give gifts, set a dollar amount limit. It’s easy to go crazy when emotions are involved and you just want to be a generous, nice, and giving person. It’s also hard to ignore the awesome sales at the department store when they scream “TODAY ONLY!! 70% OFF” or “BUY ONE GET 3 FREE!” It is really difficult to shop at the mall and not be tempted to buy more than you need. I become even more tempted to buy a gift for myself for every intended gift I am to give. Create a budget and don’t spend more than allotted.

2. DIY YOUR PRESENTS. Baking cookies and cakes is one which I enjoy doing. My neighbor/ other Portugese mother always bakes a festive fruit cake every single year and it is the best, most delicious gift ever. You can also give each other pictures and photos, or a handmade card. There’s nothing like a handmade gift that shows you care because of the effort, time, and thoughtfulness it took to make that gift.

or…..

3. DON’T GIVE GIFTS AT ALL. As I get older, receiving gifts have become less and less important, at least for me. I am speaking for myself. But, I realize over the years that sometimes Christmas gifts are not the most practical i.e. the typical holiday scarf or fluffy socks are nice and candles are dandy and the 50 millions bottles of candy cane scented lotion I have received just end up going unused. Gifts are nice to give, especially if you want to give something special and show your appreciation to your loved ones but honestly sometimes they are not always useful.

For my family, particularly the young children, we still give gifts to. Especially the younger ones when they still believe in Santa Clause so we still try to not deprive them of their childhood.

4. FAMILY POTLUCK. Instead of one person being responsible for hosting and preparing and cooking the entire meal for the whole party, why not each family/person bring one special dish to share. It saves everyone time, money, and the back ache from all the hard work that comes with preparing a family holiday meal.

5. WHITE ELEPHANT. Instead of buying 10 gifts, why not just buy 1 and make a game out of it. I like this game a lot and it’s a load of laughs. Some feelings will be hurt especially when there is a “dud” gift, but it’s all in good fun.

5. SECRET SANTA. Secret Santa is another fun game where you only have to purchase 1 gift. If you haven’t tried this before, it’s an anonymous gift exchange game amongst your group of friends, family, or colleagues and names are pulled out of hat or assigned at random. There usually also is a set minimum and maximum dollar amount dependent on what your group decides is a fair amount.  The best part about this?  Everyone involved gets a gift, so no one feels left out!

6. GO HALFSIES. If you’re buying gifts that may be on the pricier side then split the costs with another person. Maybe you’re getting that special someone a big ticket item and it’s a little bit out of your budget. Ask your friend or sibling or another loved one to pitch in.

7. SHOP EARLY. DON’T PROCRASTINATE! If you’re brave enough to venture out on Black Friday good luck and I commend you. For me, I prefer not to be trampled or have to push and shove my way through a crowd for a deal but it is a good idea to start your holiday shopping as soon as possible. Whenever you wait until the very last minute you are forced to spend whatever the cost and usually at a premium and last minute shopping is mentally stressful! Also spreading your gift budget across a few weeks or a few months is a lot less painful then one massive hit all at once to your bank account.

Bonus! YOUR PRESENCE ALONE IS A GIFT.   You can be cheeky with this one but truthfully the best gift you can give to anyone is your time by showing up, being present, and giving your attention to the ones who care about you most. Just spending time with family and friends is enough of a gift and those who matter to you probably wouldn’t mind anyways.

In conclusion, the holidays are meant to be spent with family, close friends, and loved ones and not about getting STUFF. Things break, get lost, or stolen, get outdated and wear down, and aren’t of much importance in the grand scheme of things. So don’t feel bad about not being able to buy gifts for everyone if it’s not within your means to do so. BUT if you can afford presents, I hope my holiday money saving tips help you during this season of giving.

STAY HUMBLE -The Orange Appeal

Author: A Z Flor Huerta

Edited: Vince Jison