Giving gifts to the ones I love is one of my favorite things about the holiday season. However, as someone who sticks to a strict monthly budget, forking out additional money for gifts during December always makes me a bit anxious. It's hard enough deciding what to get everyone, but then trying to stay within my budget while doing it adds a whole other layer to the cake.
Below are a few tips I've been using this holiday season while shopping for gifts for others, which have helped me stay within my budget and less anxious about spending.
Make a List
Just like I make a list for Santa with everything I want to receive, I make a list of all the people I want to give to and ideas for gifts for each person. Making a list allows me to make sure no one is forgotten and to stay organized with ideas for each person on my list. It's also an excellent way to visually see how many total people you have to buy for so that you can weigh your spending limits accordingly.
Set a Limit
Before even selecting a gift idea, I set a spending limit for each person on my list. Sometimes this can become difficult if I find the perfect gift for someone and it's over the allotted limit, but I always try to remind myself that the more I spend on one person, the less I have for the others.
Splitting Gifts
If you have to buy for parents, in-laws, a boss, etc., consider splitting a gift with others to cut down on the cost. Go in together with siblings or coworkers on a nicer gift that the person may actually want instead of individually buying cheaper gifts that may get tossed to the side.
Cards Count Too
Remember, you don't have to buy a big gift for every person who has a special meaning in your life. Set aside gift-giving for those who mean the absolute most to you and send holiday cards to others you're slightly less close to. A beautiful card with a heartfelt message lets people know you're thinking of them during the holiday season but doesn't cause you to go into debt purchasing additional, unnecessary gifts.
