Santa gives Christmas gifts with a “Ho, ho, ho.” However, people who don’t have a legion of elves to help them often feel like “Ho, ho, NO!”
If the expectations of gift-giving have become too much for your budget, consider reducing your Christmas shopping list this year. It’s possible to do this in a way that’s both considerate and effective.
And who knows? You might just be providing relief to others who are in the same situation but unsure what to do. That’s a gift in itself.
Talk It Out
With close friends and family, be upfront about your financial concerns. Some folks may enthusiastically jump on board. If not, be willing to negotiate a happy medium.
There are lots of possibilities:
- Perhaps you can exchange homemade items or set a dollar limit everyone can afford
- Re-gift unloved items to new homes that will appreciate them
- Give time instead of objects; offer to babysit, dog walk or go shopping
- Draw names so each participant is only responsible for one gift
- Pool resources for a group activity that everyone shares
- Maybe a group will give presents just to the kids
If everyone is like-minded, you might just do away with gift-giving all together.
Think It Through
Make a list of everyone you think you’re expected to give gifts to this Christmas season. Then consider each name carefully.
Sometimes holiday gifting becomes rote. Are there people on the list you’ve lost touch with during the rest of the year? If people are no longer front and center in your life, why are you buying them presents?
Give Teachers a Break
Teachers should be recognized for their hard work, but how many of them really need another mug, candle or apple-shaped decoration?
Instead of presents, give teachers notes of appreciation. Be specific about how instructors have impacted your children’s lives. Knowing their efforts are paying off makes teachers smile during the Christmastime or at any time throughout the year.
Start a Revolution at Work
If you’re looking to trim your Christmas shopping list, it’s a good bet many of your co-workers are in the same boat. With that in mind, if your workplace has always done gift exchanges, be brave and suggest stamping that out this year. If you really feel the need to spread workplace cheer, bring in a cookie tray or give cards with handwritten thoughtful notes.
Try Alternatives
If you can’t justify buying certain folks presents but still want to recognize them during the season, handmade holiday cards are welcome surprises. Getting kids involved in this activity reinforces giving rather getting.
If you’re not feeling crafty, e-cards are a free way to send greetings. No postage required. Or consider a phone call. In these days of texting and email, real live one-on-one communication sometimes becomes a novelty.
Make a Donation
Donating to charity in another family’s name is one way of covering several Christmas gifts at once. But do this carefully; make sure the charity is something the receiver really supports.
For example, perhaps your aunt and uncle are organ donors. If so, donate to an organ-donation awareness charity in their name. You could give them a card highlighting an important statistic about the chosen charity, such as an organ donor can save eight lives by donating.
Donations won’t work for everyone; so you run the risk of your recipient being really disappointed. Also, when you make a donation for someone else, that person may get on the charity’s mailing list as well. Further solicitations could be annoying or even burdensome.
Chop the Food Budget
Christmas presents aren’t the only shopping costs that add up and up and up; holiday menus can get out of hand, especially if you entertain. So re-think your shopping list.
Many holiday food items are on sale in the weeks preceding the holidays, so stock up. Manufacturers also tend to offer coupons for both treats and staples.
If you have time, or make the time, prepare foods rather than buy them. For instance, homemade cookies are far cheaper than ones available at a bakery.
If you traditionally host a party, try asking your guests to a potluck instead. While you’ll save time and money, everyone will find the variety of foods different and exciting.
Give It a Try
Finally, don’t spend another year grumbling about commercialism and worrying about holiday credit card bills. Try cutting back on your shopping list this year. As cliche as it seems, it’s true: The Christmas spirit isn’t about things. It’s about sharing, togetherness, family, friends and peace.
And you won’t find all that good stuff in any store.
Photo Credit: kevin dooley
Amen to the charity donation thing. I was asked to give to a charity instead of giving a gift, by a family member who really loved that charity. I approved of its work, too, but wasn’t a donor to that particular charity. I went online and made a single donation in this person’s name as a gift to her. BAM. I was on their list — I got calls, mail and email solicitations, constantly, in a flood. I contacted them and told them to quit soliciting me and mostly they did, but I still get a snail mail solicitation now and then — 3 years later, after just that one donation. This is a legit charity, they do good work, but I refuse to donate to them again.
My friends and I have everything we need. Years ago I contacted each one of them BEFORE the Christmas season, and told them that I loved them dearly but no longer wanted us to exchange gifts. Instead we go out Dutch treat for a meal, or visit and have tea and cookies. We exchange Christmas cards, and that’s that. It’s been a blessing. No shopping, no getting unnecessary things, no pressure, no need to store the stuff until spring when it can be dumped at a yard sale. When I make a new friend, way in advance of Christmas I explain this policy so there is no awkwardness come the holiday season. If someone shows up with a pack of home made cookies, or a jar of home made jam, that’s fine, but NO STORE-BOUGHT ANYTHING! Christmas is family, friends, holiday meals, going to the parade, seeing the store windows in New York City, decorating the tree, having a cookie exchange or potluck dinner, it’s about doing things, not buying things. Of course for children, they get “stuff”. I mean adults!
Before you give to any charity, go online and find out how much their highest paid officer earns, and what percentage of money collected goes to the actual work of the charity. I would never give anything to United Way because their head honcho takes home a generous $763,394 !!!!!!! That is disgraceful! Do your research and make sure the percentage of funds spent on the actual charitable works compared to the amount collected is very high, above 85%. Many charities are mostly charitable to the upper echelon workers who earn a cushy living by sending you pictures of starving children, emaciated animals and hoards of military age Muslim men entering European countries in search of welfare. Giving to a charity which utilizes all or most donations for charitable work, but don’t be a fool and support the charities which are actually lucrative careers for the management. I give to the local animal shelter and they use the money wisely.
I suggest craft gifts. Unique, one of a kind, and available in all price ranges. I go to an Amish craft sale each season and pick up amazing stuff for less than $20 each. Most of the people I give to have everything they need and will long forget anything that I might buy at a local store. As noted in the other comments, giving is a better gift….
Regarding charities, there are a variety of web sites that review charities, such as “Charity Navigator.”
I agree on United Way. A while back the CEO commented that his high salary was necessary to be in the similar to those he worked to obtain donations from, i.e. CEOs, high government officials. Yeah right. What he did not say was that CEO’s run companies that have to EARN their money.
Craft gifts are great — even more so when they’re made by the giver! That extra-personal touch is tough to beat.
I wrote a poem for Len as his Christmas gift.
Ode to a Grecian Len
Learn from Len,
He’s no fool.
You’ll get money wisdom,
Don’t be a tool.
I had made him a loaf of fresh banana nut bread but I ate it.
Don’t blame ya.
If a person just can’t give me a text or Christmas card, make a donation to a local organization that helps provide clothing, food, medical help, and utility assistance. It would make me happy. I don’t need anything.
Not even a fruit cake? 😬