Many people are looking for ways to cut costs for Christmas without losing the spirit of giving. There are a number of ways to experience the joy of giving without spending a lot of money. Using a little imagination doesn’t mean cutting costs.
Set a Price Limit
The conventional white elephant gift exchange is an entertaining alternative to traditional gift giving, but usually only includes giving and receiving one gift per participant. If you prefer to exchange gifts with everyone in your family, agree on a price limit for the gifts, such as five dollars.
Using coupons and shopping in the clearance aisles will enable you purchase and give a gift worth more than the money spent. Also, try thrift stores for other inexpensive gifts where many new items may be found for only a fraction of the retail price. Additionally, on Craigslist or your local Freecycle Yahoo group, free items may be found which are suitable for gift giving.
Consider items your recipients have a need for in their everyday lives, such as a partial book of stamps or a five-dollar phone card.
If you find yourself stuck when buying within a small price limit, buy five items at the dollar store, buy gift cards, or make a joke gift. One such joke idea is to cut a coin slot in the lid of an empty, large jar and fill it with 500 pennies.
Another idea for an inexpensive gift is to offer your services in the form of a homemade coupon book, an ideal gift for a new mother or an elderly person. Offer babysitting, grocery shopping, or housecleaning services, gifts worth much more than five dollars.
Make a Game of Giving
When exchanging within a budget, emphasize the act of exchanging the gifts such as in the form of playing the traditional game of Santa, but with added details.
Buy generic gifts that are suitable for everyone on your list. Let your recipients pick their own presents from the bag after they have proven they belong on the “nice” list. Have each member “prove” that he belongs on the “nice” list by reporting what nice things he has done over the year. For those jokesters who insist they belong on the “naughty” list, let them pick last.
Have a note attached to the top of each package with a “nice” assignment that the recipient must complete over the next year. Assignment ideas include buying flowers for a stranger, paying for the order of the person behind you in a drive-through line, or giving someone a small present unexpectedly. There are a number of ideas that may also be performed which are free of charge, such as helping a neighbor mow their lawn.
Remember, when planning your holiday gathering, that a lack of expensive presents doesn’t mean a lack of fun.
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