Ten Tips to a Saner, Cheaper, Happier Holiday Season

Posted on: December 12, 2007

Give a time voucher. After all, what’s more valuable than your time? Instead of a present give a voucher to take your loved one on a picnic, to a movie, to the zoo – whatever you might like to do together.

Give a talent voucher. Don’t try to make all those hand made presents before the holiday. Give a voucher for hand knit socks, painting the kitchen, a day of garden labor – whatever talent you have to share.

Buy presents throughout the year. Many of the people on your list stay the same year after year. Buy that perfect gift for them in July and save it.

Generic Gifts. Pick up a few generic gifts to have on hand for emergencies like when Aunt Suzy shows up at the last minute.

Recycle gifts (but carefully). When you receive a gift that you don’t particularly like or need, but can’t return, put a note on it as to who sent it and put it in your Gift Box. The note is to keep you from sending it back to either the original gift giver or to someone they know well.

6. Make special interest baskets. Put together a basket of goodies with
a theme that the recipient enjoys (kitchen gadgets, card games, bubble baths). These baskets can be fun and inexpensive to put together, and even better to receive.

Create a treasure chest for kids. Go to the thrift store and buy dress up shoes, jewelry and a feather boa to make a Dress Up treasure chest for a little girl. How about Pirate stuff for a boy?

Family Gift Exchange. Convince your family to draw names for everyone but the kids. Then each person only has to shop for one present. This is more successful when each person has to make a list of 5 things they might like. Sometimes it’s more the hassle of the shopping than the money that gets saved.

Do a theme Pot Luck. Create new traditions. Everyone brings their favorite traditional dish, or better yet what about traveling the world? One year
Italian, the next year Thai food.

Create a Family Experience. Spend the money you would normally spend on presents creating a family experience. How about a Mystery Dinner or a Hawaiian Luau? The themed event will be remembered and probably laughed about for a long time.