For most parents and caregivers, the fact that children are expensive is no surprise. However, when it’s Christmas time, once again we may find ourselves squinting at those receipts and trying to figure out exactly how “a couple” of gifts added up to those big numbers.
While Christmas is not all about the presents, gift-giving to the children in our lives can be exciting, rewarding, and fun! If you are looking for some ideas to stretch your dollars this holiday season while still maintaining that “wow” factor, we have you covered!
Buy Smart
Stick to the Wish List
When we struggle to think of a “good” gift, we often default to compensating for our lack of confidence by getting something expensive. If you are unsure what the child in your life would like for Christmas, avoid guessing and refer to their wish list. If you are the caregiver responsible for facilitating children’s wishlists, consider adding things year-round when they mention interests so you have a ready list to choose from when Christmas comes.
Ask Santa
If your family includes Santa in your Christmas traditions, having your child write a letter to Santa or visiting a Santa at the mall or another location so they can tell Santa what they’d like can be a great way to get a peek inside their brain and figure out what their heart truly desires. It might not always be possible to make those lofty childhood dreams come true, but if your child really has their heart set on something simple, you could save yourself a lot of trouble by focusing on that one thing.
Buy Early
Year-Round Shopping
Rushing to meet that Christmas deadline can be a hidden culprit of overspending during the holidays. Ease the stress by spreading out your holiday shopping throughout the year, keeping an eye on sales and utilizing your budget’s ebbs and flows to optimize purchases during ideal times so you aren’t buying everything at once at the end of the year.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sales
Holiday sales can be hit or miss. Before you jump on those discounts, take the time to do your due diligence in researching price trends for your desired item to see if it truly is a “deal” or just some holiday hype. If you take your time to plan out your shopping strategically, you may be able to utilize those sales and find some steals of a deal!
Don’t Buy
Homemade Gifts
Sometimes, the best gifts are those that come from the heart. If you have a talent for creating or know someone who does, put those skills to the test by creating a one-of-a-kind gift your child can cherish.
Outsourcing creating skills can be expensive if you are going through a professional, but doing the work yourself through a labor of love (or enlisting someone who also loves you or your child and would be willing to do the work at cost) can cushion your budget and leave wiggle room to invest in other places.
Non-Tangible Gifts
Consider the fact that even children have a wide range of love languages, and gift-giving is not always at the top of their lists. Many children love the opportunity to spend time with loved ones, try new things, or make memories.
Gifting children coupons for things like “a craft day with mom” or “ice cream date with Uncle Ben” can be less expensive than traditional gifts but just as, if not more, appreciated. (You can still wrap these coupons with something related to the experience/activity so they don’t miss out on that unwrapping experience!)
Remember, enjoying the holiday season can look like many things, and gifts come in all shapes and sizes. Spending a lot of money isn't always the way to go, and in the end, it's the thought that truly counts.
