Post-Christmas and after-birthday blues are a common ailment that usually comes from spending way too much money on gifts. The intentions are good, but the aftereffects for the giver can be depressing to say the least. If this was you last Christmas, cheer up! It doesn’t have to happen every year and you can still be known as a thoughtful and generous giver without breaking the bank. 

Needless to say, the first step towards Christmas shopping on a budget is to actually have a budget! And since you’d like to give fabulous gifts, especially to those close to you, spreading your gifting budget over several months will help keep you out of penury.  

If you haven’t allocated a line of your household budget to gifting yet, now’s the time to do it. And, to make sure you don’t exceed it, it’s also time to start your Christmas shopping. Sure, there are a few months to go before Christmas, but you may miss a price increase. You certainly will bypass some of the Christmas chaos when the shops are flooded with stressed-out families trying to beat the December 25th deadline. 

Worried that you’re cheating if you don’t indulge in trolley-crush-wars between Dec 22 and 25? Fear not! Gifts perfect for the Christmas holiday season are on sale now, so why wait? If you’re stuck trying to choose gifts, here are some tips to make life easy.

 

Make a Gift List of Nice People (and Even Some Naughty Ones)

 

Chances are, you won’t forget to buy gifts for your nearest and dearest, but it’s easy to overlook the occasional friend or less-frequently-seen family member. Then, there are those embarrassing moments when you receive a gift from someone you hadn’t expected one from and have nothing to give in return. Let your Christmas list include the people you plan to spoil and decide on a safety-margin of x-amount of gifts for random giving just in case. 

Make sure everyone’s on your list so that you can plan your spending and stay within the budget you’ve set. Obviously, those closest to you will get the lion’s share, and you may already have some idea of what you’d like to give them. Remember, your budget is there to help you check whether you can afford it all, so be ready to adjust your plans in case the numbers don’t balance.

 

Do Some Armchair-Based Price Research 

 

If you already have a few gift ideas in mind, do some home-based online price research to see what they’re likely to cost. You’re more likely to give in to a generous but financially ill-advised impulse when you’re in-store. In fact, retailers are counting on your budget-busting impulse buys, so beat their strategies by having a plan. 

Record the information you’ve gathered noting just how much you’d like to spend on each person and what gift you had in mind. You may have to change your mind later, but for now, you’re just totting up the figures to see how they’ll balance against your budget. 

Now, it’s time to fill in the blanks. Remember to add a few generic gifts for just about anyone so that you aren’t caught napping if Mrs Jones from next-door presents you with an unexpected parcel come Christmas Eve.

 

Stuck for Ideas? Try This!

 

Thinking of gifts when you’re nowhere near the stores may seem like a bit of a tall order, but your planning should at least include some broad ideas. For example “A cool T-shirt” is something you can still shop around for later, but just knowing more-or-less what you’re going to give helps with your budgeting.  

Get your thoughts going with this quick and easy process - it’s one you won’t have time to follow if you do the crazy “shop for everyone” foray that is Christmas shopping for, let’s admit it, most people. It’s really hard to choose a personal, just perfect gift if you’re already shopping for ten others. A gift should be thoughtful and now’s the time to do your thinking. 

Close your eyes and imagine the person you want to gift as if they were standing right in front of you. You’re focusing on an individual. Now to make some observations and do some creative thinking.  

●     How old is this person?

●     What is your relationship to this friend or family member?

●     What do they like doing in their leisure time?

●     What style of clothes do they like to wear?

●     What’s the lifestyle?

●     Do you know of a need they might have?

●     Is there something they don’t do that they might like to try? 

In the process, you’re quite likely to think of a gift that will fit them perfectly. And remember, it might not be something they’d ordinarily buy. My first pair of sheepskin slippers came from a friend who thought like this, and I’ve never looked back!

 

Finalize, Adjust, and Prepare for a Festive Time - Without the Financial Hangover

 

Still stuck for ideas? It’s time to hit the catalogs and browse the online stores. But remember, you aren’t going to buy anything just yet. All you want is an idea and a price to add to your Christmas planner. After you’ve done the math and made any adjustments, you can start scheduling your purchases all the way to December. Not ready to spend yet? Start saving money for your Christmas shopping fund.

 

Just remember, it really is true that love is the most important gift of all, and it costs nothing. Although you might be disappointed to find that some of the gifts you hoped to buy are rather too expensive, the slightly less-spectacular gift you have to settle for will be just as welcome because it comes from you with your love!