With the economy in the slumps and consumers leery to spend their hard earned money, it's hard to imagine a very merry Christmas. However, it's still possible to spread the joy that comes with gift giving when you use a few tips to get your through the holidays while on a tight budget. Even the most frugal college student can afford something small for his or her parents if certain guidelines are made - and kept.
Here are a few ideas for staying in budget this holiday season.
Whittle Down the Shopping List
Often out of guilt or a feeling of necessity, we buy endlessly each year for the people we know. Brothers, sisters, cousin, aunts and uncles and even distant relatives end up with a gift because you're afraid they'll feel left out. This year, try limiting who you purchase for. Together with your entire family, decide to have a "Secret Santa" gift exchange, where each person draws another name and buys only for that person. Or decide to only buy for each others' children and leave the adults out of it. Chances are, everyone else is on just as tight of a budget and will be happy to try something new.
Stick to a Monetary Guideline
Although you may have cut the list of people you are shopping for, you should still limit what you buy for those people. Having only two people to buy for will not save you money if you spend a $100 on each. Give yourself a budget for each person and be sure to stick to it. For adults, you will find that $40 will go far, while you can find good buys for children in the $25 range. Some inexpensive ideas for adults and children include books, board games, movies, magazine subscriptions or music. Resist the urge to go over budget. The gift recipient will be please to receive anything, and will not be thinking about how much your gift cost you.
Bake Instead of Buying
One popular alternative to gift giving is backing homemade gifts instead. Nobody complains about receiving a tin full of Christmas cookies and fudge. Buy a few empty decorative tins, some wax or parchment paper, and some colored cellophane wrapping with ribbon. You can find these items everywhere during the holidays. Though the cost of all the treat ingredients may seem high, consider how many tins of goodies you can make for less than half the price of buying gifts. Making cookies and bars and fudge is also something the entire family can get involved with. Children will love helping out, and you can truly say your gift is given from the heart, from all of you.