How To Save Money on Christmas Gifts
One month more and it’s Christmas again! Time flies very fast! Santa Claus will again come to town and will visit each one of us to give some Christmas gifts! Are you excited? As a Santa Claus to your friends and relatives, are you thinking of what gifts to give to them this coming Christmas?
We all love Christmas. It’s the season of gift giving among our friends and relatives. However, it’s also the season of spending. You love Christmas but probably hate what it does to your budget. So how can you save yet enjoy the practice of gift giving during Christmas season?
Here are some tips on how to save money on your Christmas gifts:
Get creative on your Christmas cards. Christmas cards are all over during Christmas season. With everyone having a computer these days, it’s very simple to make your own Christmas cards. You can make one and color them for some creativity and personal touch. Customized and personalized christmas cards are appealing to the recipient because of the effort you’ve poured into it.
For the last minute Christmas card sending, you can find a lot of websites in the internet that offers free e-card (electronic cards). If you sent a free e-card to your aunt, for example, she’ll get an email that tells her you’ve sent a card. When she clicks the link in the email, she’ll be able to view and print the lovely card you sent.
Exchange gifts wisely. I find this a lot more common to us Filipinos. Often times, if we received a gift from friends, we may opt to “recycle” it and then give it as a gift to others too just changing the gift wrap. You just need to assure that the one who gave it to you won’t bother to ask you where’s the gift he just gave.
Stretch your Christmas budget. Start your next year’s Christmas shopping early on December 26. At after-Christmas sales, buy next year’s gift wrap paper and Christmas cards at 50 to 70 percent discount. Also, you might want to buy other Christmas presents such as Christmas ornaments, scented candles, gift sets, and other items. List down who each gift is for and store them to your Christmas closet. As you shop during the whole year, add items to your Christmas closet when you find good bargains. By December, you just need to buy few items and can enjoy the holidays!
Go for personalized Christmas gifts. Customized and personalized christmas gifts appeal a lot more because of the efforts you’ve exerted. Aside from personalized christmas cards, you can give personalized gift items such as customized alarm clocks, electronic photo albums, or even personalized pillows. For children, you can give personalized jigsaw puzzles with a design related to something they will really enjoy.
How about you? What are the ways you do to cut on expenses and spend less during Christmas? Christmas is the season fo gift giving but you don’t need to spend that much and hurt your budget.
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Tagged with: savings • shopping
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20 comments
I just tell everybody not to get me anything! It’s easier that way.
Although secretly, I wish for my wife to buy me a new Apple Macbook Pro!
Best, FS
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All excellent suggestions! I’m a true fan of the “extremes” both shopping well in advance or very late. As you suggest you save a ton of money by shopping early. There’s also money to be saved shopping last minute or even on the 26th for the current year! If there are people you won’t see until after Christmas Day, why not take advantage of those after Christmas sales on their gifts! They won’t know or care that you saved some money…
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And by the way, if you’re too broke right after Christmas to shop for next year, the second best opportunity for savings is coming up now… the day after Thanksgiving!
Unfortunately, savings on this day usually are on things for me…
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I think digital Christmas card can save a lot of money. It is also easier to make by our self.
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Good tips about Saving Money on Christmas gifts, espcially the ‘buy after Xmas sales’. Pwede-pwedeng’to lalo na kung marami kang inaanak na reregaluhan…
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the personalised presents are a nice touch because they make the person feel loved because they feel that you spent a lot of time coming up with the perfect gift for them. But on the other hand if you plan on saving as much money as possible you can get the cards that people sent you last year and after the christmas message write “same to you” and in the envelope the card came with with write “return to sender” and you will have effectively saved all your money :). the down side is that you will come off as a cheap miser
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Dining out during christmas or eve is more expensive. Try to decorate our home and make our own christmas dinner instead of breaking our pocket in those fancy restaurant that charge double. In Kuala Lumpur, this type of celebration will cause massive traffic jam around the city, so it adds to the reason of not going out.
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Hi Tyrone,
I love the last tip. Being personal more than material is what touches people. It’s the thoughts that counts, but it i more the efforts that really counts.
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Well I try to buy as much as I can during the year end when there are discounts.
These saves a lot of money….Also during the recession when the gold price was down I bought some gold jewels too.
Thanks
TC
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my plan for this coming christmas is to do personalized items. it’s cheaper and economical plus the fact that i can create something unique depending on the the person who will receive the gifts. i find this really artsy. my creativeness comes out during christmas!
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Starting with the Christmas money saving tips already, good call it shows a professional
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@Zen
Great point about eating out! I forgot about that one. I try to apply that one on ocassions like Valentine’s Day too. Not only is a homecooked meal more intimate, it’s also more personalized AND cheaper!
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When I find out I have received two or more similar gifts or something I don’t have a need for, I give one of them to some one else.
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Tyrone Reply:
November 13th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
Alternatively, you can sell it too. I remember my boss before sold me an MP3 player that he received as a gift. He didn’t need it and so he sold it to me.
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Don’t tell anyone, but recycling or “regifting” saves me a ton of money every year, especially on those occasions where clearly someone just got me a “general” gifts. In other words, they didn’t think about what I like….
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I am donating to charities in the names of the folks on my list this year.
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David, I’m a fan of regifting as well. It’s consistent with my recycling goals…
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My favorate “how to save money on christmas gifts” is the recycling of gifts. The way te economy is, I will be doing a lot of that (I am searching my clothing for gifts that I can recycle). I just have to remember not to give it back to the person that gave it to me. lol!!!
Great ideas.
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Recycling of gifts definitely saves money, but if you’re thinking about giving your clothes as gifts, I have a better idea. Have you ever heard of consignment/resale stores?
People take clothes, furniture, anything they no longer want to these stores for it to be sold on their behalf. The clothes in your closet are free, but you will likely find clothes more to the recipients taste here, at a fraction of retail!
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Marry X’mas & Hpy Ny,wishing have a blessed X’mas.
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