Keep the Joy in Gift-Giving
The bright lights of the holiday season can sometimes take their toll on your wallet...and dim the joy from your holiday season. With this in mind, we've put together a couple of positive, proactive ideas to implement as you approach the gift buying season to help alleviate stress and allow you to enjoy the gift of giving.
Create a Spending Plan
We often don’t consider everything that goes into our holiday spending. It’s more than just buying gifts...there's decorating, food, and entertaining that can all add up. Planning ahead will help you make smarter decisions.
Your holiday spending plan is your overall guide. Decide how much you have to spend on gifts, then make a list of all the people you want to purchase gifts for. Prioritize giving presents to those you care about the most. Make sure to leave room in your plan for the small gifts you will need to buy for social events, such as host/hostess gifts, or a secret Santa gift exchange at work.
When it comes time to purchase gifts, take a couple minutes to think about the reason you’re giving a gift. For most, it’s a way to show love, and an opportunity to show someone you appreciate them in your life. Showing your love doesn’t necessarily mean you need to purchase a costly item; the price tag doesn’t determine how good a gift is or reflect the value of the recipient. Look for items on sale and when ordering online, look for promo codes to help save some money (we've included current/active promo codes that are available for every gift we've listed!).
Consult your spending plan regularly to stay on track. This is the single most important thing you’ll need to do to stay within your budget. If you go over budget with one person, readjust an allotted amount in another area.
Creative Gift Giving
One way to make your money go further is to pool your money with one or two other people for a single recipient. For example, siblings can pool their money for a great gift for Mom that none of you could purchase on your own.
If you have a large group of close friends, suggest a single gift exchange with a price range ($35-$40) instead of purchasing a gift for each friend. Plan the exchange at a restaurant or pot luck at someone's house for a fun night where everyone walks away with a gift and no one has gone over budget.
The best time to do this is early on, before the holiday season hits full steam. Go into the season with your budget all laid out so you know exactly how much you can afford to spend for each person on your list. Then, as you shop, refer to your budget often to make sure you’re staying within its limits.
Make Some Extra Cash
There's no shortage of side hustles in today's gig economy, so earning extra funds fast is well within reach. A couple of easy ways to make extra money for the holidays is through pet sitting or house sitting jobs. Many people travel during the holidays, so finding a gig as a pet sitter or house sitter should be pretty easy. You can find pet sitting jobs on Rover, Wag, and both pet and house sitting jobs on the NextDoor app in your area.
Another way to make extra money and clear out some clutter in your home is to sell items online. Local marketplaces on sites such as Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace can be a great place to list your items for a quick sale.. If you're willing to ship, you can reach a larger audience by selling on eBay, Amazon, Poshmark (clothes) and Mercari. If you have vintage items or crafts, consider selling them on Etsy.
Plenty of folks have their groceries delivered these days, and many more will need assistance with their grocery shopping when preparing for the holiday meals. Instacart shoppers get paid for picking up and delivering orders to customers. You can make your own hours, and you just need to clear a background check to get started. Earning potential varies, but you keep 100% of your tips.
If you don't use your car often, you could turn that downtime into passive income by renting it out. With Turo, you can set your own rental prices, availability, and any rules for the use of your vehicle. You’ll either meet customers to hand over the keys or add a lockbox to your vehicle that renters can access, if you prefer contactless pickup. You’ll also be responsible for maintaining the cleanliness of your vehicle. Use the Turo Calculator to see how much you could earn.
Lastly, consider picking up a seasonal job at a brick and mortar store near you or at Amazon. With Amazon, you can get a seasonal job right away...without even an interview! They offer competitive pay and as well as shifts throughout the day and night that will work for you. They also offer "anytime pay" where you get to choose your own payday!
Overall, the best way to reduce financial stress during the holidays is by planning ahead. Hopefully, the ideas we've presented here will inspire you to be proactive so you can focus on celebrating the important people in your life and keep the joy in gift giving this holiday season!