Black Friday 2012 (Nov. 23, 2012) is four months away! Which means Christmas is five months away. If you really want to stretch your holiday gift-giving budget it would be smart to spread the gift budget (and shopping) across multiple months. You’ll save more money and hopefully have a much less stressful holiday season when you don’t wait until the last minute.
Now I don’t want to be a Debby Downer, but let me encourage you to not let PLANNING AHEAD turn into OVERBUYING. Let me explain – it’s easy to say I’m going to start Christmas shopping now so I can save a bunch of money on gifts. But what happens when you don’t stop shopping? You keep finding good deals. . . .and the gifts just keep stacking up and you find yourself shopping all the way up to December 24. Yes, maybe each deal was a total bargain – maybe you saved 75% off the regular price, BUT you end up buying twice as many gifts because you started shopping so early. Has this happened to you?
Let’s be intentional consumers. Let’s start planning strategically now so that we can spend less, make more of our gifts (my favorite are homemade gifts!) and stress less overall.
Here’s what I recommend –
1.) Have a list. Know exactly what you want to get for each member of your family and stick to it. For example, I know Tommy wants a Lego set, so I’m going to watch for the best possible sale on that. Check off the gift when you buy it.
2.) Have a budget. Know exactly how much you will allot to Christmas shopping each month. For example, if your total budget for Christmas is $300, spread it across six months and spend no more than $50 a month on gifts. Stick to your budget – no gift is worth going into debt.
3.) Have a place to store it. Buy a couple large rubbermaid totes and clearly label them Christmas gifts. This way you don’t find that tie or truck tucked in a random place come January. You can put a copy of the list in the tub so you can keep all the gifts straight. Have an envelope for gift receipts.
4.) Get creative. With five-months to go you have plenty of time to make something homemade. Maybe you plan to make gift bags with ingredients from your favorite family recipes – you can start watching for ingredients to go on sale now (non-perishable of course). Or, start knitting that blanket or scarf now. Don’t underestimate the blessing of a basket full of stockpile items – toothpaste, shampoo/conditioner, cleaning supplies – people appreciate these useful gifts. I’ll be thinking of creative gift ideas (and I’d love to hear your thoughts, too!) to help us make the most of what resources we already have or can get frugally.
5.) Watch Amazon, remember FREE shipping is a cinch! Amazon ships FREE on most qualifying orders of $25 or more. So you can have gifts shipped for FREE if they are included with an order of $25 or more. Sending a gift to your dad across the state? Order it when you find a great deal on Amazon and have your mom wrap it up for you and store it until Christmas!
6.) Make your Christmas cards. Although probably not frugal because you can get Christmas cards so cheap these days, you can start thinking now about making your cards (if that’s your kinda thing). Then you only need to make a few in a sitting as opposed to a stack a mile-high a week before the holidays. Start buying stamps now – maybe a book of stamps a month or every other time you go to the Post Office to spread the cost out. In late November and early December there are a TON of amazing photo card offers from Snapfish and Shutterfly, which can be a frugal personal way to make your cards
7.) Have the talk. Does your family take gift giving to an intense level – so much so that you feel pressure to keep up? Are the gifts getting bigger and more extravagant every year? Talk with your family member and suggest a different approach – draw names for gifts or require a homemade component.
8.) Think giving trees. By planning ahead it may be easier to bless others. You won’t be so strapped when Christmas comes around. Pick up a $5 toy here or there for the giving trees that will sure to pop up starting in early December.
Most importantly – remember what matters. If you celebrate Christmas, remember it’s really not about the gifts. So don’t find yourself getting wrapped up in the gift giving and forget about the real reason for the season.
And last but not least, I created a sample spreadsheet for planning your gift giving!
- Gift Giving Planner (Web-based Google document)
- Gift Giving Planner (Excel)
You can copy and paste the columns into whatever spreadsheet software you use, or if you have Excel or Open Office, you should be able to open this file and edit it so it works best for you.
You don’t need a fancy spreadsheet, just create a table or list in a notebook and carry it with you when you’re shopping. By tracking your spending you’ll have a very accurate picture of how much your spending on the holidays – you might be surprised how quickly the bargains add up. AND, I encourage you to add any other gift giving holidays that you might celebrate into the database – you can plan and save for birthdays, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, etc.
What are your tips for planning ahead, without focusing too much on the gift giving side of the holidays? Do you have suggestions that I can add to the gift giving planner?
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