Low Cost Ways To Gift During The Holidays

The holiday season is a time for all to celebrate with loved ones, enjoy a delicious meal and relish in a festive atmosphere. For many, gift giving is a way to extend their holiday spirit but it can prove to be a source of financial stress.

The National Retail Federation (NRF) reports that Americans will spend an average of $804 on gifts in the last quarter of 2014. That figure may be low for some but I’m betting that for the majority, $804 represents a significant amount of their after-tax monthly income.

Feeling compelled to give gifts when your budget is being less than co-operative can take the whole Merry out of Christmas. On one hand, you want to show your appreciation for others by giving them something they’d like. On the other hand, after you’ve paid your bills and set aside savings, there may not be much left to work with.

If you are hoping to get through the holidays without draining your wallet, here are a couple of ways to still play Santa but save like Scrooge.

Gift With A Personal Touch

Having a talent of nearly any kind can prove useful in giving a gift that will be well received. By no means an exhaustive list, use the following suggestions to help spark creative and meaningful gift ideas.

Your photography skills offered as a gift certificate for a photo session to someone experiencing a major upcoming life event (newborn child, wedding, graduation).
Sew, needlepoint or knit an item that will go a long way for a friend who appreciates well-crafted items.
If you’re a natural with wood or other materials, build a piece that a family member has been longing for like a chest or bookcase.
For the expert scrap booker, come up with a custom scrapbook to commemorate a special event in a loved one’s life.

Buying a gift from a store or online can be a lot easier yet many place a higher value on a gift that demonstrates someone’s time, skill and thoughtfulness.

Gift Re-purposing

A.K.A. re-gifting, this suggestion usually stirs up a range of positive and negative reactions. It’s likely that at some point you’ve been the recipient of a thoughtful gift that you didn’t like and it still remains unused, so why not re-gift it? Here are a few guidelines on how to gift re-purpose successfully and with class.

Don’t re-gift items you have used – ever.
Choose an item to re-gift that the receiver will truly enjoy.
Remember who gave you the gift you intend to re-gift. To avoid a very awkward situation, don’t make the mistake of re-gifting it to them or anyone that would know the original giver.
Make the re-gift item attractive by packaging and wrapping it well.

Re-gifting is a way to give someone special a great gift that they would appreciate more than you do, with little to no impact to your budget.

However you decide to approach your gift giving this holiday season, keep in mind that those who truly love and care about you will understand if your budget doesn’t permit for lavish gifts. Instead, find clever and cost effective ways to show your appreciation for them and don’t allow a restricted budget to cause you unnecessary stress during the holidays.

Low Cost Ways To Gift During The Holidays is a post from: Young Finances