So you’re not done with your holiday shopping and you’re scrambling to finish before you turn into a pumpkin. Here are a few tips for that last minute shopping outing:
If you want to completely avoid the hectic stores in the last few hours before Christmas, give an online gift card. So it’s not the most thoughtful of gifts, but you can do it from your computer and avoid the traffic altogether. Heck, you can even give an Amazon gift card through Facebook. (I’ve done this with birthday gifts and it’s really convenient).
Take a pal out to dinner. If you just can’t figure out what to get that special someone, invite them to dinner. Spend a few hours chatting and give the gift of company.
The downside with last minute holiday gifts is that they are often purchased in a frenzy without much thought given to them. Instead of wasting money on a gift that will most likely be returned or donated, tell friends and family members that you’d like to give a truly appreciated gift after the holidays. Ask them for a wish list and make it a “New Year’s Day” gift instead. There’s no point wasting money on gifts that aren’t needed or wanted.
I know that in our family, we seem to be recycling our money and giving each other similar things. It’s becoming sort of silly. We’re changing our traditions next year to something else, we’re just not sure what yet.
What alternative traditions do you celebrate? Any last minute shopping tips?
Okay, so maybe you’re going with a low-key holiday. No purchasing or charging items you can’t afford. This year you’ll enter the New Year debt free and that means a meager holiday season. This sounds like the type of holiday I long for (and will hopefully be having next year!) Instead of standing in long lines pushing and shoving your way through the department store isles, you’re baking homemade cookies and giving the gift of cheer.
Some ideas for a low key, sleeping Santa holiday:
Baked goods. If you’re competent in the kitchen, this might be for you. Bake your famous brownies, chocolate drop cookies, or cranberry muffins and wrap them in a colorful cellophane wrapper. Voila! A delicious low cost gift. (One Income Dollar is doing this and her baked goods look delicious).
Drinks in a jar. I’ve posted about this before. Fill mason jars with chocolate, coffee, or lemonade mixes. Wrap a ribbon around the top and you have a low key holiday present.
Home made gift baskets. Have a gardener in the family? Purchase packaged seeds for their climate (seeds are fairly inexpensive), add in a trowel or two from the 99-cents store and you have a gardener’s gift basket. What about a movie buff? Blockbuster and Walmart often have movies on sale for as little as $5.00. Add in a couple of bags of popcorn and Raisinettes and you’ve just given the gift of a movie night.
Winter Activity Day. Invite family and friends on a winter activity outing. Take a day to go sledding, ice skating, biking, or surfing (hey, I live in CA!) Take along a picnic basket and offer to carpool. Your gift to them will be a breathe of fresh air.
I finished up my teaching credential this month (Whoo Hoo! Celebration time!) and was impressed with the ballroom dancing component offered to the fifth graders. Similar to the documentary, Red Hot, Ballroom, the school where I was teaching taught the fifth graders how to ballroom dance with a competition against other schools later in the spring. It inspired me to want to take up dancing (and I learned the basic Tango in the process). It also got me thinking that it would be a fun “couple” activity for my husband and me to do next year.
Dance lessons can range from inexpensive (say at a recreation center) to expensive (think Dancing with the Stars). But what a great way to exercise, have fun as a couple, and impress friends and family at weddings and parties. Many private dance studios offer packages for 4 to 6 weeks ranging in price (from $90 to $160 per couple) which are typically taught as a group lesson or for those who want more privacy and are willing to spend a little more, many studios offer private lessons. Larger dance associations also host lessons for as little as $15 per class in the Los Angeles area. Depending on your city, you might be able to use a Groupon to save money as well and give this as a gift to you and your significant other.
I don’t know if I’d purchase dance lessons for family members or friends, since this is a more personal gift, but if I decide to take lessons myself, I might be able to convince friends to participate as well.
Would you purchase dance lessons for you and your spouse or partner?
Recently my mother called and stated that she needs a maid. I’m not in the position to hire a maid for her, nor is she willing to really spend her own money on a maid, but there are some days when a maid sounds like a terrific idea -or gift. I know that with my busy schedule, things just don’t get cleaned as often (or as thorough) as I’d like. Take for instance the baseboards. I have a bit of a fetish for clean baseboards. Whenever I have a spare moment, I run around the house with a feather duster dusting the baseboards. I like them bright white – the way they were meant to look! A maid would allow me to keep these details neat and tidy.
For my mother, the best I can offer as my “gift” to her would be an afternoon of cleaning her house for her (or at least one room). It’s not my favorite past time, but it would be a much appreciated and an inexpensive way to give her something she really needs – a dust-free living room for a day or two.
Better yet, I could make “cleaning coupons” like I did as a teenager and offer my services to her a few times a year. If you have friends who don’t need cleaning but might need sitting options, offer to babysit their kids for a night or two as your gift to them. Helping out family and friends is a great way to show your appreciation in an inexpensive way.
P.S. I finally finished Christmas – shipped all my presents yesterday and that exceeded my total budgeted amount. I seem to always forget that shipping costs add up!
Food again, I know. I just find that good food gets eaten; it doesn’t get returned, isn’t hidden in a drawer never to be seen again, or donated to the Good Will. Gift baskets with people’s favorite food and drink items are appreciated. I received some chocolates this year that I’ll eat and share with family.
If you just can’t do the gift basket thing because it’s too boring, invite family and friends over for a home-cooked meal or impromptu pot luck – good food, drinks, and company are a terrific “gift” for the holidays. It definitely beats the alternative.
While on the topic of gift giving, how much are you spending this season? Share your answers below:
I'm a true valley girl who writes under the pen name Little House. I blog about personal finance, saving for a home, and little house plans. If you landed here searching for house plans, be sure to check out my house plans page. I've collected lots of great ideas for small home plans. Enjoy!
