Three Holiday Gifts That Won't Break the Bank

Merry shipping delays to us all!

The holiday season is upon us, and with disruptions in the supply-chain, it’s taking more time to get the gifts on your list— or rather, it’s taking more money to get gifts on time. Are you getting tired of me sounding this alarm? Well, fine. But have you actually finished your holiday shopping?

Let me help you out. Here are three gift ideas that won’t break the bank this holiday season:

1. Become the coupon master. No, I’m not talking about taking scissors to magazines or saving the mile-long coupon list at the end of your receipt at the pharmacy. I’m talking about giving a coupon for an act of service. Yes, you can bring sexy back to coupons. You can DIY this in a zillion different ways. Do your in-laws hate shoveling their walk-way? Give a coupon for your shoveling skills. Does your best friend need a night out with the hubs? Give a coupon for your babysitting services. Are you wracking your brain for something to give your bae? Make a coupon for a little sexy-time treat you two have been wanting to try. The best part? These coupons don’t cost a dime.

2. Swap, don’t shop. Make a plan with your pals to ditch exchanging gifts, and instead exchange the stuff collecting dust at home. Here’s how it would work: you decide with your friend group what’s fair game for the swap; maybe you want to do a book swap, maybe you want to do a clothing swap, maybe anything is fair game, but you decide on the gifting parameters. Then, decide on a time to get together with your besties, (either in person or remote), and shop what they want to swap. This move is helpful in two ways: first, you get to do a little spring cleaning early and second, even though you’re shedding some junk, you’re not shedding any dollars.

3. Get crafty. This doesn’t necessarily mean you need to get out a loom and weave a scarf (although if that’s your jam, rock on, I’ll take five, please and thank you). There are many ways you can get crafty (and dare I say, have fun doing it). One time, one of my girlfriends bought a bunch of cheap vodka and infused it with different fruits and spices. When the holidays rolled around, she gave all of her friends a little bottle of her one-of-a-kind holiday cocktail. It was a crowd pleaser and cost her next to nothing.

If you’re a wizard in the kitchen, make a batch of something somewhat shelf-stable like granola or the sourdough you learned how to make during the pandemic. Even if you’re not crafty or a cook-extraordinaire, there’s a ton of stuff you can make. There are cheap kits you can buy to make things like soap, wine stoppers, candles, ornaments, beer, centerpieces, spice mixes, coasters, and on and on. Plus, if you decide to go crafty, you can buy the ingredients in bulk for a lower price tag, and give everyone on your list the same gift. If you’re giving a handmade gift, no one’s going to give you grief for gift-repeating.

Your presence is a present!

I know that holiday shopping can feel stressful, but remember that it really is the thought that counts— so be thoughtful about the gifts you’re giving, while also being thoughtful about how much they cost.

xo,

Here are more ways to get it together and get it all:

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