Christmas can be one of the most expensive and financially stressful times of the year, but it doesn’t have to be.
In fact, the holidays should be a time of relaxation away from the stress that comes from school, work and other commitments. It should be a time of celebration with close friends and family. It should be a time of personal reflection and gratitude as the year comes to an end, but for some people, tis’ the season of giving.
Gift-giving is one way people can show their love toward each other especially because it is one of the five love languages. Yet for some people, money is scarce, but this does not make gift-giving impossible to achieve.
With the right budget in mind, anyone can give the perfect gift to their loved ones by following these tips and tricks.
Tips for gift-giving
Before picking out the perfect gift, there are a few things you should keep in mind.
The most important one is to remember no matter what gift you give, no matter how expensive or cheap, the right receiver will always be grateful and happy to have received a present from you. No need to feel ashamed for a gift that did not break the bank. Although cliche, it is always the thought that counts.
Another important thing to keep in mind is who you are giving the gift to. Whether it is your mom, best friend or mentor, think deeply about who they are and what they mean to you. What things do they like? What is their favorite color? What are some inside jokes that you two may share? The more questions you ask yourself, the more likely you will be to find great gift ideas.
Although this may be slightly harder to answer, think about what the gift receiver’s love language is, and if you don’t know, just ask. Once you know the way they like to receive love, this is going to help you give the best gift.
Lastly, and most importantly, give yourself some credit. Although you may not have all the money in the world, remember you have talents that can make you a great gift-giver. If you are great at baking, bake your sibling a cake. If you are great at crocheting, crochet your friend a hat. If you are great at painting, paint your significant other a portrait. Your talents can be the greatest gift of all, and those will be the gifts that cost close to nothing.
Tricks for gift-giving
The trick to finding the perfect gift has a lot to do with knowing your gift receiver’s love language. Once you know this, you can narrow down your search for the right gift. If you know their dominant love language is words of affirmation, open when letters, a jar of compliments or a short book will do the trick. If their love language is quality time, then a movie night in or a dinner night out will satisfy your loved one. Many of these gifts will cost you close to nothing which allows you to stay within budget.
Another trick includes knowing where to shop. St. George is home to many stores located right next to each other including Ross, Five Below, Dollar Tree and T.J. Maxx. Even Target can be considered a store within budget if you look in all the right places.
These right places may be the dollar section at the front of the store, the clearance sections throughout the aisles, or even the deals online.
Speaking of online, there are online places to shop with many of them offering free shipping and coupons as an incentive for the holiday season. To eliminate shipping costs completely and to get some of the best prices of the year, Amazon Prime is a great place to shop. If you don’t have Amazon Prime, don’t worry. They have a six-month free trial where you can send your gifts right to your own dorm.
Another resource you can use when searching for a gift within budget includes looking at thrift stores. With a thrift store around every corner in St. George, the perfect gift may be close to brand new and half the retail price.
Giving the perfect gift is not hard at all, and anyone can do it. In fact, there is no wrong gift, and with the right budget planning and preparation, your holiday gift-giving will be a success.
