A Quick Checklist To Guide You Safely Through Gift Giving

Christmas is one of the happiest times of the year for so many of us. There is holiday cheer and the scenery is beautiful with the lights. One of the main things we all like to do this time of year is to give presents. Unfortunately in today’s world, so many of the presents are very expense. Thus, if we want to give good gifts to our friends and family, we often feel obligated to spend a lot of money on them. The good news is, there is a way to keep your sanity!

Check #1

The first check you can do is understanding the essentials of the people you are trying to buy for. Are they someone who HAS to have a present? Have they actually asked for anything? Would they rather just spend time with you? One of the things we so often forget is not everyone wants a present! Some people just want to spend time you others. They often don’t ask for anything because they actually don’t want anything and not because they are trying to make it harder to buy for. Take this to heart!

Check #2

Think about the gifts you are shopping for to give. Are you doing it for the right reasons? Are you trying to impress someone with the size or cost of the gift? Is is more about the cost of the gift or does the sentimental value of a gift matter more. Thinking about these things before embarking on the shopping this year might save you some money and some stress.

Check #3

Having a lot of friends and family means we have to buy a gift for all of them, right? Nope! When you have a ton of family and friends you again can feel obligated to do a bunch of gifts. However, this can get very expensive every year. One simple way to avoid this or at least make it easy is to work with others to get mutual gifts. Maybe you and 3 of your friends can go in on one  gift for someone else? This way you all can shoulder the cost and make a bit easier on the bank account.

This quick 3 point check may not keep you from having any stress this holiday, but at least it can help lessen it!