Recovering from financial difficulties sometimes takes a lot of effort and being frugal is wise, even when things are starting to look a little brighter for the times ahead. Using some simple strategies, holiday spending doesn’t have to be difficult.
Review What You Have to Offer
One of the first strategies a lot of people can use is looking at what real skills and talents they have at their disposal and how these can help in the holiday giving period. For example, someone who has craft skills can employ those in making gifts or dressing up the presentation of gifts. Some people actually appreciate the thought and effort that goes into hand made gifts more than something that would cost the same or more if bought in the store. And handmade gifts do require a lot of thought and effort to prepare to the tastes of each person.
Sometimes there is someone on the gift list who just won’t appreciate the skills or crafts that one might be able to do. However, there is the possibility of trading these skills or craft items for something that person would appreciate. What if the person is an aficionado of cigars, for example? Is the local cigar dealer a dog nut? Try knitting a sweater for her dog and see if a trade is possible. What about other family members? Perhaps there is some service or item that one of them would need in exchange for help getting that hard to obtain gift.
Also, think about gift coupons. Perhaps someone would appreciate a nicely made card with the promise to help doing difficult chores around the home instead of something bought in the store. Too seldom do people really think about using time as a gift – and sometimes that can be the best gift of all!
Combining Efforts to Stretch Budgets
Sometimes the ideal gift is out of reach for one person to buy alone. In this instance it could be a good idea to combine efforts and have people pool together to obtain what would otherwise be unattainable. There is nothing wrong with showing this concerted effort and the sharing that can be done between people. And everyone gets that warm feeling of having attained something greater.
Combining efforts can also apply to holiday hosting, not just gift giving. Sometimes the strains of hosting are more than one household can support. Perhaps offer to assist by contributing something to the table. If everyone pitches in, then the burden can be lightened all around and it can even spread more love and togetherness at a time when it is needed most. And never forget about the preparations and clean up! These are burdens that really should be shared by all.
Other ideas that people use for stretching holiday budgets include only giving gifts to children, having secret Santa’s (where each person only buys and receives one gift), running a pot luck Christmas dinner and having everyone chip in a little bit towards the main course costs (turkey or ham, depending on their tradition), and everyone having a day out spending time together doing something special instead of giving gifts. And this can be most memorable and last longer than any of the others or traditional gifts.
[Note: Yes, the dog sweater and cigar trade is a real life example that worked wonderfully!]
Johanus Haidner - Johanus Haidner (BA, BEd, MBA) is a martial artist, writer, craftsman, artist and life coach in Edmonton, Alberta.
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