2020 Friendly Gift Guide
2020 has been a hard year for a lot of us, emotionally and financially.
Taking a lot of time off work, losing jobs, losing hours and dealing with price inflation on basic household products took a toll. There's definitely some of us who faired better than others, but for the sake of the holidays it's important that we keep this in mind.
The holidays can already be stressful as is- sans pandemic. Depending on family traditions, work obligations and how you handle exchanging gifts with friends there can be a lot of pressure to over perform during this time of year. There's pressure to buy for everyone in your life, go big and extravagant, take out credit cards, etc. You get the point.
I did a poll on Instagram and this is what I found:
How are you handling Christmas gifts this year?
I didn't get a ton of responses thanks to the fact that I think I'm shadow banned right now on Instagram for sharing things that go against their narrative (aka censorship) but I got a decent idea from this about how people are handling gifts.
The general consensus is just as I thought, most people, in response to this year, are cutting down because they just don't have it. I know so many people who had to cut into or completely drained their emergency funds just to get by during the really hard part of this year. Some still haven't returned to full time work, some still are job hunting and some are just trying to pay off the credit cards they were forced to rack up when all else failed.
Knowing this I want to remind ya'll that gifts aren't everything and it's okay if you can't buy this year or if you can't buy a lot. Spending time with your loved ones, as 2020 has proved, is far more important than any gift you could buy them.
But don't get me wrong, gifts are fun! I enjoy giving just as much as I enjoy receiving. I love to see people's faces when they get exactly what they want or when I've done something meaningful for them. It brings me so much joy.
So what should we do if we want to give gifts this year but just don't have the exorbitant budget to do so?
Here's a few ideas..
Go DIY
If you like to (and you're good at) DIYing things then you should definitely consider this. Journals, coasters, mugs, experience jars, decor, thrifted and upcycled clothing, scrapbooks, shadow boxes- the possibilities are endless! Spend a bit of time on Pinterest and then go shop your local dollar spots, utilize those 40% off coupons at Michael's and Hobby Lobby and you can create something really beautiful for your loved ones!
Host an experience
An awesome gift is an experience, but sometimes that can rack up and depending on how comfortable you are with venturing out into the world right now it may not be a good option this year. But, if you're going to have family and friends over anyways you could host an experience in your home! This could be a potluck dinner, a Christmas cookie decorating contest or a movie night! Anything to get together and spend time with those you love.
Go with food
If you're a good baker or cook you can never go wrong with food as gifts! Little goodie bags full of signature holiday treats are sure to make your loved ones smile. Cookies, bars, candies – anything homemade makes an awesome gift. You can get packs of the cellophane baggies on Amazon for pretty cheap. Fill them full of goodies, wrap jute around it, stick a little pine sprig in it with a homemade tag and you've got a beautiful and thoughtful gift.
Utilize rewards & shop deals
If you truly want to buy, choose one small thing that you know that person will love and then start looking for deals! This year especially the majority of buying is going to be done online and deals will be in abundance. Browse deals, use plugins like Honey or apps like Rakuten to get coupons and get money back! If you know how much you want to spend exactly and you have the self control to not go over and pay it off immediately, find a card that gives you a significant amount of cash back or a cash bonus when you spend x amount in the first month. Use it for your shopping, pay it off with the cash you would've been using anyways and then close the card. There is absolutely no need to go in debt over holiday gifts but there isn't wrong with utilizing these programs to save!
I know it can feel disappointing when you want to buy for people but you just can't. That doesn't mean you shouldn't be able to still give gifts. Do the best you can and if that means showing up with a big hug and a cheap bottle of wine, or just a hug, then go for it. Your presence is a gift within itself and we should be cherishing every minute we have with our loved ones regardless if we have something to physically bring to the table.
Happy holidays!