Christmas is only 5 days away. If you are like me, some shopping is done but not all of it. The last few gifts sometimes turn into impulsive buying just to get the shopping done! Here’s some ideas to finish off the shopping without breaking the bank.
Gift Cards
A gift card is probably on the list for someone in your family. We purchased two this year. One was for my brother at Best Buy. I bought it at our grocery store where I was able to get 5% cashback on my credit card. To do the same use the list of gift cards [1] Five Cent Nickel found at the grocery store. See Cash Money Life’s how to buy gift cards at a discount [2] for more ideas. In addition, many of the restaurants here are offering a free $5 in gift cards for every $25 you buy.
Regifting
My extended family has a fun tradition; all the gifts are regifts. We play white elephant style when we open the gifts and allow stealing of the gifts. It’s fun to see what people will pull out of their basement each year. If you are considering regifting, check out: Is regifting ok? [3] by Free Money Finance. Opinion Mom debates whether or not to regift [4] and Queercents discusses the art of regifting [5].
Return Gifts
Take a look at all the gifts you have bought so far. Are any of them above your budget? Did you use your credit card because it cost “a little” too much? Separate the gifts into two piles. Pack up the gifts that fell into the over budget pile and return them! One of the best ways to pay down debt is to avoid incurring it in the first place! You still have time to purchase a more affordable gift for the person on your list. Gather Little by Little recently stopped himself while in the store [6] from overspending on a gift.
Wait It Out
Because we have 4 different family Christmas celebrations, our holiday starts early and ends late. Take advantage of the later events buy buying gifts after they go on sale after Christmas. Read more about buying gifts after Christmas [7] and waiting until January [8] to purchase gifts.
More Ideas
Do you have more ideas? Feel free to share them in the comments.
Stay tuned to see how I’m spending less on my kids by not conforming to the equality mindset.