The holidays are not an easy time to plan for at the best of times, let alone when you have an entire household to manage on top of your extended family. Christmas is, undoubtedly, a magical time full of warmth, family and friendship – but it’s also a time that demands time from you, whether you’re preparing Christmas dinner or, yes, running around buying gifts for your loved ones.
The gift-buying part of the year is often the most difficult part, and for a plurality of reasons. Not only can it be expensive getting nice things for all your loved ones, but it can also be extremely difficult figuring exactly what kind of things you ought to be getting. What you need is a Christmas gift plan. And you’ll find exactly that, right here.
Set a Realistic Budget for Your Gifts
First, let’s tackle the cost aspect of Christmas gift buying. In a word: it’s expensive. And especially so if you’re not prepared; it’s all too easy to let impulse take over when shopping for gifts, and to allow the shop shelves to do the decision-making for you – but this undisciplined approach can mean unfocused gift-giving and a ballooning holiday budget to boot.
As such, you should set yourself a clear spending limit so as to avoid overspending during the festive season. With a hard limit, you have to prioritise your spending based on who you are buying for – not to mention give some serious thought to exactly the kind of gifts you’re buying. Which brings us neatly to our next tip:
Think About Personal Interests and Hobbies
The gifts you buy for your loved ones shouldn’t be informed by trends or shop displays; rather, they should be tailored to personal interests and hobbies. This isn’t as complex or involved as it may seem on the surface, though. A simple spreadsheet with all your gift recipients on it, with a few keywords describing the hobbies and passions of each, will help guide you to one or two well-considered gifts instead of a barrage of broad-strokes presents. A little social media sleuthing goes a long way.
Consider Sustainable and Unique Options
For closer loved ones, the ‘big gift’ doesn’t need to be something techy and expensive. New phones, tablets and laptops are expensive items, but also ephemeral; how long until they become e-waste too? Instead, you could look towards something unique, timeless and treasurable, such as second-hand watches which combine luxury appeal with style and a sustainable edge.
Get Organised with a Gift Planner or App
Finally, a note on how exactly to pull all these ideas together. A spreadsheet can be a very good thing, not just for tracking what your loved ones like but also for tracking what you’ve bought, and how much you’ve spent. Your budget will thank you! If making your own spreadsheet sounds like too much work, there are dedicated holiday planning apps you can try instead.
