For many, Christmas can be a fun time of year when families get together and exchange gifts, but for others, it can be a struggle. The pressure of gift-giving can be tough to handle and the financial outlay of spreading holiday cheer can be the cause of much stress.
After Thanksgiving and the ubiquitous holiday sales, money can be short at this time of year and the added cost of Christmas can compound the stress.
However, there are ways to lift the burden and you’d be surprised at how many people you might be able to get onboard.
You could suggest a gift-giving amnesty, where you agree with your family to either forego gift buying or set a limit on the cost of gifts.
Instead of buying gifts, you could pool your money and go on family holiday or take part in an activity together.
If you have a large family and just can’t face buying presents for everyone, you could do a Secret Santa. This involves each member of the family drawing out the name of another family member and only buying a gift for that person. You could set a spending limit, like $50 or $100. You can wrap each present with the same paper and attach printed labels so no-one knows who they got their gift from (unless you want to reveal afterward).
Gather all the gifts together on Christmas Day and everyone can open them together, with the added enjoyment of seeing someone’s reaction to a gift they received from their Secret Santa, whoever that may be.
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