Christmas Shopping on a Budget

Although most people enjoy the spirit of giving at Christmas time, it is also a fact that Christmas shopping can be a significant financial burden for many. This is especially true for those who have a large family or a large group of friends who regularly exchange Christmas gifts. Christmas shopping can also be a financial problem for those who feel compelled to purchase expensive gifts for each person on their list. However, there are ways to deal with the financial burden which often results from Christmas shopping. One of the ways to deal with this financial problem is to set a budget beforehand. Another way to deal with the financial stress of Christmas shopping is to shop throughout the year instead of all at once. This article will discuss the importance of setting a budget for Christmas shopping as well as how Christmas shopping can become less financially taxing by spreading out the Christmas shopping throughout the year.



Those who have concerns over the amount of money they will be spending on their Christmas shopping should consider setting a budget for their Christmas shopping before they begin their shopping endeavor. In order to begin the process of setting a budget for Christmas shopping, it is important to first create a list of all the people you intend to buy Christmas presents for this holiday season. This list should include all of the close friends and family members you typically purchase gifts for as well as any co-workers or employees you normally purchase gifts for, your mail carrier or your children’s teachers. You may also wish to budget for gifts donated to toy drives organized by charitable organizations if you typically contribute during these events.



Once you have your list of gift recipients there are a couple of ways to go about establishing a budget. Perhaps the simplest way is to decide how much you plan to spend on Christmas shopping and divide this amount by the number of gift recipients on your list. This will result in a budget in which you plan to spend the same amount of money on Christmas gifts for each person on your Christmas list. This type of budget strategy may be appropriate if you plan on purchasing similar gifts for everyone on your Christmas list but it may not work out well if you want to purchase something really special for a few of your closest friends or relatives.



Another strategy for establishing a Christmas shopping budget is to determine how much money you would like to spend and then divide the individuals into different categories. Some of the categories you might want to include are close friends and relatives, business associates, acquaintances and gifts which are purchased for people you do not know. Once you have all of the members of your list categorized you can determine the percentage of your total budget you would like to spend on each category. For example you might decide to spend 50% of your total budget on close friends and relatives, 25% of your total budget on business associates, 15% of your total budget on acquaintances and the remaining 10% on Christmas gifts for charity drives. Then you can use these numbers to determine the total amount of money you will spend on each category and divide that number by the total number of people in each category to figure out a dollar amount for each person on your Christmas list.



A final strategy for establishing a budget for your Christmas shopping is to start out by determining how much you plan to spend on some of the most important people on your gift recipient list. This will most likely include your closest relatives. Once you set dollar amounts for your closest relatives, it is time to divide up the remaining amount of money in your Christmas shopping budget. This can either be done arbitrarily by dividing the remaining amount in your budget by the number of people left on your list or you can continue to go through your list selecting a dollar amount for each person until you reach your budget. At this time if there are still people remaining on your list you will have to either reevaluate the dollar amounts you have already chosen or consider eliminating some people from your list.

Christmas Shopping for Your Wife

Most men do not enjoy Christmas shopping or any kind of shopping at all. While they may generally dislike Christmas shopping, they especially do not like Christmas shopping for their wives. These men may love their wives dearly but the thought of purchasing Christmas gifts for their wives seems like a daunting task. Their wives most likely have no idea that their husband deals with the stress associated for Christmas shopping for them each year. They likely assume they are easy to shop for and that it is a piece of cake to select a gift for them. This article will examine why most men have so much trouble Christmas shopping for their wives and will offer some tips for gift ideas their wives are sure to love.



Most men attend a number of parties with their wives throughout the year. They may attend birthday parties for nieces and nephews, engagement parties for cousins or friends and housewarming parties for friends. They also likely arrive at most of these occasions bearing gifts, however, in most cases it is the wife who does the gift shopping. Most women enjoy shopping and do not mind always tackling this task. However, the women cannot help their wives when it comes to shopping for them at Christmas. These poor men have no practice shopping for presents and then all of a sudden they find themselves having to purchase Christmas presents for their wife without any help from her. Following are a few gift ideas your wife is sure to love.



A scrapbook is a great idea for a Christmas gift for your wife especially if she is always complaining about never having time to organize the family photos. This idea may scare many men because they are afraid they have to be artistically talented to give their wife this type of gift. Fortunately for them there are many individuals in the business of making scrapbooks. All the husband has to do is round up several photos and sit down with the scrapbooking consultant to discuss what type of book he is looking for and his wife’s favorite colors and preferences. With this information the consultant can create a lovely scrapbook from the pictures the husband provides.



A spa gift certificate is another excellent idea for men who find Christmas shopping to be difficult. Most women enjoy being pampered and receiving treatments such as manicures, pedicures, facials, massages and other rejuvenating treatments. Even if you are not sure where she would like to go to receive these treatments you can purchase a gift certificate from a service which works in conjunction with a number of spas around the country.



Another gift which many women will greatly appreciate is a gift certificate for a maid service. This is especially useful for women who work a full time job and do the majority of the housework. It can be quite difficult to keep the house in great shape will work 40 plus hours per week. Giving a gift of maid service does not imply you do not think the house is clean enough but rather sends the message that you realize how hard your wife works and want to make her life easier. An even better idea is to make up a homemade coupon book with items such as cooking dinner or cleaning the bathroom. If your wife typically does these chores she can cash in one of her coupons for a night off from this chore if she is feeling tired.

Christmas Shopping for Your Husband

You might think that Christmas shopping for your husband would be the easiest part of your Christmas shopping each year. You might mistakenly think this is going to be such an easy chore because you love your husband and know him really well but in actuality; Christmas shopping for your husband is sometimes the most difficult part of the holiday season. This can happen for a number of reasons. First of all you may feel added stress to find a perfect gift for your husband. While you may be willing to settle for gifts which are merely acceptable for other members on your Christmas list, you are likely to feel stressed to search for items which are spectacular for really close relatives such as your husband. If you have been married to y our husband for a number of years you may also have difficulty Christmas shopping for him because you may feel like you have already bought him everything. This article will offer some useful tips for Christmas shopping for your husband which should make the process easier.



Considering your husbands interests and hobbies is one way to make Christmas shopping for him easier. Paying attention to these interests and hobbies can give you a better idea of what type of items would make great Christmas gifts for him. For example, if he recently started golfing and is still renting golf clubs you could consider purchasing a golf bag for him and giving him a gift certificate to purchase a set of golf clubs to fill the bag. Or if he recently started running, you might consider items which would make his run more enjoyable. You might purchase an MP3 player which is designed to be worn on an armband while running or a speed and distance monitor which tracks his mileage and his pace throughout his workout.



Another useful tip for Christmas shopping for your husband is to not be afraid to repeat gifts you have given him the past. You might normally consider purchasing a bottle of cologne for him for Christmas and then decide against it because you realize you gave him a bottle of cologne for Christmas two years ago. This is very common because many people think it is boring to give the same gift more than once but it is not always a bad idea. This is especially in the case of items which can be used up such as cologne, scented soaps and candles. It makes sense to gives these gifts repeatedly because your husband uses them often and runs out each year. However, even items such as clothing can be given as repeat gifts. It is acceptable to give your husband items such as ties, sweaters or pants on more than one occasion because clothing goes out of style and likewise your husband’s taste may change. The tie which he loved a couple of years ago may not be one of his favorites anymore. However, if you gave him a trendy new tie for Christmas this year it is likely to be a gift which is much appreciated.



Finally, if you simply cannot decide what to get your husband for Christmas, it is acceptable to ask him what he wants. Have him make a list of several items he wants and plan on purchasing a few items from the list as well as a few surprises.

Christmas Shopping for Your Boss

Christmas shopping for your boss can be a difficult situation. First of all purchasing a Christmas gift for your superiors at work is considered to be somewhat of a faux pas unless the gift is being purchased by a group of employees. While giving Christmas gifts to subordinates is generally an accepted practice, gifts from individuals to a boss can be viewed as an attempt to gain advantages such as promotions or favorable projects or treatments. As a result care should always be taken when giving Christmas gifts to a boss. This article will take a look at situations in which giving a Christmas gift to your boss is acceptable and will offer tips for Christmas shopping for your boss.



While an individual giving a Christmas gift to the boss is not an accepted practice it is acceptable for a group of employees to purchase a joint gift for their boss. As an example, a boss who oversees the work of a small group of employees may receive a gift from this small group collectively and this would be considered appropriate. In this way the gift is viewed as a gesture of appreciate from the members of the group and not an attempt by one of the members to gain favorable treatment. However, even in this acceptable situation, Christmas shopping for your boss could be quite difficult.



The first area of concern when Christmas shopping for your boss is setting a budget. If you are shopping for a gift from a large group of people, it is a good idea to collect the money first and then use the amount collected to set the budget for the gift. You may ask for a small amount of money, typically around $5-$10 from each person and once the money is collected you can search for items which fall within your budget. You should not exceed the amount of money you collected because it is not considered acceptable to ask for additional money if you had promised to stay within budget. Most people have a great deal of shopping to do and being asked to contribute additional money can be somewhat of a hardship for them. However, it is considered acceptable to spend a little less than the budget as long as you refund the remaining money equally to everyone who has contributed. For example if you spend $20 less than you collected from 20 people, you should return $1 to each person who contributed. If you are the person shopping for the Christmas present you may have to exercise some common sense and make judgment calls if necessary. For example if you collect $120 and purchase an item which costs $121.04, including tax, you may opt to simply pay the additional amount yourself if you are able to do so. The additional amount is quite small and if the gift is appropriate, it might be worthwhile to incur this small expense for the sake of purchasing a perfect gift which is within your budget.



Christmas shopping for a boss can also be rather difficult because you may not know what to buy for your boss. If you are not particularly close to your boss and do not often socialize with him you may not know a great deal about his interests. In this case it might be a good idea to either ask someone who knows him better to do the Christmas shopping or at least ask them to provide you with a few gift ideas. Other employees may know the boss better because they have worked with him longer or because they participate in activities such as company softball games with him. In either case, they can probably provide you with some insight into his interests which would help you select a gift he will appreciate. If you are unable to come up with a suitable gift idea, a gift certificate to a local restaurant is always an appropriate, and appreciated, Christmas gift.

Christmas Shopping for Out of Town Relatives

Although living nearby to all of your relatives can be a wonderful experience, unfortunately this is not always the case and relatives are often separated by vast differences. Sometimes you are forced to relocate because of a job and sometimes you just move because you would like to live in and experience a new city, state or country. Likewise one or more of your relatives may opt to relocate for the same reasons. Regardless of how or why it happened many of us often find ourselves in a situation where our relatives may be spread out all over the globe. This is a sad fact of life which makes it more difficult to stay in touch and also greatly complicates the Christmas shopping process. This article will take a look at some of the dilemmas associated with Christmas shopping for out of town relatives and will provide some strategies for dealing with these dilemmas.



The financial cost and the hassle of shipping gifts is one of the most obvious problems in this scenario. Items which are large, heavy or fragile can be difficult to ship. For example you may find a beautiful crystal vase that you know your out of town cousin will love but you may be hesitant to purchase this item because you are afraid it will be lost or damaged during shipping. Even shipping small items can be a problem particularly if they are items which would be hard to replace such as collectors items or limited edition items. In these cases it may be wise to stick with gifts such as gift certificates for your out of town relatives. These can often be included in a Christmas card and mailed with only the use of one stamp. Although these gifts may seem unexciting it is much easier than dealing with the long lines which typically exist at any shipping location around the Christmas season.



Another problem associated with Christmas shopping for out of town relatives is you may have a great deal of difficulty selecting gifts for these relatives. You may have been very close with the relative when they lived nearby but distance can make it difficult to stay in touch and can result in emotional distance between you and your far away relatives. You may be unaware of her current hobbies and interests which can make it difficult to select a personalized gift she will really appreciate. Opting for more generic items such as sweaters or scented bath soaps and candles is one way to deal with this problem. Another way to deal with this dilemma is to make a concerted effort to get in contact with your relative before you begin the Christmas season. Whether you give them a call or send an email or letter you will be opening up the lines of communication which can give you some insight into their current life and can help make it easier for you to select a great Christmas gift she will really appreciate.



Even purchasing items for the home can be difficult when it comes to out of town relatives. You may see a throw pillow or a vase you think your cousin will absolutely love and which would match her living room perfectly but you may be unaware that she has redecorated the living room by painting the walls a different color or purchasing new furniture to replace the furniture you remember so well. This may seem like a big detail but even if you have kept in contact with your cousin she may have forgotten to mention she had redecorated. This can make purchasing home related items for out of town relatives quite difficult. You can help to alleviate this problem by purchasing decorative items as gifts but including a gift receipt with the gift when you ship it to your relative. This makes it easier for them to return the item if it does not match their décor and purchase a more suitable item. They will appreciate the gesture of your gift as well as your thoughtfulness in allowing them to choose an item that really works well in their living space.

Christmas Shopping for Kids

Christmas is a truly magical season that is enjoyed by many but no one enjoys the Christmas season more than kids. It might be the prospect of some well deserved time off from school, the allure of the lights and decorations, the beauty of the snow that often accompanies Christmas or just the anticipation of Santa and his sleigh filled with toys that is so exciting for children but it is evident that most kids are truly enchanted by Christmas. For this reason many adults truly enjoy shopping for kids and Christmas time.



While Christmas shopping for kids is a great deal of fun there are some factors to consider when Christmas shopping for kids. A few of the specific concerns include selecting age appropriate toys, selecting toys which are not too noisy or too big for the child’s living situation, selecting toys the child does not already have, selecting toys which the parents consider to be acceptable and finally selecting toys the child will enjoy. This can make Christmas shopping for kids a little more difficult but does not make the shopping any less fun.



Selecting age appropriate toys is very important when Christmas shopping for kids. This is so important for a couple of reasons. First of all it is important because toys which are designed for older children might be potentially dangerous for the child. For example toys which are designed for children over the age of three may contain small pieces which pose a choking hazard. Children under the age of three still often put toys and other objects in their mouths so they must receive toys which contain only pieces large enough to not be a choking hazard. Also, toys which are designed for an older child or even a younger child may not be as much fun for the child as they would be for children of the appropriate age. If the child is too young for the toy, they may be come easily frustrated because they can not use the toy appropriately. Conversely a child who is too old for a particular toy may become bored with the toy quickly.



When shopping for Christmas gifts for a child, it is also important to consider the child’s parents and the living situation. This includes the size of the living area and the proximity to neighbors. Specifically toys which are particularly noisy may not be appropriate for a child who lives in an apartment building with other apartment units nearby. Also, large toys such as a trampoline may not be appropriate for a child who does not have a yard large enough to accommodate such a gift. Similarly large indoor items such as a foosball table would not be appropriate for a child who does not have a dedicated toy room to accommodate such a large item. As a general rule it is best to stick with small items which do not make a great deal of noise when Christmas shopping for kids.



It is also important to consider the personal beliefs of the parents when shopping for Christmas gifts for their children. Specifically you should not purchase an item for a child if you know their parents are ethically opposed to such as item. Guns and violent video games are a couple of obvious example of Christmas gifts which may offend the parents. There are many parents who do not allow their children to play with these items because they believe they promote violence. If you are not sure about the feelings of the parents, it is best not to select these items.



Finally, when Christmas shopping for a child, it is wise to consult the parents beforehand. This can be helpful for a couple of different reasons. First the parents can give some insight into the child’s hobbies and interests which may make selecting a gift easier. They may even suggest a specific item from the child’s Christmas list ensuring you are giving the child something he really wants for Christmas. Consulting the parents can also prevent you from giving the child a gift he already has. Try calling the parents before you make a purchase to suggest a particular item. They can let you know if they think the child will enjoy the item or if the child already has the item.

Christmas Shopping for Grab Bags

Although the Christmas season is all about giving, many people often find themselves completely stressed out about the prospect of Christmas shopping. For these individuals, one of the most stressful shopping situations involves Christmas shopping for gifts to contribute to grab bags. Sure it may be easy to purchase a great gift for your sister or your best friend but purchasing a gift for a complete stranger is considerably more difficult. Consider an office Christmas grab bag where each participant is asked to bring in a gift of an approximate dollar value. Each participant then takes turns choosing a gift from the grab bag. This can be a difficult situation because the participants likely have a variety of different interests and you may not even know all of the participants. However, there are a few strategies for making selecting a Christmas gift for this occasion fairly simple.



One of the easiest ways to ease the stress of this Christmas shopping dilemma is to purchase a Christmas gift you would be happy to receive. This is not as simple as it sounds because you also have to ensure the gift you choose is something which will appeal to others. You may have a specific interest such as knitting and may be thrilled with the prospect of receiving knitting needles but it is not reasonable to expect that everyone else would be happy with this Christmas gift. When Christmas shopping for a grab bag, it is important to choose items you like but that are also practical and universally liked. This will help to ensure the item you select will be enjoyed and cherished by the grab bag participant who selects the item you purchased. Useful household gadgets are often very good ideas for this type of situation.



Another way to deal with the stress of Christmas shopping for grab bag presents is to carefully consider the participants who will be selecting a Christmas gift from the grab bag. If you know most of the other people, you probably also have a good idea about the types of gifts they will like. For example, if you work in an office where most of the employees are Green Bay Packer fans, it might be a good idea to purchase an item such as a Green Bay Packers sweatshirt. Although the entire office may not be Packers fans you are putting the odds in your favor by selecting a gift which will appeal to the majority of the participants who are selecting a Christmas gift from the grab bag. Even if the person who selects the item does not enjoy the gift, they may be able to trade with another participant who will be very excited to receive the gift in question.



Finally when Christmas shopping for a grab bag gift, you should consider purchasing a gift card or gift certificate as a gift. This gift will likely appeal to all of the participants in the Christmas gift grab bag and will help to ensure the lucky participant who selects your gift will be able to use the gift card to purchase something they really want or need.



Still others who are Christmas shopping for a grab bag gift might consider purchasing a joke gift and including a gift receipt along with the item so the participant can exchange the item for something they would prefer. For example you might want to purchase a CD or DVD to contribute to the grab bag but selecting a CD or DVD which will be appreciated by all the participants and which the participants do not already own can be difficult. However, it might be fun to purchase a CD from an artist most people would be embarrassed to own or a DVD for a cheesy movie and include the gift receipt so the recipient can return the embarrassing CD or DVD for a CD or DVD they really like. All of the participants will get a laugh out of seeing the embarrassing gift and the participant gets to return the gift so everyone wins in this situation.