When I was growing up it wasn’t unusual for me to hear my mom say, “Waste not, want not“. Growing up during the Great Depression these words had a practical significance for her as during those times of frugality it was considered a sin to waste anything.  Later on, while I was in college I came across the full quotation, “Waste not, want not. Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”  Basically, this phrase is to remind us that if we don’t waste it, we won’t be without it. How has our modern society of down-sizing and living minimally adapted to never getting rid of things we may need, for example that ugly sweater that Aunt Judy made for you several Christmas’ ago?  Well, they invented National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day! There truly is a National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day (NUCSD) and it is held the third Friday of December each year; a day when people across the country trade in their drab everyday clothes for something more festive and decidedly uglier. 

When I was in college, I attended a community presentation on simplifying the holidays. One of the main ideas that stood out to me was spreading joy throughout the entire season (and not only on Christmas morning) and creating a gift-giving structure for children. I immediately fell in love with the ideas as a way to distribute the excitement of the season, to save money by sticking with my holiday spending plan, and to create an easy gift-giving system and tradition.

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year” croons Andy Williams on the radio. When Christmas decorations started appearing while I was still debating on which Halloween candy to buy, instead of feeling frustrated that people were leapfrogging Halloween and Thanksgiving to get to Christmas, I felt my spirits lift. COVID could alter life in many ways, but it could not take away the positivity and joy that I feel during the Christmas season. However, one thing started to tug at my thoughts, threatening to dampen my spirits. With so much time to think about Christmas, would it be harder to stick to my holiday shopping budget? As I pondered my dilemma, I had a most bizarre thought: the words to a Christmas song started dancing in my head and I realized they had some great advice that would help me in my efforts to not overspend this season. I started looking at other Christmas songs and found that there were hidden budgeting messages in many of them. 

 Have you ever felt overwhelmed when the holidays roll around and it’s time to purchase gifts for loved ones? Whether you’re single, newly married, or it’s just you and your partner, gift giving can get out of hand if you don’t set a precedent for future years. Setting spending expectations for gifts can not only protect your monthly budget, but also prevent a major headache! Wondering where to start? Consider what you spent last year and if that works for your budget this year. Here are some ideas to put in place some gift giving guidelines:

Neighbor gifts...have you heard this term? The tradition is strong in Utah to deliver neighbor gifts during the holiday season! It is fun to deliver them and it is fun to receive them.  They can bust your budget if you're not careful. These expressions of appreciation do not have to be expensive to be meaningful. I like to add a little humor into them. Check out my go-to list of CHEAP and EASY Neighbor Gifts including some fun, 2020-specific ideas: