Kids love the excitement of receiving and unwrapping gifts, but while material presents are enjoyable, experience gifts can create lasting impressions and cherished memories. The joy of unwrapping a gift may fade, but the moments and experiences shared with loved ones stay with us forever. Experience gifts not only provide opportunities for growth and character-building but also offer precious bonding time with children. Moreover, they don’t contribute to the physical clutter in your home. In this blog post, we’ll explore 15 unique and thoughtful experience gifts that children of all ages will adore.
15 Experience Gifts for Children: Creating Lasting Memories and Bonds
1. Gift Card for a Favorite Activity:
A gift card for a favorite activity, such as a trip to the zoo, a visit to a science museum, or a day at a trampoline park, can be a delightful surprise for kids. It allows them to choose an experience they truly enjoy, empowering them to make their own decisions and express their preferences.
2. Tickets to a Sporting Event:
For sports enthusiasts, tickets to a sports game featuring their favorite team or athlete are unbeatable experience gifts. Whether it’s baseball, basketball, soccer, or any other sport, the excitement of cheering for their team from the stands is unmatched.
3. Mini Golf Adventure:
Mini golf is a fun-filled activity suitable for children of all ages. It offers a chance for friendly competition, teamwork, and honing their hand-eye coordination. Whether your child is a young beginner or a mini golf pro, this experience will be a memorable one.
4. Gift Certificate for Roller Skating:
Roller skating is a classic and enjoyable pastime. A gift certificate for a roller skating rink allows kids to experience the thrill of gliding on wheels and learning new tricks while promoting balance and physical activity.
5. Rock Climbing Excursion:
For older kids who enjoy adventure and challenges, a rock climbing experience is perfect. Rock climbing fosters problem-solving skills, self-confidence, and resilience. It’s an opportunity for them to overcome fears and achieve new heights, literally!
6. Ice Skating Fun:
During the winter months, ice skating is a fantastic gift idea. Whether your child is a seasoned skater or a beginner, ice skating helps improve balance and coordination while having a blast on the ice.
7. Art Classes:
Nurture your child’s creativity with art classes. Whether it’s painting, drawing, sculpting, or any other form of artistic expression, art classes allow kids to explore their imagination and develop essential skills that extend beyond the canvas.
8. Camping Trip:
Embark on a family camping trip for an unforgettable experience in nature. Camping helps kids disconnect from technology, appreciate the great outdoors, and learn practical outdoor skills like setting up tents, making campfires, and stargazing.
9. Escape Room Adventure:
For older kids who enjoy problem-solving and teamwork, an escape room adventure is an ideal experience gift. Working together to solve puzzles and find clues in a thrilling setting encourages critical thinking and communication.
10. Amusement Park Passes:
Amusement parks are a hub of joy and excitement for kids. A gift of amusement park passes offers endless entertainment with thrilling rides, games, and delicious treats.
11. Minor League Sports Game:
For sports fans, attending a minor league sports game can be equally enjoyable as a major league event. It’s a more intimate setting where kids can be up close to the action and experience the thrill of live sports.
12. Kid-Friendly Cooking Classes:
Cooking classes tailored to kids’ interests and skills provide hands-on experience in the kitchen. Children learn valuable cooking techniques, enhance their creativity in the culinary arts, and develop healthy eating habits.
13. Educational Workshops or Classes:
Consider enrolling your child in educational workshops or classes related to their interests. Whether it’s science, robotics, dance, or coding, these experiences can ignite a passion for learning and open new doors for their future.
14. Zoo or Aquarium Membership:
A year-long membership to a local zoo or aquarium offers countless opportunities for exploration and learning about animals and ecosystems. It allows your child to visit regularly and deepen their connection to wildlife.
15. Theater or Concert Tickets:
For kids with a love for the performing arts, tickets to a children’s theater production or a kid-friendly concert can be awe-inspiring. It fosters creativity, imagination, and appreciation for the arts.
Experience gifts for children are a wonderful way to create lasting memories and strengthen the bonds between parents and kids. From active adventures like rock climbing and roller skating to enriching experiences such as art classes and educational workshops, these gifts offer more than just material possessions. They provide opportunities for growth, learning, and joyous moments shared with loved ones. So, this year, consider giving the gift of experiences to your children and watch as their faces light up with excitement and gratitude.
Remember, if you’re looking for more unique gift ideas, check out this post: Unique Gifts, and for eco-conscious gifts, explore these Zero Waste Gift Ideas.
Give the gift of experiences and create memories that will be cherished for a lifetime! Happy gifting!
Christmas is not just about hosting fancy Christmas dinners and gifting, it’s also about spending and cherishing magical moments with your loved ones. It’s a season of merriness and togetherness.
Friends and family members come together to have an enjoyable and memorable time – which of course calls for family Christmas traditions that are not only fun but also frugal, and economical so they do not cause you financial stress and disappointment in the end. So, if you have run out of ideas, or have been following boring and expensive Christmas traditions, it’s time to make a change. In fact, I’ve got a list of interesting and frugal Christmas traditions you can try this year.
15 fun and frugal Christmas traditions to start this year
1. Have a special Holiday Breakfast
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but on Christmas, it has to be extra special. You can make some tempting Christmas tree waffles or Santa-hat-shaped cupcakes – basically, any lip-smacking food that goes with the Christmas theme.
2. Witness the beauty of Holiday lights
Probably the most beautiful part of Christmas is the lights. It’s a beautiful vista to see the streets decked up with sparkling Christmas lights. So, if your city happens to have a tree lighting ceremony too, go for a walk with your family to be mesmerized by the décor.
As a family, we always go to this one neighborhood where every house decorates. It’s not a secret because from Thanksgiving on until Christmas, you can usually find a line of cars, and more people walking to see the beautiful lights. The girls love going, and Steve and I enjoy looking at the amazing things people come up with.
3. Do Baking sessions together
Not only is it fun to eat those yummy baked dishes, but it is equally fun to prepare them. Thus, baking Christmas delicacies can be a great tradition to do with the family. It’s a great opportunity to bond and share some laughs.
Every year, the girls’ GiGi (Great Grandma) bakes a ton of different cookies to give to people (and to leave out for Santa Claus). I always ask her to let the girls help because it’s a great memory, and I also secretly hope she gives me all of her recipes someday!
4. Get crafty together
From Christmas decorations to holiday cards, Christmas can bring out that crafty side of you on the horizon. Thus, it might not be a bad idea to do some crafts together to create your own Christmas essentials. Try making some homemade Christmas cards, fun and artsy letters to Santa, an Advent calendar, or even stocking stuffer Christmas gifts!
5. Sing Christmas Carols
What’s Christmas without carols, right? Besides, it’s always fun to sing your favorite Christmas songs with family and friends. If you happen to have an instrument player among you, it can be a cherry on top.
6. Do Bonfires
The magic of warm bonfires on a cold wintery Christmas night! That’s pure joy, isn’t it? If you agree, then you can consider having a bonfire session with your family. You can sing, dance, and share some laughs and marshmallows over it.
7. Do something kind for the needy
You might have a fun and joyous Christmas because you’re privileged. But not everyone is. Thus, you can consider sharing your joy with others (Because Christmas is all about it). Give something out – from food to blankets, to anything that can do to spread a smile on a few faces.
Growing up, I was one of the needy families. We always got gifts delivered from the Fire Station and sometimes food. I remember during Thanksgiving and Christmas time, the local radio station would run a giveaway where you had to be the certain caller after the sound and pick the right “door” for a turkey or a Christmas tree. My Mom would always call in because we couldn’t afford the turkey or tree, yet most years, we always had them because she had won.
8. Practice Christmas affirmations
If you happen to witness the magic of affirmations and are happy with how it has changed your outlook and life, don’t hesitate to practice affirmations on Christmas as well.
Here are some you can practice
– “I am a light that shines in the darkness, and I will not be hidden.”
– “Today I choose peace over anxiety, joy over fear.”
9. Enjoy a Poker night
If you’re a poker fan, Christmas is the time to hang out with your gang over a game. You can order Pizza or make something Christmas-themed to make the night special.
10. Have a Movie night
If you and your loved ones happen to be movie buffs – what better way is there to enjoy the night? Pick out a bag of popcorn, and play a Christmas-themed movie for a magical Christmas Eve. You don’t have to wait for Christmas Eve on this one. Once the Christmas movie night gets going, that’s what we typically watch on the weekends as a family. We love National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Elf, and Home Alone, and always try to watch A Christmas Story on Christmas Eve or Christmas Morning. Another thing we watch is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade and the Rose Parade – they seem to kick off and end the holiday season so well.
11. Do a Secret Santa
Picking gifts for everybody might be financially challenging. To escape the trouble, you can play a game of Secret Santa. In Secret Santa, every person picks a gift for one person in the group. In some instances, the identity of the gift giver stays unknown and the receiver has to guess it. Secret Santas tend to have a low price limit as well. Gifts like Christmas books for children, or even a fancy box of hot cocoa would work!
12. Do a white elephant
The white elephant is a fun gift-exchange game played within a group – wherein everybody has to bring a gift. All the gifts are then collected, and players have to sit in circles. The first player then has to open the gift, while the next player has the option either to open a new gift or steal the one that has already been opened by a person. Here are all the rules of the game.
Fun fact — White Elephant will always hold a special place in our family because Steve proposed to me at the end of our White Elephant game in 2014 with all the family around us! It was so special and unexpected!
13. Make a Snowman
If you happen to fall in love with snow every winter, snowman-making is another fun and free Christmas tradition you can indulge in, especially with your kids. You can make a snowman together, and dress it like Santa to match the Christmas vibes.
14. Do camping in the backyard
You don’t have to go to faraway forests to camp when you can do it in your yard. It will be much more hygienic than traditional camping – if hygiene has always been your concern.
15. Have a barbeque night
What’s not to love about Barbeque nights? You can jam to some Christmas music, dance your heart out, and let it be a barbeque night you won’t be able to forget. Well, I’m done, but with these many fun and frugal options, I hope your Christmas becomes a memorable one.
Which ones would you pick to do with your loved ones?
As Christmas approaches, the holiday rush starts to seep into our lives. The most wonderful time of the year can lose some of its magic when faced with long lines and crowds at big chain malls. Luckily, there’s a delightful alternative – Christmas markets. These vibrant holiday markets offer a respite from the hustle and bustle, presenting a wide array of creative offerings, handmade goods, and festive treats. In this guide, we’ll explore the Christmas markets in Arizona, highlighting their opening dates and other essential details, so you can embark on a memorable and stress-free shopping experience while supporting local artisans, vendors, and makers.
Christmas Market in AZ: Your Ultimate Guide to Festive Bliss
Step into the Old Brick House Vintage Market and immerse yourself in a wonderland of antique treasures, handmade crafts, and unique holiday decorations. This market captures the charm of yesteryears, offering a nostalgic shopping experience. Don’t miss the opportunity to find one-of-a-kind gifts for your loved ones while supporting local vendors.
2. Highland Yard:
Location: 1509 N. Arizona Avenue, Chandler, AZ 85225
Highland Yard is a Christmas market that blends vintage flair with contemporary craftsmanship. With a mix of artisans, designers, and curators, you’ll discover unique home decor, handmade jewelry, and stylish accessories. Embrace the holiday spirit as you stroll through this enchanting market, delighting in its charming atmosphere.
The Fourth Avenue Winter Street Fair offers a vibrant celebration of the holiday season. Explore a bustling marketplace featuring local artisans, food vendors, and live performances. From handmade crafts to delicious treats, this street fair is a treasure trove of unique gifts and festive delights. Make sure to visit during the evening for the magical glow of holiday lights.
Flagstaff:
4. Winter Art Market at the Coconino Center for the Arts:
Location: 2300 N. Fort Valley Road, Flagstaff, AZ 86001
Discover the Winter Art Market nestled in the charming city of Flagstaff. Held at the Coconino Center for the Arts, this market showcases the work of talented local artists and craftspeople. From paintings to pottery and jewelry to textiles, you’ll find an impressive selection of handcrafted items. Take a leisurely stroll through the market, appreciating the creativity and skill on display.
Combine the joys of an art walk with the festive spirit of a Christmas market during the Scottsdale ArtWalk – Christmas Market Edition. Meander through the streets of Old Town Scottsdale, where local artists and vendors gather to showcase their work. This lively event invites you to immerse yourself in the creative energy of the community while searching for unique holiday gifts.
Escape the chaos of chain malls and embrace the magic of Christmas markets in Arizona. These delightful gatherings offer a wealth of handmade treasures, delectable treats, and festive experiences. By supporting local artisans and vendors, you not only find extraordinary gifts but also contribute to the flourishing artistic community in your area. Whether you’re in Phoenix, Tucson, Flagstaff, or Scottsdale, there’s a Christmas market waiting to enchant you with its unique offerings. So, grab your shopping list, don your holiday spirit, and embark on a merry adventure through the wonderful world of Arizona’s Christmas markets.
Note: Opening dates and details mentioned above are for the year 2023. Please check for updated information closer to the time of your visit.
The holidays are a time when we all struggle to find the perfect gift for the people on our list. It seems like everyone is impossible to buy for! If you are stuck trying to find a unique gift for that special someone, don’t worry – we have you covered. In this blog post, we will be featuring some of the best gift ideas out there. Whether your loved one loves music, books, or travel, we have something they will love!
Before we get into the good stuff, you should know this post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx. All opinions are my own and I can’t wait to help you find some unique gifts for those you love!
Unique Gifts for the Hard to Shop for Person on your List
1. The Targus backpack is perfect for the person who loves to travel or have a great work backpack
You can’t go wrong with a backpack brand who has been around nearly 40 years with the 15.6″ CitySmart EVA Pro Backpack. This semi-rigid impact resistant backpack has top pockets that keep the contents from getting crushed when you put it in the overhead bins or under your seat on the plane or even keeps the contents safe when at the office. If the recipient of this bag has sensitive shoulders or a back and prefers to put their bags on top of their roller bag, this backpack is equipped with trolley straps to secure the bag to the top of the roller bag to help them navigate the airport or train station easily.
The back pocket on this great backpack has a laptop compartment that lays flat during the TSA security screening, allowing you to keep your laptop with you during the security process, which can be a time and flight saver during busy times! This professional travel backpack is perfect for a day at the office or taking through any security checkpoint with ease. This backpack is chic, has convenient features, and protects all of the contents anyone on your list who loves travel or needs a work backpack would love to receive!
2. The Disney Music Enchanted vinyl is perfect for kids and adults alike
I personally don’t know many on my gifting list who wouldn’t love a little more Disney Magic in their life. And it’s so easy to do with the Disney Music Emporium because they offer an online destination for all things collectible and limited edition from the Disney Music catalog. The DME is creating a marketplace where fans can access unique and collectible music products. As well as creating a space to engage fans together in a dynamic and exciting way! The 15th anniversary Vinyl of Enchanted features crystal clear vinyl, a first for this collectors piece. Check out this special Vinyl along with other special and exclusive music gifts to keep the Disney Magic alive all year long, not just during the holidays.
I know I can’t wait to check out more of what Disney Music Emporium has to offer. And I hope you are excited as well for these exclusive gift ideas that they for sure won’t get from anyone else!
3. Punchbowl digital invites are perfect for the tech-savvy person on your list
By far, my favorite way to send a gift to those not near me is with a Digital Greeting Card. And the ones who do it best, because they include a gift card option, Punchbowl! You can even send your Holiday cards with your family photo and a little gift for the recipient. Punchbowl is no stranger to the planning and gifting game. They’ve been helping hosts plan parties and celebrations since 2007!
When sending gift cards with Punchbowl, you don’t need to worry about sending a gift card across the country that can’t be used. They have options available like Starbucks, Amazon, Target, The Home Depot, Sephora, Apple, and DoorDash to name a few. You add these digital gift cards along with an amount and can be delivered instantly by text or email. Or pick a date and time of your choosing for delivery.
And don’t worry, if you forgot someone on your list, just pull up the Punchbowl website on your tablet or computer. And send the gift cards on the go anywhere you have service! Punchbowl offers the most thoughtful and convenient way to send gift cards.
It’s as simple as 3 easy steps:
Choose the perfect, beautiful design you want from the Christmas Card Collection (over 250+ designs); Pick a gift card from the collection of brands and an amount. (You can also send different gift card brands and amounts to different people with the same card, which is super nice and easy); Send your digital Christmas Card by text or email instantly or schedule the date and time for it to be delivered and easily track who has opened your card.
When sending ours, I chose to do the photo Christmas Cards because it was the easiest way to make our holiday photos get delivered and on time! If you’d like you can also send a video message card, which can be seen here: https://www.punchbowl.com/video-cards
And wait for everyone to ask you how they can do the same as step 4!
I don’t know about you, but I’m all about making the holiday season easier, especially with the rising prices of everything. So using free Christmas eCards that don’t cost to ship is a win for me!
4. Engines: The Inner Workings of Machines that Move the World is a great gift for the reader in your life
Have someone on your list who loves to explore the inner workings of things, who tinker, or who love to think? This book is the perfect book for them then! Each chapter of the book builds on the previous. Showing the evolution of engines and the ingenuity of how we have the engines of today. Start with ancient Greek steam engines and journey all the way to our most sophisticated twenty-first-century machinery.
This book has full-color photos throughout and the cover is a perfect piece to display on the coffee table. Making this holiday gift one that gives all year long. Be sure to check out one of these smart gifts here: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/theodore-gray/engines/97
5. Joss Stone’s vinyl album is a great gift for music lovers
Give the first ever holiday album from Grammy Award-Winning artist, Joss Stone, “Merry Christmas, Love”, to complete every music lovers holiday collection. The cover and inside sleeve that protects the vinyl is enough to make you feel merry & bright all season long! This album is available digitally, on CD and vinyl. So you can take it wherever you want to listen to this amazing album from an artist who has been singing since she was a teenager. Don’t miss out on Joss Stone’s first Christmas album and get it on vinyl. Listen to the amazing tracklist including “What Christmas Means to Me,” “Winter Wonderland,” “The Christmas Song,” and her original song “Bring On Christmas Day.”
6. Kira Labs Cleansing Gel + Anti-Aging Serum makes a great gift for beauty lovers
Medpeel products has a mission to build a skincare brand where safety, quality, and efficacy are the main factors. And with the Skin Balancing Cleansing Gel and the Vitamin C30x Anti-Aging Serum that can be used in the AM and PM.
The cleansing gel deeply cleans the skin to wash away dirt, oil, makeup and skin-dulling impurities without over drying or stripping the skin. Just apply a small amount of cleanser using gentle circular motions and rinse clean.
The areas of concern for this cleanser include oily skin, large pores, rough texture, and peel prep. The Vitamin C30x Anti-Aging Serum helps to brighten complexion. And fades hyperpigmentation that can happen with sun damage. The Serum is super lightweight while still getting the ceramides into the skin along with the antioxidant protection and age control we all want in a skincare.
Use code BABBLE20 to save on these products at these links:
With so many unique gift ideas for the holidays, it can be hard to choose just one. We hope that this roundup of gifts has given you some inspiration and helped make your holiday shopping a little bit easier. From music lovers to skincare fanatics, we’ve got you covered with some great gift ideas that are sure to please everyone on your list. Don’t forget to click through to the specific products and use the codes to save money, another holiday must!
The holiday season is one of giving, which often means it can easily become the season of overspending too. You want to make sure you get the best gifts for family and friends. There are still a few ways to make sure you get great gifts without going overboard with the amount of money to spend. While holiday spending might be extravagant, effective budgeting can help you avoid a month of regret later in January. Know and understand how to begin planning for the holiday season so that you can make the most of them while minimizing the financial impact. Here are a few recommendations:
How Not To Overspend During The Holidays
1) Deciding on a budget
Whenever it concerns holiday spending this season, you should have a firm grasp on just how much money you are willing to spend on gifts. However, after you’ve determined that amount of money, you’re not finished budgeting yet. During this season, think about where you’re going to spend your money. Buying gifts, like flying and other holiday activities, has a significant influence on your money. To avoid overspending on something you could have prevented, allocate your budget wisely.
If you go shopping without a list, you’re likely to buy a few things you don’t really need or you don’t know who to give to. Making a shopping list of who are the persons you are buying for and gift suggestions for each person will help you stay focused while you’re in stores. You can also just buy holiday gifts for your family members and close friends only. Make these important persons your priority, and only buy gifts for them. Regardless if you ever see something that would be ideal for someone else, keep in mind that you only have enough holiday budget put up for the people who are most important to you. If you feel awful about not being able to give holiday gifts to some people you can do the following instead: create baked goods, make handcrafted gifts, or send personalized holiday cards.
While the appropriate amount to spend for holiday gifts depends on your salary (or personal finance sitatuion), cultural traditions, and other considerations, a general rule of thumb is to spend $50 to $100 on a gift for your family (each family member) and $20 to $50 on a gift for close friends (each friend). Meanwhile, the average cost of a holiday gift for a work colleague is between $20 and $50.
2) Use an allotted amount of cash only instead of credit cards
You can also stick to a cash-only payment strategy when doing your holiday shopping. Using your credit card to pay for holiday gifts makes it easier to overspend. These credit cards nearly often feature double-digit interest rates, so your $1,000 charge for holiday gifts bought is paid off with a minimum payment that can cost you $1,800 and maybe more.
3) Use credit card rewards and points
Credit cards often offer rewards and points based on how much money you spend and the types of things you like to buy. So, consider inquiring about this with the financial advisors at your bank, and see what reward options they have to offer. Then, consider saving up these points and rewards (which often translate into cash-back to your bank account and gift cards) for the holiday spending season.
4) Creating a shopping list
Having a shopping strategy isn’t enough. It’s equally crucial to stick to your shopping strategy. Creating a shopping list will help you keep track of your holiday shopping expenses and thus prevent you from overspending.
Early in the holiday shopping season, when selection and prices are both at their greatest offers, buy your holiday gifts during the sales. Take advantage of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Make a shopping list of all of your planned purchases ahead of time to ensure that the total amount spent is within your holiday budget, and then stick to it religiously. Creating a shopping list will give you a general idea of what you’ll need to pay for.
Create a shopping list of all of your anticipated holiday gifts expenses. Consider the following items below:
– Gifts for friends and family
– At-work gift exchanges
– Items for gift wrapping
– Price of shipping and delivery
– Gifts for service providers
5) Making holiday goals
Before you start looking for holiday treats, take a look at your finances and figure out how much you can afford to spend on holiday gifts this year. Financial experts often recommend that you spend no more than 1.5% of your annual income on your holiday gifts budget. Make sure this combined total fits inside your holiday budget. If you believe you might be able to stretch a little more your financial budget, that’s fantastic! But don’t ever be scared to scale back. You should not go broke just because of buying holiday gifts. The best thing to do is to spend money on things that are truly beneficial for you and your financial circumstances.
6) When to shop
Really shouldn’t dismiss sales fliers in your mailbox or in your email inbox. You might be able to save money on your holiday shopping if you shop during sales. You may get incredible prices on the newest toys, latest gadgets, and important home items, all of which make excellent gifts for both family and friends and even coworkers. Look through some sales fliers or e-discount codes before you go shopping to discover what items are up on the holiday sale.
7) Bring your imagination to life
The holiday season needs a bit more imagination. You can make cookies and other sweet treats, make handicrafts, or come up with other innovative ideas to offer gifts. You don’t need to spend a lot of money during the holiday season to show that you care for your family and friends. Instead, come up with unique and imaginative ways to show your gratitude to the most important individuals in your life. This can help you save money on your holiday budget while also giving you a more personalized gift for each important person you have in your life.
These homemade gifts for the holidays are a terrific way to save money while still demonstrating your love for the gift receiver.
Tips To Avoid Overspending On Holiday Gifts
Split up bigger ticket items with family & friends.
Rather than giving individual gifts, try splitting up bigger ticket items among family and friends. Rather than paying $25 for an individual gift, you can give a larger ticket item split amongst more people. You save money, because maybe your contribution was only $15, and the receiver benefits with a more expensive item.
Buy gifts in sets.
Oftentimes during holidays, department stores run sales where you can get a good deal on a variety of gifts. You’ll see ‘Buy One, Get Ones” or “BOGOs’, and even percentage discounts for purchasing more than one product. So basically, if you can purchase 2-3 candles (or any item) for the price of one, do it!
Budget at the beginning of the year.
The point of this tip is that holiday shopping doesn’t always have to happen during the crazy holiday season. Don’t wait until the last minute. Start budgeting in January, either by putting money aside for later in the year OR by starting your shopping earlier in the year. By shopping all year, you can reduce both hassle and costs.
Avoid feeling guilty about sticking to your budget.
I know, its easy to feel like you need to get your friends and family more gifts than you can afford. This is especially hard to avoid when dealing with kids. They’re so cute, you just want to get them every little thing they want. However, you’ve made your budget for a reason, because its what you could afford. Do your best to stick to it, and you won’t find yourself overspending this year.
It’s all too easy to get caught up in the holiday mood and spend more money than you planned. Setting clear expectations, creating a holiday budget, and sticking to it will help you avoid debt once the holiday celebrations are done.
The only time we do not entirely love to shop is during the Christmas season. It’s not that we do not love Christmas (We wait for it the entire year after all) but because Christmas shopping can cause dire financial stress to our budgets. From shopping for gourmet food for lavish dinners to buying gifts for everybody – with a hundred heavy expenses, Christmas can often feel like a luxury we cannot afford to have. But then again, it’s Christmas, and you cannot “not celebrate” it. But you can certainly make some adjustments and try these Christmas shopping hacks that I’m about to disclose.
Do you know why some e-commerce websites keep coupon codes deep within the categories? Because we are too naïve of their existence. We shop without using the coupons, either because we’re incognizant about them, or we consider their hunt hassling. Mostly, it’s the former.
Thus, this Christmas, wherever you shop, make sure you check for coupons and cash back offers. Here’s one website that I recommend.
2. Compare prices on Amazon
Retail stores sell Christmas items at soaring prices. But you can get better deals on Amazon or any other E-commerce shopping website for that matter. So, every time you’re out there shopping, always make sure to compare prices. If you get better deals online, go ahead and buy.
3. Shop Christmas décor at the Dollar Tree
Dollar Tree is a chain of retail discount shops in the USA and Canada. If you happen to have one in your city, you can consider going there to shop for Christmas décor. You can get some amazing things at dirt-cheap prices – as low as $1. Hard to believe, right? Well, go see for yourself.
Alternatively, if you prefer a Target, you can find such cute decor in their dollar section at the front of their store. I’m sure you’ve seen all the influencers with the bottle brush trees (guilty here too!) all over their homes for Christmas. Those come from that section and really make decorating fun and easy.
4. Do Secret Santa
If you have too many people to gift to, skip the process entirely, and gift just one person; it will save you a lot of money. Secret Santa is a group game where everybody is assigned a person, for whom they have to buy a gift. The identity of the gift giver remains unknown till the end, so the gift receiver has to make a guess.
Another great alternative is to do a white elephant gift, which can be played one of two ways. The first is to get a trick gift, like my favorite — “cold hard cash” where you would buy a cookie tin, put an amount of money into the tin, and fill with water and freeze. The person believes it’s cookies, but when they pick it up, it’s cold, and inside they have to wait to see how much money is in it if you stack the bills together.
The other way to do white elephant is to get an actual good gift, one you would want to receive as well. You can read a story and everyone sits around in a circle to be able to easily pass the gift on a specific word. Each time the word is said, you pass your gift. When the story is over, you open the gifts in order and can ‘steal’ a gift from someone else if you want. It makes it kind of fun and lets others choose what they’d really like and keeps your costs lower.
5. Shop beforehand
As mentioned before, things get extremely expensive during Christmas because of the demand. However, for the rest of the year, a standard rate is maintained. This is when you can shop for Christmas to save a lot of money– you can buy gifts, or décor even when Christmas is months away. However, you might also have to arrange for space and pack the décor properly to preserve the novelty of your purchases.
I know someone in my family who shops and makes gifts all year long so they are completely done shopping before Halloween and it serves them well. They have an area in their home they put all the gifts and it works for them.
6. Keep an eye out for sales
Brands offer sales throughout the year, and that my friend is the best time to shop for Christmas. But in case if you are someone who remains oblivious of the sales, you have to change if you don’t want to be burdened by the financial stress of Christmas.
7. Prepare baskets
Instead of gifting someone one expensive gift, create a basket including little stuff that would together come out to become a thoughtful Christmas present. You can perhaps add dried flowers, homemade cookies and chocolates, cards, soaps and scrubs, anything that the person you are gifting to might like.
8. Register on Ebates
Ebates (now Rakuten) can be a God-sent for Christmas shopping. Rakuten is a reward website where you can shop and earn up to 25% cash back on online purchases. But for that to work out, you need to register on the platform; the cherry on the top – there’s no joining fee.
There are also several other reward sites you can choose, I also like using Capital One Shopping and Karma Now as they have a browser plug in that searches for discount codes at checkout. It makes sure you get the best price and save some money without really doing much other than clicking the check box to allow it to apply the codes and check other sites to see that you are getting the best price.
9. Create a shopping list and stick to it
This does not happen just during the Christmas season, but the whole damn year- we shop more than we need to and shop what we don’t need. Ergo, to prevent it from happening, consider making a shopping list and ensure you strictly stick to it. Before you make one, make sure to check what you already have. You wouldn’t want to buy things you already had.
10. Buy second-hand or do a yard sale of old Christmas décor
There’s no shame in buying second-hand things if it saves you from financial troubles in the end. Thus, you can either buy second-hand products or sell what you own in a yard sale. People who are looking to change their Christmas décor from last year while saving money might be interested in buying old Christmas décors.
In Arizona, every Friday, people have estate sales, and sell off many decor items as well as items you can use for gifts. These make great ways to negotiate and find some gently used items for your decor you may never have been able to afford. I personally love going to higher end ones to find items which I would love to have, but don’t want to pay the retail price.
Now that you know these hacks, you do not need to worry about Christmas shopping. By following these tips, you can save significantly and enjoy Christmas as you should! Merry Christmas and have a happy holiday season! We all look forward to saving money, don’t we? And I’m sure this includes you, so if you have some additional shopping hacks to share, feel free to drop them in the comment section.
physical clutter in your home. In this blog post, we’ll explore 15 unique and thoughtful experience gifts that children of all ages will adore.
coordination while having a blast on the ice.
delicious treats.
child to visit regularly and deepen their connection to wildlife.
happen to have an instrument player among you, it can be a cherry on top.
the Rose Parade – they seem to kick off and end the holiday season so well.
All the gifts are then collected, and players have to sit in circles. The first player then has to open the gift, while the next player has the option either to open a new gift or steal the one that has already been opened by a person. Here are all the rules of the game.
Arizona, highlighting their opening dates and other essential details, so you can embark on a memorable and stress-free shopping experience while supporting local artisans, vendors, and makers.
ones while supporting local vendors.
streets of Old Town Scottsdale, where local artists and vendors gather to showcase their work. This lively event invites you to immerse yourself in the creative energy of the community while searching for unique holiday gifts.
backpack
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3. Punchbowl digital invites are perfect for the tech-savvy person on your list
the go anywhere you have service! Punchbowl offers the most thoughtful and convenient way to send gift cards.
And wait for everyone to ask you how they can do the same as step 4!
reader in your life
5. Joss Stone’s vinyl album is a great gift for music lovers
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are willing to spend on gifts. However, after you’ve determined that amount of money, you’re not finished budgeting yet. During this season, think about where you’re going to spend your money. Buying gifts, like flying and other holiday activities, has a significant influence on your money. To avoid overspending on something you could have prevented, allocate your budget wisely.
help you keep track of your holiday shopping expenses and thus prevent you from overspending.
your holiday shopping if you shop during sales. You may get incredible prices on the newest toys, latest gadgets, and important home items, all of which make excellent gifts for both family and friends and even coworkers. Look through some sales fliers or e-discount codes before you go shopping to discover what items are up on the holiday sale.
money. 
you are someone who remains oblivious of the sales, you have to change if you don’t want to be burdened by the financial stress of Christmas.
and shop what we don’t need. Ergo, to prevent it from happening, consider making a shopping list and ensure you strictly stick to it. Before you make one, make sure to check what you already have. You wouldn’t want to buy things you already had.
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