Enjoy holiday gift giving for less
Worried about how to get friends and family gifts when you have no funds? Here are some helpful hints to keep the cash flow in check from collegeanduniversity.net:
Be creative
This is where having an artsy craftsy hobby can save you bucks. Use those talents and make your gifts. Perhaps you can sew, latch-hook, woodwork or weld. If so, make decorations, sundries, or candles. Whatever your talent, use it. If you aren't into making things, perhaps offer to clean their house or garage, offer to housesit, baby-sit for a weekend so they can get away, whatever you think they might need, be creative.
Start early
Some people start shopping as early as January of the previous year when everything is at the highest discounts. That may seem a little too early, but the sooner you get started, the more time you have to find the best deal.
Save
Start saving for the expense as soon as possible. Set your budget first, then determine how much to save over the time you have allotted and put that money away each month. If you wanted to spend $300 for everything, you'd have to put away $25 per month.
Recycle
Does it seem cheap to give your stuff away as a gift? Remember, your trash can be someone else's treasure. If it's clean and new looking, and something you know they would really love, then there is no reason not to give it away. Just make sure you don't give a gift back to the giver.
Exchanges
Instead of getting a gift for everyone, ask family and friends if they would participate in a name exchange and get one nice gift for one person. Set price limits for everyone and insist that no one is to go over those limits.
Don't put off payment
Though many stores and credit card companies try to persuade you to shop with them by offering not to bill you for six months or some other short time period, be realistic. If you don't have the funds to pay now, you probably won't have the funds to pay later either. Pay only what you can afford now. If you can't afford anything, then it's time to go back to step one and get creative.
No worries
Don't go on a spending spree by getting gifts to 'wow' people. Realize that your presence is gift enough and those who care about you will appreciate whatever you manage to give them.