The holiday season is officially on! We've been spreading the holiday spirit all over the Sugar Network and you've all been chipping in with your creative homemade gift ideas. Black Friday isn't until next week, but you might want to get started early on some of these fabulous gifts, made and assembled by you.
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If money were no object, we'd surely buy our loved ones the best of the best and whatever filled their hearts' desires. Alas, most of us can't afford to shower those we love with priciest presents and our thoughtful gifts are more than enough to bring joy to the holiday season. Sometimes, though, we find ourselves splurging on our family, friends, or significant others, and end up spending more than we intended.
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A gift card isn't considered as thoughtful as something chosen especially for the recipient, but it's still a nice gesture and can make a great stocking stuffer. When companies go bankrupt they usually refuse to honor outstanding gift cards, and this uncertain economic climate has businesses using advertising to channel any bankruptcy concerns. For example, J.C.
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Shopping for gifts with time to spare is one way of ensuring you won't spend too much in a crunch. That doesn't mean you should have to shop year-round, but it certainly can pay to keep an eye out for that special something at the right price. Do you tend to wait until the last minute to buy gifts?
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The holidays make it a season for giving, and we want everyone important to us to know how much they are appreciated. Buying gifts for every person we want to is often out of the question, but homemade gifts can make it more possible to spread the seasonal love. Do you make any signature gifts that allow you to give more while saving money?
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We're used to settling on pre-set limits for things like office Secret Santas and Pollyanna gift exchanges with girlfriends, so why not make it a rule this holiday season? Contact the people on your long or short list and ask how they might feel about putting a cap on holiday spending this year.
Do some preparation before you make the call by creating an overall budget for yourself, and determine how much you can afford to spend on each person.
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The tradition of participating in Secret Santa gift exchanges has existed in every office I've worked, and it can be a fun way to bring employees together for holiday cheer. There's always a price limit set for the gift (the most I've heard is $25), but I'm wondering if companies should skip the gift-giving games this year.
Most people are cutting down on their gift budgets, and I'm not sure workers would be excited to allocate some of their whittled down holiday money for a co-worker's Secret Santa gift.
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Last minute shopping is something I totally sympathize with, and hopefully you're not having to squeeze in last minute budgeting to make sure you have enough for holiday gifts (consider this your friendly reminder). According to the National Retail Federation, US shoppers plan on spending around $830 on their loved ones this year. Most of you are reducing your gift budget from last year; how much do you plan on spending?
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Getting the word out about wedding gift registries can be accomplished via word of mouth or a wedding website, but I'm more interested in what you think when couples include their registry details in the actual wedding invitation.
Some wedding-goers think that including it is like assuming your guests will spend money on a gift and are obligated to do so, while others feel it's an acceptable practice. Where do you stand?
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Buying gifts for kids is fun and easy — who doesn't love sorting through all of the cool toys and adorable books geared toward lil ones? If there's a child in your life who will be getting gifts from you often, like a niece or nephew, you may consider giving a gift that takes into account the child's future.
State-sponsored 529 plans are a great way to save for college because they are tax-deferred accounts, and only the interest earned in the account is taxed once the funds are withdrawn and put toward educational expenses.
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