The Art and Business of Giving Saving Money at Christmas

from Staff Reports

Christmas is a big event. These days it’s grown so big that going “over the river and through the woods to grandma’s house” can cost a small fortune.  

The average American will spend $791.10 this year in holiday gifts, food and decor according to a recent survey by the National Retail Federation. By the time you try to pay for the multiple gifts, elaborate meals, and endless rolls of shiny pretty wrappings, you may not be feeling so merry. Not to worry — these money- saving tips from our frugal staff are a humorous “gifting” experiences, but most will help you spread, if not the wealth, a generous helping of holiday cheer — Oh, Bah- Hum Bug!

Try a nontraditional
tree. If you live near a national forest, contact your local forestry
office to see if they sell Christmas tree permits to the public. (Not
all will, and those that do may offer a limited supply.) Though the
permit will cost a few dollars, it will allow you to cut down a tree
you can take home for free. Make sure to follow all the rules of the
permit. You may be restricted to certain species, heights and
designated areas, but hunting for that special tree with the family
in-tow can be fun! Do you REALLY need that themed tree? We think — Not!
Use what you have, and re-arrange the ornaments in a different style;
you’ll be surprised at your own creativity.

Be Creative in Your Gift-Giving!

Make the holiday a group effort. Give family gifts. Board games, family
food or shopping cards, croquet sets, hammocks — these presents all
ages can enjoy, and one big gift for a family is often less expensive
than a bunch of smaller ones. After all — do you really need more Stuff?

Also, instead of formal holiday dinners, have a potluck gathering and
an evening of fellowship: share a holiday night of appetizers, movies,
and board games, and — if your pastor doesn’t disapprove — bring a deck
of cards. Every household shares the financial burden and helps out by
bringing different hors d’oeuvres, beverages, games, and movies. It
helps all to enjoy one another’s company, sample lots of different
treats, and avoid feeling tied to a kitchen, without breaking our
personal budgets. Some large families even agree not to exchange
presents among the adults, and just give to the children. What a great
idea!

Put that ‘loose change’ to good use. Try something new this year by
taking all your loose change to the Coinstar machine at the grocery
store. Instead of paying the fee to convert the total into bills,
select gift cards in that amount. Coinstar waives the fee and offers
various gift cards, which you can use to order Christmas presents.
Since the change just sits in a jar all year, it’s automatic savings
for the expensive holiday season.

Redeem your credit card rewards. If you carry a credit card that offers
cash back or airline miles, consider redeeming your rewards and putting
the money or miles toward Christmas gifts. Most airline frequent-flier
programs allow you to convert miles into magazine subscriptions, dining
certificates, or electronics. Credit-card rewards programs also offer
gift-worthy loot as well.

Calculate the extras! When you’re figuring your gift costs, don’t
forget to include taxes, gift wrapping, and shipping charges in the
amounts you’ve set aside. Fewer than 21 percent of consumers include
those expenses when planning holiday shopping, according to Visa USA
research. Adding $15, plus state and local tax, to the cost of each
item will help you stay within your budget.

Limit the number of children’s gifts. Face it: Children usually open
their first three gifts with glee, and then start mindlessly rushing
through the unwrapping process. The last gifts never have quite the
impact of the first few! Take advantage of this natural phenomenon and
give fewer gifts. This type of gift-giving affords you the option to
give more “meaningful” gifts such as stock certificates, savings bonds,
savings accounts, and teaches children the economics of business and
saving.
The Art of Re-gifting

If we were to admit it, we’ve all practiced it, but we pretend that we
don’t! Re-gifting is the latest trendy (and economical) thing to do,
though people have been doing this for years on end. Although it has
usually been considered very déclassé to give what was given to you, if
done properly your re-gifting can be a pleasant experience. Just think
it through, and practice these rules of order, and re-giving will be
both fun and a major money-saver. Just don’t mention it to the giftee!

The first rule is: Change the wrapping paper! The most common
re-gifting faux pas is leaving the previous gift card attached, or
re-gifting in the original, last year’s now crinkled and possibly torn
(hello!?) wrapping paper or box. If the phrase “This almost looks new”
… is familiar to you, remember, it’s the “almost” that’s a dead
giveaway. So remember: saving the cost of a gift is penny-wise, but
it’s pound-foolish to try to save on wrapping paper, too. Re-wrap the
gift and put a new ribbon and card on it!

Keep a small notebook inventory of the gifts you received. Then you’ll
know who gave you what, and you’ll never face the humiliation of
re-gifting the original giver!

Don’t Give USED gifts! Certain items are a total and instant giveaway
that you not only are re-gifting, you’re too lazy to put any effort
into it! An almost new rice cooker — with kernels of rice still
clinging on to it! A sweater that’s wrongly proportioned for the
giftee, and the wrong color and style to boot (and don’t try to
convince the giftee they will look good in “your” sweater!). A picture
frame they’ve seen on your living room shelf — that used to have
somebody else’s photo in it! Not only are these violations of the
hand-me-down rules, but the giftee can and will recognize that not much
thought was given to your gift. Now, some hand-me-downs can be passed
off as re-gifts, but only if the original packaging or covering is
still intact. So forget about re-gifting those inexpensive wine glasses
you’ve belatedly decided to share with a special loved one: wash the
lipsticks off the rim and pass them on to your son or daughter when
they get their own apartment — okay?

Don’t EVER re-gift these items: old candles (fire hazard), soap,
outdated clothes, medical supplies (hot-water bottles, ace bandages,
intimate personal items), and cheesy jewelry. No scarves (do we not all
own enough scarves?), no pens, ugly cheap neckties, cologne, or boxed
sets of extinct and ancient bath products. And no fruitcakes — is there
anyone in the world who doesn’t know, as the old joke says… there are
only two fruitcakes made each year, and we just keep foisting them off
on each other?

Don’t give partially used gift cards. Don’t give a $35 gift card to
Barnes & Noble, (or the super discount stores), that has $18.53
left on it! Would you give a cake or casserole with a slice taken out
of it? We hope not!

Oh, so you’re a “Techie?” As technology pushes the envelope of re-
calculating our creativity, the chances of looking like an “idiot” only
grows! Videos and DVDs — the ones obviously acquired on a street
corner, or the ones you made yourself — don’t fool yourself into
believing that anyone will want them. Mysterious and outdated CDs,
(unless your brother wants the hip-hop version of “Man of La Mancha”),
and outdated computer software — keep them for yourself. Also, any
appliances or electronic gear the giftee would be puzzled to receive,
including hot-air popcorn poppers and anything with a cassette deck in
it. If you don’t want them, what makes you think someone else does?

Of course, for seniors the gifting season can be quite overwhelming,
and hilarious! For one thing, they are some of the thriftiest people
around, having lived through the Great Depression. As a result, our
senior citizens can be extremely honest and forthcoming, even telling
the person she re-gifts, exactly what she’s doing. “Go upstairs, and
look at one of them dresses on the back of the door, and pick you out
one… and look in the closet and get them shoes to go with it, they
hurt my feet!” Now this really happened — Granny broke ALL the
re-gifting rules at one fell swoop! But after all… just having them
around is more than enough.

For the rest of you, though, if you’re too young to blame your
thriftiness on the Depression, then be careful when you re-gift. Follow
the rules, and remember this, too: the holiday gifting season can be
testy and messy, and way too expensive, but in re-gifting, think it
through – lest in doing unto others, you encourage them to do unto you!
Ho -ho -ho!