When it comes to Christmas, we love thinking about drinking piping hot cocoa by the fire while gazing up at our beautifully lit tree.
After all, Christmas is a time for cheer, nostalgic childhood movies, spending time with the ones we love, and dropping tons of money on pricey presents.
Wait, what was that last one?
That’s right—none of us like to think about it, but buying gifts for the ones we love is a huge component of the holiday season.
Though we would all love to think of nothing more than making gingerbread houses and drinking mulled wine, budgeting for holiday shopping is no small matter.
So, with about six weeks to go until Christmas, here are just a few ways you can make budgeting for gifts a little easier this holiday season (and in the future):
- Figure out what Christmas will look like in your family, and stick to the plan. This is really something you should do when your kids are still young to keep the holidays cohesive and make sure that expectations are in the right spot. If you still have small children, think about what you want Christmas to look like—both now and in the future. And may I recommend that you start simple? While you may be able to shell out $600 on your 7-year-olds presents, imagine what their expectations will be like in a few years if you do.
- Keep things simple and within your budget. As your kids get older, they’re going to want more, more, and more. Even if you do have the money to get them absolutely everything they want one year, it may be wise to continue spending modestly to make sure your kids don’t suddenly expect you to spend thousands of dollars on their Christmas presents every year.
- Stop comparing your Christmas to others. There will always be a family that has more Christmas presents under the tree than you do, but there will also always be families that have far less. You know what feels right for your family, so stop trying to keep up with the Jonses.
- You don’t have to spend the same on all your kids. One important thing to remember about Christmas presents is that they simply cost less for small children than they do for teenagers. It’s really up to you to decide what seems fair, but you don’t always have to make sure you spend the exact same amount of money for your 8-year-old and your 16-year-old.
- Set an overall budget as well as individual budgets. Look, we’re always going to have that one kid who asks for a new iPhone and laptop every Christmas—just like we’ll always have another who doesn’t really care what they see under the tree. Kids have different wants and needs every year, and that’s just how it is. That’s why it’s so important to make sure you set a budget for each kid in your family.
- Tradition is important, but Christmas will change as your family grows. This doesn’t just go for presents for your kids, but it sure is a big part. Depending on how much you’ve saved in any given year—maybe you received a surprise Christmas bonus from your boss, or even a raise—you may be able to splurge on all the bells and whistles for the holidays. But that probably won’t happen every year, so don’t sweat it if you can’t give your kids the perfect Christmas every single year.
At the end of the day, Christmas really is about spending time with the ones you love, so cherish the time you have and try to make the holidays as stress-free as possible!
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