5 Ways to Give When the Budget Is Tight

5 Ways to Give When the Budget Is Tight 🎁

12.18.2022 - By: Anastasia Barbuzzi

To be honest, I'm kind of over Christmas gifts. Or, I should say, I have been over Christmas gifts. I could go on and on about the commercialization of this "family holiday" and how it's completely turned me off to excessive shopping— a.k.a *spending*— around this time of year. Not to mention doing activities in the spirit of the season to check them off the list, even when we're strapped for cash.

Call it cliché, but I'm good with sipping a mocha in my PJs and talking shit with my sisters on Christmas morning. We don't need to exchange expensive friendship bracelets to show our love for each other. (Although my sister Michela bought us matching necklaces one year, which was very sweet. I love you and my necklace, Keek!)

In my opinion, many customary holiday-ish things— not just Christmas—lead to many fake smiles and astonishing gluttony. And it's all because the people who capitalize on these occasions like to make us feel like we should be celebrating and buying things just because "it's the most wonderful time of the year."

For example, this season alone, how often have you been asked, "Did you start your Christmas shopping yet?!"

Before you call me a Scrooge, let me get to my point. There are many beautiful things about the holidays, but the traditions my family and I created are what I love the most. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of moments spent with loved ones at Christmas; maybe yours are too. What makes the holidays meaningful is taking extra, uninterrupted time to spend with those who mean the most.

If you're anything like me, you enjoy sharing good food and drink with friends and family at Christmastime and lots of laughs. You also like offering those closest to you something to show how much you appreciate their friendship. Something thoughtful. Something to say, "hey, I've been thinking of you." It doesn't have to be anything big, fancy, or costly.

There are plenty of budget-friendly ways to surprise someone with a little treat or special gesture that reveals how close you hold them to your heart. Keep reading for 5 of my favourites.

5 Creative, Thoughtful, And Inexpensive Ways to Give When You Have Little to No Budget

#1: Host a night. Get everyone together for small bites and good drinks.

How to save: Plan a food and drink menu and factor each item you need into the budget for your regular grocery bill. Even better, investigate your pantry and get crafty with some things you already have on hand.

🔥 tip: Wine is always lovely at dinner, but if you're into the idea, plan a feature cocktail to limit the amount of booze and ingredients/garnishes you need to buy.

#2: Put together a care package. Come up with a plan for 2-4 items you'll make, then bundle everything together and dedicate an entire day to making drop-offs. Your care package can include items for a last-ditch dinner situation, a soup mix, or even a hot cocoa mix. The options are endless! My fiancé and I did this last year, and we delivered homemade pickles and focaccia to all our friends and family. Every jar and piece of bread got topped with a custom sticker we designed and printed at home, featuring our family pup.

How to save: Jot down the items you need to create your care packages and factor each thing you need into the budget for your regular grocery bill. You can also start with some ingredients you already have at home, but be sure to consider people's food/drink allergies. Planning to make the same package for everyone reduces the number of items you need to buy and makes it easier to batch-cook/assemble everything at once.

🔥 tip: Plan a delivery route that brings you the farthest you need to go first, then trace back to your house to save on gas. There's no need to be backtracking through neighbourhoods.

#3: Send cards. Better yet, make them! This is a pretty classic and inexpensive thing to do, but it's also super thoughtful. So are handwritten letters. I'm a big fan of unexpected snail mail, and handwriting messages to the people you love is also a great way to reflect on the meaningful relationships you have in your life and practice gratitude.

How to save: Buy a coil of stamps— you'll spend much more money purchasing smaller booklets. You'll always be able to use the extras!

🔥 tip: Sip on hot cocoa or a glass of wine while you write!

#4: Plan a coffee, tea, or wine date. Take a friend or family member out to a place you both like or somewhere you've wanted to try. Discovering something new is always fun and exciting! Put down your phones, cozy up somewhere warm, and treat them to a bevvie.

How to save: Enjoy, but keep it to 1-2 drinks each.

#5: Get baking! It's cookie season. Last year, I picked 2 recipes from my Great Mim's cookbook— a family heirloom!— and whipped up a couple of batches of each cookie. It was a fun way to deepen my connection to her since she passed away when I was very young, and an efficient way to get Christmas gifts dealt with all at once. Then I planned a day for drop-offs to friends and family, and that was it.

Side note - If you can get your hands on an old family cookbook and make everyone's favourite recipe, I recommend doing that!

How to save: You probably already have the ingredients for most cookie recipes in your pantry, like sugar and flour, and choosing 1-2 recipes helps limit the number of components you need to buy. Once again, list what else you need and factor each item into the budget for your regular grocery bill.

For wrapping, head to your local dollar store and purchase bundles of those little cellophane bags with twist ties. They usually come in packs of 10 or more and are much cheaper than individual holiday-themed cookie tins or Tupperware. They're also available on Amazon.

🔥 tip: I said it once, but I'll say it again, plan a delivery route that brings you the farthest you need to go first, then trace back to your house to save on gas. Also, flick on a fun Christmas movie or crack a bottle of something while you bake.

Do you have any hacks for giving on a budget? Let everyone know in the comments!