Kiddipedia
Picture this: Christmas morning, bright and early. The family gathered around the Christmas tree. Kids in their PJs, excitedly ripping open presents. Your spouse or family member opening the special present you splurged on. ‘It’s perfect – just want I wanted. Thank you. I love you so much,’ you hear.
What’s wrong with this scenario is that it hides the reality that Christmas is also the most stressful time of year for families. Much of that Christmas joy is bought on credit – whether it’s Buy Now, Pay Later or credit cards. All of this leads to financial stress, spilling over into relationship angst. Family lawyers know this: January is their busiest time of year, with many couples being driven over the edge by the pressure to create joy while living on the never-never.
And the even sadder reality is that most people don’t even like the presents they receive.
I don’t want to suggest that most people are ungrateful. Rather, the issue is much deeper. Most of us have too much stuff. Once upon a time, kids only got toys at Christmas (and maybe their birthdays). But now, many kids have a whole room full of toys. And for adults – well, some people have whole rooms in their homes just for stuff. And for all my talk about the minimalist lifestyle, I love a bit of bling and have bowerbird tendencies if left unchecked.
And increasingly, the issue of finding the perfect present for the person who has everything, means there are a lot of unwanted gifted. According to Gumtree Unwanted Gifts Report 2021, 53% of Aussies received at least one unwanted Christmas gift. And one in five people argued about giving or receiving an unwanted gift.
How can you ensure that you spend wisely at Christmas – and give gifts that people will love and cherish? Here are my five top tips.
- Do the Kris Kringle. Reduce the amount of stuff you give to adults by embracing a Kris Kringle tradition. This is even more fun when you add in a rule about being able to ‘steal’ items from other people. The thing I like about this is that it is interactive; it gets people talking and joking together. Make sure to set a budget limit to prevent cost blowouts.
- Avoid Christmas stockings. Since when did Aussies develop the tradition of a whole stocking filled with stocking fillers? We don’t need so much junk. Many of these small items are not great for the environment, and smaller items may even be choking hazards. Save your money and buy less, yet better quality items. My kids usually get one substantial item from their stepdad and I, and one from Santa. By the time they get presents from their dad and extended family, they end up with a lot and rarely feel like they miss out.
- Useful things. Buy kids presents that they are going to use (or will need). I had a former colleague who was traumatised because her immigrant parents bought her plain, school lunchboxes for Christmas. Maybe you can be a bit more fun, yet still buy things they will actually use. Examples include things they would use during summer holidays (e.g. torches, bathers, beach towels, scooters, snorkel and googles etc), or things they may need for school (e.g. bikes, iPad or tablets or cool backpacks).
- Avoid gift cards. Do you have a gift card you have never used? Perhaps you have even lost it. We often spend too much on gift cards because we don’t want to be seen as stingy. And the recipient is then often tied into only being to use it at one store, or having to pay extra money to get something decent. Instead, give cold hard cash. Yep, money. If you still want to give gift cards, try redeeming frequent flyer points, buying through an Entertainment book or on sale.
- Make, bake, grow or sew. Nothing spells love more than giving a homemade gift from the heart. My good friend, Trish, sews each of her grandchildren a custom-made dress or pyjamas each year. Her granddaughters especially love being involved in choosing the design. Other things you can make include biscuits, jams, chutneys (yum to mango chutney) and confectionery. I like to make lavender wands and limoncello. A hamper of homemade snacks and dips is often welcome – especially if a friend is about to play host to relatives over Christmas.
Serina Bird is author of The Joyful Frugalista and host of The Joyful Frugalista podcast. She’s a mum of two who rebuilt her finances after divorce, achieving financial independence at age 47. Follow her on Instagram or join her Facebook Group.
