Christmas gifts on a budget

"I’m participating in the Spend-Less Holidays: Saving While Savoring the Season Blog Carnival, hosted by The Frugal Fil-Am and Dainty Mom. We’ll be sharing our tips on how to spend less this holiday season, so that we can have a more meaningful Christmas. Please scroll down to the end of the post to see the list of carnival entries.”

It's Christmas time once again, and it's the season of giving. Though sometimes it feels like gift giving is burning holes on our pockets, this should not be. There are ways by which we can give gifts that are nice without the need to spend too much. It's just a matter of finding the best deals and being creative.

Here are some ways by which we can give budget-friendly Christmas gifts:

1.  Buy your gifts early. Avoid the Christmas rush. The best time to buy Christmas gifts is before the "ber" months. Many stores offer mid-year sales of their items, so you can buy these items at discounted prices. If you're looking at going to Divisoria, the Philippines' shopping mecca, to buy goods at cheaper prices, the mid-year is a good time to visit since it is not too crowded. By September, the crowds at Divisoria increases since people flock the shopping centers to buy their Christmas gifts.

2. Check out group buying sites. Group buying sites allow people to group together to negotiate for lower prices or better deals for products or services. However, before you make the purchase, read carefully and understand the fine print as it will give you the details regarding your purchase such as the voucher's validity and where to claim the items. You also need to do due diligence in looking for and in purchasing items only from legitimate group buying sites as we don't want to just lose our hard-earned money. To check if the site is legitimate, try to contact them through phone and email. If they don't respond immediately, you may have a hard time in redeeming your purchase.

3. Consider online shopping. I like buying stuff online because of its convenience. With just a few clicks I am able to choose and pay for the items that I want to buy. There are also online stores that sell items at discounted prices, sometimes cheaper than those sold in malls. Some online stores even deliver the items at your doorstep for free! Purchasing through online stores saves me time and money, and these savings also help me cut down on my costs, or allows me to do other things. But just like in #2, please check if the online store where you'd like to buy your items is a legitimate one.

4. Create your own gifts. If you think that you have some creative talent and access to tools, you should consider creating and designing your own gifts! There are so many gift ideas that you can create or design by yourself. If you know graphic design, you can put it to good use by creating customized clothing and accessories. If you know how to cook or bake, you can consider giving food as gifts. There are many things that you can make with little effort and using inexpensive and readily available supplies. Online, you can find many ideas for creating your own gifts. And these kinds of gifts are extra special because they have your personal touch in them.

I hope these tips can make your Christmas gift-giving budget-friendly! :)

Also, please check out this list of interesting posts about making our Christmas celebration more meaningful :)

Domesticated Goddess
The Learning Basket
Apple's World
A WAHM's Life
Changing Nappies in High Heels
Savvy Saving Couple
Kids Party Hub
My Life in Letters
Super Mommy Wannabee
The Frugal Fil-Am
Mrs C's Sugarcoated Life
Henry's Mom
Roller Coaster Mom
Saved by the Miracle of Baked Mac
Mommy Journey
City Girl, Country Home
The World is Our Classroom
Lique's Antics
Mommy Bares All
Consumer Queen
Truly Rich Mom
Dainty Mom
Saving Well, Spending Less