Much of the world, and certainly the US, is struggling with the financial climate, and that may well be leading many to suffer a great deal of anxiety when it comes to selecting and buying Christmas presents for their loved ones in 2022.

Every year we, as a society, spend more and more on gifts, and we often feel pressured by convention and can tend to find ourselves going way over budget and spending beyond our means.

It’s no shock then when you consider that for many, the Christmas holidays can prove very stressful for those who are trying to please their friends and family and don’t want to let them down and therefore end up getting into unnecessary debt. 

There are ways to mitigate these issues, and it is possible to appease those you are looking to buy the best gifts for AND still work within constraints of time and money. Here are a few hints that we hope could prove helpful to you in your endeavors.

Planning

The key to successful festive gift buying is planning. That means getting well ahead of the crowds, both online and offline, and making sure you don’t end up having to pick up last-minute presents that will end up costing you far more and are more than likely not going to be ideal in terms of the individuals you are buying for. 

Also, the additional cost is even higher when you consider that often last-minute gifts are simply not what your friends and family wanted, which can lead to difficult situations and a likely frosty reception on Christmas Day. 

Buy Online

It goes without saying that buying online will almost always be less expensive than shopping on the high street, but you should also additionally factor in that in some niches and markets, the difference in price is even more pronounced.

For instance, for decades, when we were buying jewelry from local suppliers and stores, we were paying far too much, and we know that now because buying high-quality items online is far less expensive, and though that’s partly down to the lack of overhead costs, it’s also because the idea of luxury items and the costs we used to pay is now a thing of the past due to a shift in the specific market. 

The good news is then you can now buy that stylish gold name necklace for the special person in your life, and it won’t end up severely denting your bank balance. 

Ask Them What They Want

Often the cost of buying presents isn’t just financial. If you get gifts for people and they are not well received or accepted through gritted teeth, then this, too, has cost you in terms of the relationships you have with these individuals.

It is totally acceptable for you to ask friends and family what they want for Christmas, and it can save you a real headache in the long term. There may have been a time when asking what people would like for Christmas may have been considered an indelicate matter, but in 2022 it’s totally okay to do so.

After all, when it comes to our kids, they’ve been writing lists outlining what they want for a long time now, and that system seems to work, so why not adopt it for all those you need to buy presents for?

Manage Expectations

If times are tough, then you need to adjust expectations accordingly. Whether this means telling yourself not to overspend or explaining to others, such as your young kids, that this year they’ll have to expect that they can’t have everything, it’s important to manage the situation rather than leave things until the day itself.

For instance, it can be more than a tad traumatic for a young child to expect one present only to unwrap their gift and find another. You might want to try forming some compromise in these situations. 

For example, they may make a list of several items, and you can explain that some of these will be under the Christmas tree, but others will have to wait until their birthday. When this is explained to children, you’d be surprised how understanding they can be.

The worst thing you genuinely can do is to overstretch yourself and, in doing so, spend beyond your means. Firstly it’s a formula for disaster as this will catch up with you, and secondly, it will play on your mind and can ruin your enjoyment of the festive season.

Create a Spreadsheet and Approach the Problem Methodically

Why not approach the matter of Christmas present shopping in the same way you might tackle a work task? So you know what that means? Yes, it’s time to open a spreadsheet.

Here you can organize columns and make plans. Firstly, start with listing those you are buying presents for, and then, if it helps, you can even list a budget for each individual, but clearly, the key here is not to let anyone see your sheet; otherwise, it might get very complicated when you have to explain to your mother why you are spending less on her than your father. 

On the sheet, you can outline the items requested and then do some price matching to find the best deal and also set delivery dates and prioritize each item. Additionally, you can track any budget and open a different sheet to plot out savings you amass specifically for the Christmas season.

Being methodical about the process can help you to be dispassionate about it and therefore help to remove emotional aspects from the equation. 

Importantly you need to put any of these steps above in motion long before Christmas; that way, you can get well ahead of the curve so you can truly relax and enjoy the holidays without the tension and stress that can so easily take the magic away from the festive period.