Gift Guide for when You Have No Christmas Budget
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Most people I know love to give gifts around Christmas time. It can be incredibly fun to see someone else's eyes light up with a thoughtful gift you've given!
But not everyone who enjoys gift-giving has a budget for it. For those struggling with finances this year but who really want to give gifts, below is a gift guide with several ideas to help get the wheels turning. These are ideas that shouldn't cost money but are still thoughtful and beneficial to the receiver.
Print-it-yourself Adult Coloring Book - Adult coloring books are all the rage right now. And even though many of them are reasonably priced, you can still save $ by printing one yourself. If you have paper and ink on hand, a quick Google search will pull up hundreds of free coloring pages that you can print and put into a folder for a friend who enjoys coloring!
Babysitting, complete with entertainment for the kids - I don't know too many married couples with children who wouldn't love a kid-free evening with their spouse. Why not offer to babysit the kids for a night? Grab a favorite book to read or game to play with the tots you'll be watching, and offer to prepare a meal if the parents will leave the ingredients in the fridge for you.
Fixing/completing an item on a "honey-do" list - Most spouses have at least a few things they'd love their better halves to accomplish for them. A few weeks before Christmas, pay attention to your spouse to see if he asks you to do anything. Keep track, and see which items you could do for him that would absolutely make his day.
Fancy family dinner - Even if there isn't room in the budget for gifts this year, you can spruce up any meal by adding festive place settings and candles (if you don't already own these, ask your mom or a neighbor, both of whom will probably be all too happy to lend to you!). During the meal, let each family member share something he's thankful for.
Produce tray prepared from your own garden - If you have a green thumb and are growing a Winter garden, a produce tray containing your home-grown produce would be an amazing gift for anyone hosting a party!
Housecleaning - Maybe you know someone whose schedule or health concerns leaves her house needing some love. If you're good at scrubbing, offer to give her home a good, deep clean, complete with time for a cup of tea and visiting afterward.
There are countless ways to give even when you have no budget for gifts. It will take some creative thinking, but we can view an empty Christmas budget as a launching pad for creativity instead of as a setback. I'd love to know what your ideas are! Share below in the comments how you've been able to give even with an empty bank account. Do you have your own gift guide? Leave a link for that, too!
