Winter Whites & Budget Blues

‘Tis the season for empty wallets, family feuding and broken dreams – otherwise known as the winter holiday season for post-grads. Alright, I realize that may sound a bit overdramatic (typical for me, am I right?), but when you’ve just started paying back your student loans, attempting to move out and battling with bills, Christmas time becomes serious crunch time.

Gift-giving has never been easy on your wallet; as a student, the main concern was schoolwork rather than making bank and parading around town like Santa Claus come December. Yet now, as a post-grad in an entry-level job, is it that much easier? For those of you who are privileged with cushy jobs and fat paychecks, maybe it is easier. But for what I’m assuming is the majority (and maybe that will make an ass out of “u” and “me”), we’re stuck in that place in between affordable and overwhelming.  Ideally, at this point, we’re getting consistent paychecks that does make gift-giving possible. However, at the same time, we’re dealing with real-life costs: rent, bills, groceries, insurance, etc, for presumably the first time. When you’re forking over a couple of hundred dollars for your student loans on top of everything else, how do you budget Christmas?

I know that when I first started getting a regular paycheck, I was excited about the prospect of the holidays and finally being able to give the sort of gifts I wanted to give. Despite the over-commercialized force-fed obligation to buy gifts that advertisements and department stores may seem to demand of us, I find myself enjoying gift-giving. With Christmas, I meticulously mull over what to buy my decided recipients. Most of the time, I find it difficult to keep my mouth shut about what I buy people because I’m so excited to give them their gift (this is true for all other times of the year – birthdays and random gift occasions included – I strangely love gift-giving) with a tendency to blurt out the surprise ahead of time (oops). That is how gift-giving is supposed to make you feel. It certainly isn’t supposed to stress you out. Friends and family members understand that money may be tight, especially since most people are doing their own penny-pinching these days.

Because I know that we all want to make sure to include our best friends and family members on the “nice” list this year, I think it helps to get creative when giving gifts. I find that there are ways to make Christmas budget-friendly while still being able to feel as though you gave something thoughtful to those you love the most. Some of my favorite ideas are below:

• Memories in gift-form:  I find that the gifts I love the most are the ones that reflect the amount of careful consideration given by the gift-giver (awwww). Why not remind your loved-ones of your favorite memories with them? Whether this is by making them a picture collage or picture book, framing one special picture of a favorite moment, this gift will show that you want to remember that time at a baseball game or that night out dancing together – and reflect just how much you want to preserve that memory. For Mother’s Day last year, I gave my mom a picture book of our family vacation to Puerto Rico, coming in under $30. It’s something my family takes out again and again to share with friends and to remember our vacation. Finding a way to compile your photos (there are plenty of frames with space for multiple photos, or try a shadow-box to add additional saved mementos) makes for a great way to remember good times and do something budget-friendly. Plus, your recipient will have a picture of you -- let your inner-narcissist run wild.
• Throw a party: Okay, so technically this isn’t a typical gift and II know that you’re thinking – “I have a tiny apartment!” or “Parties are expensive!” I can assure you, a party can be had just about anywhere or just about any budget. Throwing a party is a great way to get everyone together and give them a time to remember (and take a photo to later put in a frame for next year’s gift!) In lieu of a tangible gift, you’re giving people the gift of FUN -- and who doesn’t like that? To keep things inexpensive, ask people to BYOB (naturally…who can afford to keep a bunch of 20-somethings liquored up?) and take either an appetizer or dessert. Of course, you should provide a few snacks and non-alcoholic beverages, but hit up a local grocery store, and you can get all of those things for a low-price. Getting everyone together usually is a sure-fire way to have fun and spend time with the people you love the most – the thing is, few people rarely like to step up and host a party. Be that person! You can never have enough FUN with your best friends, so why not provide your friends with a good time and have them looking forward to making this an annual thing.
• Gift-giving games: I wish I had the budget to give gifts to every single one of my friends, but unfortunately, that just isn’t realistic. Until I hit the jackpot, I find that a great alternative is to host and participate in gift-giving games. This can be combined with my prior suggestion of throwing a party. Have everyone participate in something like a Secret Santa or a Yankee Swap (you can Google the rules -- or check out this site: http://www.secretsanta.com/). Set a limit on how much participants should spend. Since you only have to buy one gift as opposed to multiple, you can choose a price that works for you and the rest of the group participating. You’ll have just as much fun picking out a silly gift as you will exchanging with your friends. Again, we’re all about making memories (sappy, I know) so what you may sacrifice in number of presents you make up for in laughs (even sappier.)
• Give the gift of time: Honestly, this might be my favorite gift idea because it’s a win-win for everyone involved (assuming the person you give this “gift” to actually likes you and enjoys spending time with you.) Because everyone is so busy all the time, what is more valuable than time? Invite your grandma out for a one-on-one brunch or tell your best friend that you want to have a girls’ night in with your favorite movies and wine. I get that this might seem lame because you can’t necessarily wrap this up with a bow on it, but this is a gift you both can benefit from. Your friend/family member will feel special because you put in the the time and effort to plan something specifically for them, and you will get to be with someone you care about. Sure, you could get someone a gift card, but what’s the use of having $25 to IHOP if you’re not sharing a triple-decker stack of pancakes with someone you love? Ultimately, the best moments are those shared with friends and family -- get into the spirit of Christmas, people! Show people you love them not by giving them thoughtless gifts, but by giving them your most valuable asset: time. You only have so much of it per day, so choose an afternoon/night and make it all about being with them. Assuming your friend is not Scrooge, I think they will appreciate it.

So start jingling your bells, laughing merrily along the way and spreading Christmas cheer without getting charge an overdraft fee this year. When you’re focusing on the real meaning of the holidays -- being with the ones you love and allowing yourself to eat obnoxious amount of holiday-themed treats (naturally) -- you will actually be able to enjoy it. Plus, you will be able to avoid crazed mall crowds and whining children. And remember, every time a bell rings, you should down some more spiked eggnog.

Is that how the saying goes?

Also … enjoy this Christmas song. It ends with a twist on Toto’s “Africa.” Yes, I am serious, and yes, you will love it.