Tips like these helped us pay off $127K in debt. You can read our story in Slaying the Debt Dragon: How One Family Conquered Their Money Monster and Found an Inspired Happily Ever After.
Full disclosure: I love presents. I love to pick out presents for other people. I love to watch people open those presents. I love to choose items that coordinate well together to make a gift sing. I love to give tokens to inspire others toward their passion and invest in their natural abilities. I also love to receive presents. I love a smartly wrapped box with coordinating bow and carefully pulling it apart to reveal its contents. Yes, I am not afraid to admit that I love presents. What I don’t love? Overspending on the presentation of presents. It’s easy to get carried away with tags, packaging, ribbons, and decorative tape. Certainly, you want to festoon your thoughtfulness with dazzling holiday spirit; however, there are some guiding principles to keep in mind to make every dollar count. Saving money on Christmas wrapping is a snap with these tips.
Keep Proper Perspective
Let’s be honest. Each and every minute and dollar you spend wrapping a gift in the end will be discarded in a big black trash bag sometime during the day on December 25. Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not giving you a free pass for just tossing those new socks at your grandpa with a grunt of Merry Christmas. Nor am I telling you that your wife will love that new piece of jewelry if you double knot a plastic grocery bag. Rather, I’m just gently reminding you to not get too carried away and be mindful of price when choosing paper, bows, and special effects for your gift.
Go Mid-grade
This is a transcendent life lesson I wished I would have learned before we painted our daughter’s nursery with the cheapest paint I could find (only to later have the vaporizer strip it from the wall, ew). The most expensive items are not always the best, but neither are the cheapest. From appliances to cars and everything in between, it’s typically a good idea to go with the item priced in the middle. Specifically for gift wrapping, buying paper that’s the cheapest can often means its of a lighter weight and much easier to tear. This easily could cause you to waste much and purchase double. Stay in the middle.
Practical Wrap
Want to wow your loved ones with your creativity? Look for practical items to use to wrap gifts. Dish towels, scarves, laundry baskets, plastic tubs, or even a tool box could house your generosity. If you’re going to spend more on gift wrap, why not use those same dollars for an item that could be used again?
Reuse & Recycle
Go green this holiday season. Right now, swear to me that before you buy a single gift bag you will go on a treasure hunt in your home, tracking down all of the ones you already own. Or begin a family tradition with cloth wrapping paper than can be stowed for the next year. Go old school and cover gifts with the newspaper (after you’ve read its wonderful articles of course). At a bare minimum, be sure to save shipping boxes from your latest online shopping score to mail gifts again.
Skip the Tags & Print Your Own
While never overly expensive small purchases like gift tags can easily bite into your budget during the holiday season. Tiny buys seem inconsequential but can add up to accounts redder than Santa’s suit. This year, head to the internet to print out gift tags instead. There are plenty of adorable and even customizable tags that will wow your family and add a personal touch.
You don’t have to be a Grinch. Your presents can still have lovely holiday flair. Think outside of the box and remember it’s what’s on the inside that counts. This Christmas keep your bank account in the black so that you don’t end up with a lump of coal instead of a healthy bottom line.
My book is now available: Slaying the Debt Dragon: How One Family Conquered Their Money Monster and Found an Inspired Happily Ever After. You can also check out Inspiration to Pay Off Debt: 30 Days of Encouragement from the Queen of Free
