It's officially December now and I have no idea what to get anyone for Christmas or how much it'll cost. Everyone should be getting ready to be merry and jolly, but I'm banging my head on the wall thinking of what everyone wold love without breaking the bank. We all are all under the pressure to give the best gifts, have the best outfits, or host the best parties -- and I always give AWESOME gifts, so all of it can really add up to a crazy holiday bill! Here are my big tricks and tips to make sure your holiday is cheap but not missing any of the cheer. Christmas is exhausting. But I have a plan!
The key is to set your budgets before you start, and that will pigeon hole what you can get for everyone. Decide how much do you want to allocate to each of your friends and family members, and stick to it. The average Canadian spends around $900 a season, but see how much you can truly afford and be a Scrooge. The best present is knowing that you can afford to give the gifts this year. Here are my tips.
Get one super awesome gift vs. many crappy ones:
It's hard to find the proper gift for your loved ones. There are so many items out there that you may think they will like -- but will they, really? Do you just get booze or a blue sweater that they could return if they despise it? No way. For you to have the most awesome holiday possible, you need to give a gift so awesome you'd like for yourself. Get them one big, awesome gift and then get them smaller filler gifts to save money. The big gift has be something that you'd love or get for yourself, and that'll make their night -- and save you a ton on presents. It doesn't have to be expensive, just awesome.
Parties for Pennies:
Eat in! I just had a dinner party and it was a big hit. My friends and I made turkey tacos with yummy chocolate Christmas cake, and it was all for around $100. Everyone brought a bottle of wine and I made my famous Daisy Martinis with cranberries on top to make them festive. We fed eight people comfortably and for way cheaper than we would have if we had all gone out. We plopped on Songza and had a dance party after. Lots of cheer, and for super cheap!
Holiday Outfits:
Grab something that you already have in the closet and add a new accessory. I'm going to wear my classic black suit to a fancy holiday party this weekend and I'm just getting a cute new bow tie and pocket square to freshen it up. H&M has a package deal that will let me pull if off without pulling out too many bills. Throwing on some accessories or an ugly vintage Christmas sweater is going to get me through some more casual parties, too. Cheap and cheerful.
Decorate Like A Super Elf:
It's easy to be lazy and not decorate. It is officially cheaper. But you would be a horrible elf. And we all want to be awesome elves. So let's decorate like awesome elves with great money skills. Get an awesome tree -- a real tree -- for cheap. The pine smell always makes your home a little bit more ho ho ho. Decorate from your stash of decorations in the basement, or take a whopping $20 and stock up at the dollar store or stuff that's on sale. Candy canes, popcorn strings and crackers are great ways to decorate on the cheap, too. You'll love to be home with some nog and cuddles once the place is decorated!
Those are my big tips for the holiday, so use them to save money but still have the awesomeness holiday for a holla!
Dave
MORE ON HUFFPOST:
