Gifts and Giving

Christmas is coming! Do you understand the unwritten rules of gift-giving?

Each of us carries within ourselves a set of rules about gift-giving. Seldom acknowledged and rarely discussed, these rules determine what we give, how much we give, and to whom we give. Despite living only in our minds and expectations, the unwritten rules of gift-giving govern everything from the office Secret Santa exchange to the family's morning under the Christmas tree.

Problem is, “unwritten” means that gift-giving rules are subject to interpretation—both in our own minds, and in our dealings with others. Even in a single family, it's common to find members with radically different ideas when it comes to "the rules" of gift-giving.

Why is it so important to get a grip on the rules behind holiday giving before we make our Christmas gifts list?

We should all have a friend like my friend Joyce. No matter what the occasion, she comes up with the perfect gifts--even at short notice. Her wrapped packages are lavish and lovely, her cards are sweet and well-chosen--and she does it on a budget and without last-minute dashes to the shopping mall. Her secret?

A gift closet.

It's a concept we love here at Organized Christmas: a dedicated space in the household to store gift items, gift wrap and cards. A gift closet holds a stockpile of gift items and everything needed to wrap and present them.

Why bother? Two words: time and money. A surprise child's birthday party invitation won't wreck the budget at month's end when a nice selection of age-appropriate gifts are tucked away in the gift closet. Baby shower invitations and graduation announcements are easy to answer with the help of stockpiled gifts. Shopping sales and catalog clearance items cuts the cost of Christmas gifts; holiday shopping is simple when the "store" lies at the end of the hall.

Ready to set up a gift closet in your organized home? Try these tips to save money and time on holiday gifts:

With summer winding down, school is on the way--and so are rock-bottom prices on back-to-school needs! During late summer, office supply stores engage in penny price wars, while discount stores bring racks of school supplies front and center ... and cheap! Back-to-school loss leaders--products sold below cost to attract sales--are hot and heavy in the supermarkets these days--and even the crafts stores offer a variety of binders, stickers and backpacks at sharply reduced prices.

Ready to save? Back-to-school sales aren't just for families with children! Smart Santas know that back-to-school sales offer great values on products used for holiday gifts, giving and decor. Even beyond traditional "stocking stuffers", back-to-school savings can jumpstart holiday preparation while it pares the budget.

Buy now to get a great deal on these six surprising back-to-school staples ... and save money on your organized Christmas:

If the local newscast (egged on by local retail merchants) tells me one more time exactly how many "shopping days" are left until Christmas, I'll scream!

For busy home managers, there are never enough days to shop for/buy/craft/bake gifts for family and friends--and this year of all years, disposable income is in short supply for many of us.

Solution: Christmas Cheats. These spending short-cuts save time, money, energy and aggravation during the holiday season. With clever solutions for gift-giving, they're the frugal way to celebrate like Santa but spend like Scrooge.

Ready to outwit that old Christmas shopping demon? Try these strategies to get the most delight from your holiday spending dollar:

Gift. Say the word and many levels of meaning go through our minds! When preparing for the Christmas holidays, "gift" is a loaded term, one that provokes equal parts of anxiety and joy.

In our consumer society, the idea of "gift" is no longer simple, no longer free. The forces of consumption have taken the pure and simple concept of "gift" and layered that concept with staggering traps.

As individuals, as families, we must try to preserve simpler values against an economy, a retail institution, and an enormous idea machine, all devoted to a single goal: to persuade us to spend money on holiday gifts. Can we find a way back to the simplicity of old? How will we keep our balance in holiday giving?