They’re seldom acknowledged and rarely discussed: the unwritten rules of gift giving. Even if we don’t talk about them, “the rules” determine what we give, how much we give, and to whom we give. They govern everything from the office Secret Santa exchange, to classroom gifts, to a family 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.
This year, many families will decide to renegotiate gift giving during the holidays. Whether in reaction to economic stress, or out of a genuine desire to simplify the holidays, cutting back on Christmas will be easier to do if you understand the unwritten rules of gift-giving.
Why is it so important to get a grip on the rules behind holiday giving?
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:
For many families, Christmas comes not once a year, but lingers on for months! Credit card bills arrive shortly after season’s end, not to be paid off until the following summer. Grocery budgets groan under the burden of holiday meals and baking supplies. Nearly two-thirds of American families don't know the true cost of their own Christmas celebration--and if they did, they'd be shocked. That much ... for a single day?
Fight the seasonal spending spree with the financial tool of choice: a Christmas budget.
Every family has one: a gift-giver of extraordinary flair and creativity. Year after year, this paragon finds just the right gift, large or small, for every friend and relation, and all without breaking the bank.
Her “just because” offerings are tiny jewels, she’s hip to the latest teen trends—and she never, ever hears the double-barbed response, “Oh, you shouldn't have--you really shouldn’t have!”
Gift-giving. Seldom do we engage in an activity that invokes so many conflicting values.
On the one hand, we hope our gift will entertain, educate, and amuse. We dream of seeing our special gift proudly displayed in the home of the recipient. We hunt and search and shop, trying to find just the right gift to stand for the relationship we're celebrating.
On the other hand, gift-buying brings us up against our limitations. While our emotions urge extravagance, our wallets counsel frugality. The desire to delight a child with the year's hot toy runs smack up against the knowledge that the toy is question is shoddy, lacking in play value, and composed of 374 tiny plastic parts (most of which will become food for the vacuum cleaner by January 15th).
Repeat after me: "This year, I won't be wrapping gifts at midnight on Christmas Eve!"
If there's a single most-underestimated holiday chore, it's gift wrapping. Supplies lie scattered throughout the house, while space and privacy are hard to come by. Translation: late-night Christmas Eve wrapping sessions.
Not this year! We're going to lick the wrapping problem at the outset, by setting up a wrap and mail activity center. With workspace, tools and supplies at hand, it’s easy to wrap as you go—and enjoy the task, without grump, grumble or hurry.
Planning for Christmas, catalog shopping has many advantages over the holiday mall scene. No long lines. No sore feet. No staggering to the car, weighed down by parcels and shopping bags. Shopping becomes a pleasure, conducted from a favorite chair. Phone in your selections, sit back, and wait for the UPS man. Ahhhhh
Still, it's possible to have too much of a good thing! The catalog tide sweeps in at the end of August, engulfing mailboxes and tabletops with untidy stacks and piles--and disorganized catalog shopping exacts a high price for convenience.
Unbridled catalog shopping can be a real budget-buster, the very ease of the transaction encouraging free spending. Scattershot orders pay high toll in the form of shipping and handling fees. Returns can be problematic, especially when the receipt has vanished in the flood of greeting cards and torn-out recipes.
How to shop smart and save? Try these three tips to organize catalog shopping.
Scanning a list of handmade craft gifts is something like reading a cookbook: it makes you hungry! Whether you wander the crafts store, settle in at the library's craft bookshelf, or flip through holiday magazines, visions of bright and beautiful gifts follow one after the other.
Give in to that impulse, and you're likely to find yourself drowning in UFOs: Un-Finished Objects.
How to cut through the creative chaos and stay anchored so you'll finish the job? Try these tips to organize--and finish!--crafted gifts.
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.
Ready to outwit that old Christmas shopping demon? Try these strategies to get the most delight from your holiday spending dollar:
For many families, Christmas comes not once a year, but lingers on for months! Credit card bills arrive shortly after season’s end, not to be paid off until the following summer. Grocery budgets groan under the burden of holiday meals and baking supplies. Nearly two-thirds of American families don't know the true cost of their own Christmas celebration--and if they did, they'd be shocked. That much ... for a single day?
Gift-giving. Seldom do we engage in an activity that invokes so many conflicting values.
Planning for Christmas, catalog shopping has many advantages over the holiday mall scene. No long lines. No sore feet. No staggering to the car, weighed down by parcels and shopping bags. Shopping becomes a pleasure, conducted from a favorite chair. Phone in your selections, sit back, and wait for the UPS man. Ahhhhh
