The holidays are truly the most wonderful time of the year. Though for many of us, it can be stressful to dream up Christmas gift ideas for everyone we love. It’s even more stressful trying to come up with the money to pay for it all. As a result, we back away from celebrating the holidays and buy Christmas presents for few or no one. Many times, the gifts we buy are not a true reflection of our intentions. This article is an attempt to demonstrate some creative, thoughtful, convenient, and most importantly money-saving and stress-free gift-giving tips for the holidays.
Tip #1: Use your credit card incentives
If money is tight over the holidays, chances are you have a ton of credit card debt. If your credit cards are maxed out, perhaps the incentives you’ve earned by using them are also maxed out. Most credit card companies offer incentives in an attempt to entice you to use their card before using a competitor’s card. Some of the incentives are very attractive offers and a great token of appreciation. The most popular example of such incentives is the reward point programs offered by many credit card companies. Generally, for every dollar spent, you earn one point. If you spend several thousand dollars, you earn several thousand points. For every 1,000 points earned, $10 can be redeemed toward the purchase of hundreds of products from hundreds of top retailers, many of which offer great Christmas gift ideas. If you have 5000 points, that’s a value of $50, for example. Many of us have the famous American Express Green Card – their Preferred Reward program is an example of what can be possible and available to you if you are one of their cardholders. Visit all of your credit card bank’s websites to learn more about their incentives and how they can benefit you this Christmas. You may be very surprised at the opportunities available after months and months and even years of using your credit cards and remaining a loyal customer.
Tip #2: Send a gift basket
Giving gift baskets is an age-old tradition in gift-giving and its longevity is due to a number of tried-and-true factors. Everyone loves food, especially gourmet food. The best gift baskets are loaded with premium food products made from quality ingredients. Food gift makers are true gift professionals and create their products with your feelings in mind. Products like “Thank You” Toffee Peanuts, “Happy Birthday” Chocolate Truffles, “Merry Christmas” Summer Sausage or “You’re a Superstar” Hazelnut Coffee, are some of the sample products you’ll find inside a professionally designed gourmet gift. Sneakers. Adding keepsake items like coffee mugs, teddy bears, picture frames, books, DVDs, and a host of other novelty items make these clever gifts extra special.
Wrap it all up in a beautiful and practical basket or container with festive ribbons and bows and you have the ideal, impressive and unique Christmas present. What makes gift baskets such a truly practical gift is that it is just as appropriate for families as it is for individuals. This Christmas send a beautifully decorated Christmas gift basket that expresses your heartfelt sentiments to the whole family instead of buying individually for each family member. After all, the whole family is likely to partake of all the delights that lie within them. This idea is very effective in demonstrating your consideration. The joyful nature of gift baskets and the abundance and variety of products they contain are sure to create a lasting impression. For the best selection and value in gift baskets, visit the Gift Basket Scene website. This website offers wonderful gift baskets for every occasion.
Tip #3: Give Specialty Store Gift Cards
Giving gift cards may not seem like a thoughtful or unique Christmas gift, but it can be if done right. Forget giving away gift cards to Walmart, Sears, Target, and the like. In fact, such gift cards suggest that you did not spend a lot of time or thought to buy a great gift. People use gift cards from these retailers to supplement their weekly grocery or toiletries budget; these gift cards are nothing more than money in your pocket and are forgotten as soon as they are cashed out. The best gift cards come from specialty stores for very specific wants or needs that you know your recipient has. Give a holiday gift of music with a $20 Apple Gift Card to a family member who wants an iPod.
Even though you did not pay the bill for the full cost of the bill, the presence of the bill in your hand will remain as a reminder of your considered contribution. Give a holiday java gift with a $15 Starbucks gift card to dad who has to have a mocha every morning before work. You’ll remember that special week of free coffee more than you think. Give gift cards to couples from the best restaurants in town. Send your married friends to the Cheesecake Factory by giving them a holiday gift of dinner: a special evening of one-on-one time well spent. The key to success when giving special gift cards is your ability to show that you are in tune with their passions, opinions, and abilities. This reality alone creates elation in the heart of the recipient; his genuine sincerity shows instantly. This Christmas, give some serious thought to what your family and friends need and want – surprise them with a holiday gift of understanding by giving them a special gift card from a special place. Visit GiftCertificates.com for the best selection of gift cards from a wide range of retailers.
Tip #4: Do it yourself
Truly, there is nothing more special than taking the time and energy to create something great with your own hands and creativity. Many people have innate talents, such as sewing, drawing, and painting. For those who possess such talents, no more need be said about the possibilities of giving Christmas gifts: the possibilities exist within your talents. Most of us are not that talented, but there are still plenty of ways to create valuable gifts using ordinary resources within your capabilities. Baked goods, jewelry, photography, plants, and even lottery tickets can be dressed up with cheerful décor and packaging to create a unique and elegant holiday gift. Make your favorite fudge and place it in a colorful bakery box with a Christmas bow. Design your own jewelry by purchasing professional jewelry making kits. Earrings, bracelets and necklaces can be quality created and placed inside authentic jewelry boxes for a truly professional presentation.
Familiar Polaroids can be digitally recreated into quality images that can be neatly arranged into beautiful collage frames that can be purchased at any craft store. Hand out lottery tickets inside personally designed greeting cards that you can design yourself on your home computer with your graphics and written words of expression. Buy a variety of ceramic pots and choose your favorite plants to put inside. Cover the plant with decorative cellophane, ribbon and bows for a holiday gift from nature. The key here is to do it yourself at a fraction of the cost of buying it elsewhere and for a fraction of the time it takes to shop individually for everyone on your Christmas list. Do it yourself, and you can experience holiday cheer in the most satisfying way possible. An excellent website that offers a wide range of gift supplies, including boxes, bags, ribbons, and much more, is Nashville Wraps. There you will find everything you need to start your gift ideas.
Tip #5: Have a gift exchange
Gift exchanges have been around for many years and are no real secret in gift giving. However, the reason it is included in this article is because of the fun and creative ways they can be planned. Many times, people get bored with the basic gift exchange and want more excitement in gift exchanges. If a gift exchange is something you’ve never tried before, then you’re missing out on a great opportunity to create something really fun with friends and family. A gift exchange for many people is more rewarding for the giver and the receiver. You spend less time thinking, shopping and spending money. Instead, you can give all your attention and money to one special person. The results allow the true meaning of the holiday season to shine through. There is delight and joy in receiving a thoughtful Christmas gift. For those who have witnessed the positive results of gift exchanges, but are looking for a change, there are a few things to try. How about everyone swapping their favorite wine or alcohol? Consider tip #4 above and trade in something that has to be created with your own hands and personal ingenuity.
Why not trade Christmas ornaments or decorations? Each holiday season, your Christmas gift is a reminder of your thoughtfulness. Many families like to exchange something from home and enjoy the gift of entertainment and laughter. Mugs, ties, belts, scarves, art, antiques, and even old misfit gifts from previous Christmases can be a lot of fun. You can exchange bakery items, personal services, books, plants, board games, appliances, video games, event tickets, subscriptions, “things that go on your feet”, “things that go on your head”, “things that you get rubbed”, “things you smell” or any gift on any theme you can think of. It’s fun to have a different theme each year. You can even have a secret Santa gift exchange by keeping your recipient’s name a secret and surprise them on Christmas day. The goal here is to be smart, creative, fun, save time, save money, and promote the holiday spirit. For help planning a gift exchange, visit SecretSanta.com. SecretSanta.com is a free service that offers a large number of themes that can be used for gift exchange events. When creating a gift exchange event, you can select themes for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, as well as general holiday themes.
Holidays are not supposed to be stressful and should be a time of joy, love and peace. This Christmas dig deep into your heart and not into your pocket. Find Christmas gift ideas that show your thoughtfulness without the frustrations experienced in previous holiday seasons. Stay true to the season, true to yourself, and spread the Christmas cheer along the way. Have a Merry Christmas!
