Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Five Ways to Control Your Gift Giving Expenditures

Gift giving is not just for the holidays.  There are special occasions all year long.  Some, like birthdays, are expected.  Others, such as baby showers, are not.

Here are five tips to help you control your holiday gift budget.

1.  Make sure you set a reasonable budget for gifts.  It's always better to aim high and not spend so much than to figure on a lower amount and end up going over budget.

2.  Don't forget the unexpected people that always drop by during the holidays.  Make sure that you have small gifts on hand that you can use in order to give to someone that you had not planned on buying for.

3.  Make sure that you budget for gifts all year long.  There are always birthdays, baby showers, and weddings that you need to buy gifts for.  Make sure that you have some kind of allowance in your monthly budget so that these special occasions do not take you by surprise.

4.  If you want to get a nicer gift than your budget allows, consider going in with a friend or family member in order to purchase a gift for someone.  If you share the cost between two or three people, then you can all afford something much nicer than what each of you could afford on your own.

5.  Make sure that you put something in your budget for gifts that you need to purchase for coworkers.  Some offices will take up a certain amount of money each month in order to put it in a fun to purchase gifts, cakes, etc.  Some don't.  Holiday gift giving can become expensive if you purchase for everyone at the office, so you might want to be the one that suggests drawing names or simply not having gift giving throughout the entire department.

By following these tips you can control your gift giving budget all year long and not be caught with an unexpected financial burden.  By planning ahead, you can ensure that you are prepared and relaxed for any special occasion.